Time to Catch Up...Majorly!

I'm going to start off writing from the time I left off until now, so basically be prepared for a information overload!  

Jordan ended his second year of medical school in the middle of May and began studying for the Step One examination.  He basically was locked in our office from early morning (5-6 AMish) until his lunch break at noon.  He would then study until 5:30 PM, have dinner, and then study again until 11 PM.  EVERY. DAY.  It was exhausting!  I wasn't even the one studying and I was tired from it!  Thankfully, our house was quiet enough for him to be able to study.  I can't imagine what it was like for fellow classmates with a couple kids!  

Jordan and I celebrated our THIRD wedding anniversary on May 30 (in the middle of studying lol)!  Three whole years, and I honestly can't believe how fast the time has flown.  I also can't believe how much more I love Jordan now than when we first got married.  He is everything to me!  I am such a lucky girl to have snagged him :)  I had to work on our anniversary (boo) but I came home to the sweetest and most unexpected surprise.

"3 years ago today..."

"We took the next step"

"And climbed towards eternity"

"Reaching new heights..."

"And we still haven't reached the top yet..."

"I can't wait to see what lies next..."

"Together with my eternal companion <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

We went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Buz and Neds and then came home and relaxed.  

We signed our lease at our new house on June 15!  It's a three bedroom, two bathroom duplex in Churchill, a major historic area in downtown Richmond.  The house was probably built in the early 1900's and I love it.  There are so many details about the house that I'll highlight later.  We painted every single room and I love all the color - no more white walls here!  

On June 16, Jordan woke up bright and early to take the Step One.  The test is over 300 questions and took over 8 hours...talk about killer.  He was so prepared though, so I knew he would do awesome!  After emerging, I whisked him away for dinner and a fun night out.  We decided to go to a hotel for the night and I can decidedly tell you that I will never stay at a Crowne Plaza Hotel again.  When I walked in the lobby, laden with bags, no one offered to carry my things to my room. When I got to the room, I was disappointed with 2 full size beds, not a king like I had reserved. Later that night, when we turned off the lights, the light from the hallway was streaming in through cracks around the door. I could hear every word people in the hall and in the room next to us were saying. Around 1:30 AM, a group of partiers decided to start yelling in the hall and kept at it for 5 minutes. I finally got so sick of it that I didn't care I was in my garments - I was going to give them a piece of my mind!  I walked out in the hall and yelled at them.  They quieted down after that.  Bahaha! 

I'll update you some more next week! 

April Showers...

It really has been so rainy here in Richmond for the past week.  I can't believe that Salt Lake City has been warmer than us!  What?!  That doesn't make sense.  I guess it even snowed a few days ago in Pennsylvania, so the whole east coast has been having random weather.  Today is the first really nice day in a while, so I've enjoyed that.

First and foremost - Jordan and I have FINALLY finished LOST!  Ugh!  It took us a few months to get through 6 very confusing seasons.  I think I said, "What?  That doesn't make sense!" at lease once every episode.  It was entertaining coming up with our own conclusions to the whole story.  We especially liked how one entire season revolved around pushing a button.  Oh, and how another season revolved entirely around whether they were all dead or not.  It was great.

April 16 was tax day, and I was so extremely grateful that we got our taxes done in January!  What an awesome feeling of non-procrastination.  I've had to file an extension almost every year, but not this year. Woo-hoo!  Here's hoping next year will go just as smoothly!

Jordan had an exam for his Foundations in Clinical Medicine (FCM) on April 16 and did awesome.  He had to get a history and physical on two people and then write up a note on one of them.  We had practiced together, and I think that helped.

We had FHE with Alan and Lyanna on April 16 as well, and talked about the First Presidency message for this month, ate some delicious ice cream (Waffle Cone and Salted Caramel Pretzel - um yum!), and played Sequence.  Such a fun game!

I bought tickets on Groupon for super cheap admission to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum here in Richmond, which we went to see on April 17.  It was fascinating.  He lived a very interesting life, and although the museum was small, we really enjoyed it.

On April 19, Jordan went to court to fight his speeding ticket that he got the day after his birthday - boo!  :(  Amazingly, the judge somehow didn't see that Jordan had a previous ticket, and let him off easy.  All Jordan has to do is go to traffic school, and we pay the court fees.  Yay for nice judges!

This past weekend was my weekend off.  We weren't able to do much because Jordan was studying for his Musculoskeletal Exam on Tuesday, plus it rained all weekend.  But we did go play in a nearby park and then go out to Cheesecake Factory on Saturday!

And speaking of exams, Jordan did great on the MSK exam.  Woo!  He has another exam next Monday for FCM, and the Neurology exam the week after that!  Sheesh!  Then it's going to be what the M2's lovingly call "Crunch Month," which is where they study an entire month (heck, he's been studying all year) for the Step 1 Exam.  The Step 1 is the most important test at this point, because his score will help determine which residencies he may get.  So I'm trying to be a good wife - keep the house clean, do laundry, make dinner, and bring home the bacon.  The month after Step 1 will be a good one, let me tell ya!

Major Catch Up Time!

I've not been as awesome as I should be when it comes to blogging.  You wouldn't think it, but working day shift (awesome and incredible as it is) makes me exhausted.  I am walking during the whole 8 hours, and always doing something.  I get up super early (5:10 AM?!) and go to sleep at 9:30 PM (sometimes 8 PM).  I feel like an old person.  But I'm beginning to have some semblance of a routine, which I love.  And I truly love being so busy at work.  I'm a busy natured person - it's just getting used to it!  So hence, my excuse for not blogging.  Get ready for the onslaught.

On March 23rd, Jordan and I attended the boy scout fundraiser dinner at our ward.  It was so fun.  We ate a spaghetti dinner cooked by the scouts (under the supervision of their leaders ;)), hung out with our friends from the ward, and had an auction for awesome items like a fishing trip, hair products, food, etc.

I began working by my self at work on March 26th!  I love it.  It's kindof nerve-wracking, but I enjoy being able to implement all the things I've learned throughout my career as a psych nurse into my practice.  One of my favorite things I'm able to do is groups with the patients.  I gather them all together and we either do an activity or talk about different issues.  I've done groups so far on medication management, "Stamping out the Stigma," their happy memories, how involved they are in their care, etc.  I seriously love psych, and am even considering becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (similar to a doctor) in the future.  Loving what you do is so important!

I've been growing my hair out, and as a result, some funny things have happened to me lately.  Both at the scout dinner and at work, these girls came up to me and out of the blue would say, "You know who you look like??  Alice Cullen!!!!!"  Consequently, one of my patients would call me nothing but Alice, and a young woman in our ward beams at me every time she sees me.  It's hilarious!  What do you think?

March 26th, Jordan and I were able to see The Hunger Games!!  It was awesome.  We tried out a theater in our area that is just 21 years and over, and had a great time.  They had huge semi-reclining seats, dinner, popcorn, dessert, etc.  Loved it!  And the tickets are a bit cheaper than the other theater we usually go to.

On March 30th, I had the best massage I think I've ever had in my life.  When you're so relaxed to the point of drooling, I think that's pretty dang amazing!  I've been seeing my massage therapist, Jennifer, for almost 2 years, and she is incredible.  Her website is here.

Conference was so good, as usual.  Because I worked day shift that weekend, I was only able to see the afternoon sessions, but I hope to be able to watch the morning ones soon.  My favorite quotes from them were:

"Why should you be jealous when I choose to be kind...Demeaning someone else doesn't improve your self image.  Be kind."  Jeffrey R. Holland

"Mothers and fathers - praying with children may be more important than any other example" Quentin L. Cook

Some of my favorite talks were by: Robert D. Hales, about the prodigal son; President Monson's talk Sunday morning; and the talk by Neil L. Andersen.  

Some themes I noticed: revelation, the ability to be forgiven/repentance, and priesthood responsibilities. To see, read, or hear the talks for yourself, go here.

I went out to lunch with Lyanna on April 3rd to one of my favorite restaurants here in Richmond, Can Can Brasserie.  We were able to talk for hours (SO needed with our hubbies both in medical school) and go to Target after.  So fun!

On April 4th we had the missionaries over for dinner again.  I think we feed them pretty dang often!  We had chicken with red pepper sauce and a tropical crisp that was to die for.  Such a great twist on regular apple crisp!  Here's the recipe:

Prep: 20 minutes. Bake: 30 minutes. Yield: 9 servings.

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
4 medium bananas, sliced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Topping:
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

In a large bowl, combine pineapple and bananas.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and flour; toss to coat.  Transfer to a greased 9x9 baking dish.  For topping, in a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, and nutmeg.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over fruit.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

On April 6th, Jordan had his Women's Health exam.  He is so glad to be done with that class!  It wasn't his favorite. ;)  Also on the 6th, Jordan got his schedule for his third year!  Third year is going to be AWESOME.  This is when what you imagine medical school is like really comes to fruition - rounding with residents and attendings, presenting on patients, assisting with everything and anything.  I'm SO excited for Jordan.  He is going to have so many cool opportunities.  This will also be one of the hardest years so far.  Jordan will be basically living at the hospital some rotations.  He will sleep there, eat there, and work there.  I know this is difficult for people who aren't going through it to understand, but because of the schedule, his time is going to be very limited.  They gave all the students a handbook, and it says...

"You made it!  Say goodbye to the lecture hall and hello to the wards.  The misery is over, and now the fun can begin...right?  Your clerkship experiences will be better than sitting in class day after day, but it has its own set of challenges.  Clerkships are a big change from daily lectures.  You will be expected to take responsibility for your own learning, and you will be expected to figure many things out for yourself.  You will also find that your time is not necessarily your own, and sleep is a valued commodity.  Even on easier clerkships, a minimum of 40 hours/week at the hospital is the norm.  You can no longer "home school" whenever you feel like it.  As an M3, being 5 minutes late can lower your clerkship grade, and days off are sometimes few and far between."

But this is what we've been waiting for.  This is Jordan's chance to really get out there and learn.  One of our friends is just finishing his third year, and he even delivered a baby in one of his rotations!  How cool is that?!  If you want details about what area of the hospital Jordan will have when and when breaks are, ask him.  

Yesterday, we were able to drive up near DC and spend the afternoon with Alan and Lyanna.  We went to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly and it was so cool!  I'm obsessed with space.  This museum is where they filmed the Transformers movie!  Loved it.  I'd love to go back.  We had dinner at a place called "Not Your Average Joes" and ate some delicious food and dessert!  I totally recommend the Peanut Butter Thing for dessert...ahh!

Today we had a great Easter.  We just relaxed at home and spent some time together.  In honor of Titanic coming out in 3D, Jordan downloaded it and we watched it...and it was the first time I've ever seen it!  Haha!  I obviously know everything about it, but LOVED watching it.  Such an amazing movie.  

I've been trying to develop a routine as discussed earlier.  I got this awesome app on my phone that stores daily to-do lists.  It's called Cozi and it's free.  I love free apps.  I've put all my Flylady routines on there, as well as my shopping lists and calendar!  And the great thing about it is you can share the information with other people, so Jordan has the same lists and everything on his phone!  Love it!

And last, but not least, we are trying to find a house to rent!  We've loved living in this apartment, but want a bit more space and cheaper rent.  Which is completely feasible in Richmond.  Our lease is over in July, so we'll be moving (hopefully) during Jordan's summer break.  Yay!

So Happy

Well people, I told you it would be an attempt to blog three times a week.  Guess I shouldn't make any promises the week I start a new job.  Speaking of which, I've been so thankful for this decision.  It's is one of the best choices I've ever made.  The people are so nice, and I'm going to be orienting for 6 more weeks!  It's awesome and I'm so so happy.  It has been difficult trying to adjust to days (I'm not a morning person!) though.  Waking up at 5:15...and going to bed at 9:30...not so fun.  But I'd rather take days over nights.

Valentines Day was so fun.  I love all holidays, and we celebrated by going to our favorite, Plaza Azteca. I had decorated the house all cute and when I got home from work, Jordan surprised me with the CUTEST stuffed frog that I've named Freddie the Frog (I'm obsessed with frogs, as seen here), the most beautiful roses I've ever seen, and a sweet valentine.  He knows me so well :)  I made him a valentine and tons of chocolate for his long studying sessions.  After dinner, we went to the Blockbuster rental and after looking at the selections, said, "There's nothing good in here.  Do you want to look?"  So I hopped out of the car and the first thing I saw was...Breaking Dawn!  Um, it's Valentines Day!  Let's watch a romantic movie!  So, needless to say, I have the best husband ever, because he agreed to watch it with me.  Regardless of the fact that we both laughed at the awful acting, it was awesome.  

Last Thursday, the 9th, my orientation for work was held in this small room in the hospital.  There were 30 of us packed into the room and no room to move our chairs.  So we were all twisting to see the speakers.  Not so good for the back.  The next morning I woke up with a small twinge in my neck, but when I leaned over later, I got this MAJOR sharp, shooting pain all up my back.  It was awful.  I knew I had pinched a nerve, and was so mad.  Our insurance from my last job cancelled in January and my new insurance doesn't start until April...so we couldn't really see a doctor.  Turns out, I was in so much pain by lunch that Jordan got me an emergency appointment at a chiropractor near us.  He adjusted my back and popped it like 20 times in the process, gave me a TENS unit, some topical cream, and instructions to relax!  It took a while for my muscles to get back to normal, but today I feel almost 100%.  Lesson learned: always adjust your chair so your nerves don't freak out!

Today is VCU's annual Winter Ball.  I'm so excited - pretty dresses, mani/pedi, great food, and DANCING.  I haven't forgotten Jordan's promise from the last dance that we would dance the night away.  I'm so exicted.

And finally, it is Flashback Friday.  Today I'm remembering the Valentines Days from when I was in high school.  My boyfriend from HS gave me a jewelry box full of those Nestles Treasure chocolates and put roses in my shower and said now that I've showered you with roses, will you be my valentine? It was cute :)  Ah, high school.  Good times.

Thankful Tuesday

Today is Thankful Tuesday!  I really believe that showing our gratitude and expressing it brings us closer to the Lord and invites the Spirit more fully into our lives.

I am grateful that I had a nice long break and have started my new job.  It's SO wonderful and the organization is incredible.  They truly care for their employees and want to help you not only in your job, but in your life as well.  I'm so grateful that I decided to turn my career this direction.

Jordan is grateful that I started my new job!  He's also grateful that warmer weather is just around the corner...although today it was 60 degrees...so by warmer he means blasting hot :)

Why I Don't Cook

Since Melyn had work and a choir performance to do, it was up to me to cook dinner. Thought I could follow a simple recipe, but I think the results shown here speak for themselves. Notice how the chicken casserole doesn't go all the way out to the edges of the pan. Guess I'll stick to breakfast food and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Jordan's New Calling

Jordan got a new calling yesterday as the Ward Moving Coordinator! Since our ward has a lot of students, there is tons of turnover every year, and hence, lots of moving. This will be a great opportunity for him to serve in the ward! He's excited :)

Virginia in a Nutshell (by Jordan)

I've decided that I like Richmond. First, we have a nice little neighborhood. Since I don't have any pictures loaded onto the computer, just imagine a nice little suburb with trees, people walking their dogs, etc. The weather is hot (which I'm fine with) but the humidity isn't bad at all. Plus, I'm looking forward to a winter with very little or no snow. There are tons of trees here. I usually don't think of Salt Lake as a desert (no sand, no cacti), but it definitely looks barren when compared to the sheer amount of forestry around Virginia. There's no smog or haze. Gas prices hover around $2.50 a gallon. The roads in general have less potholes. Road construction is virtually absent. There are surprisingly few bars here (helps make the atmosphere more family friendly). Though there aren't any mountains or trails, there are a bunch of parks within a few miles from where we live.

The bad news is that the movie theaters do not compare to the ones in Salt Lake. I'll sum up the movie going experience here in two or three words: Expensive, run-down. Other than that, I'll think we'll enjoy our four years here.

The Little Car that Could

Jordan blogging. Last night, we made quite a trip and I'm surprised that my car lasted. First, I should preface by describing our car: It is a Mazda 3 hatchback. What's special about it is that this car is that it has literally been totaled and put back together again into a functioning automobile. In other words, it's a rebuilt title. Scary to think that we drove this 2200 miles in just under 40 hours two weeks ago, but we did it. Luckily, this car hasn't had any major problems in the three years and 40,000 miles I've driven it. But last night...

For Melyn's birthday we drove yesterday to Washington D.C. On the way back, we stopped at Woodbridge, VA (about 80 miles from Richmond, our new home) to go to IKEA. Melyn loves buying furniture and other home doodads from IKEA. Since our house had very, very little furnishing so far, and since we also had a bunch of IKEA gift cards, we planned to get a bunch of furniture there. I assume you all know about how IKEA "flat-packs" everything, so we expected to fit alot into our car. I love the little bit of extra space that hatchbacks can give you when the rear seats are folded down. So, at the end of our shopping we had two carts jammed pack full of stuff. Melyn asked, "are you sure we're going to be able to fit everything into the car?" I responded, "Of course!" (Since my car survived the trip to Virginia carrying four people and all our luggage, I believed my Mazda was capable of anything). Well, when I drove the car up to the loading area to where our huge pile of stuff was waiting, my car suddenly didn't seem as spacious or capable as I remembered.

Fortunately, we had an IKEA employee helping us. But as we were loading, I knew not everything was going to fit inside. So, as you can see from the first picture, we had to tie one large box (an office chair) to the top of the car. The inside was so full that I (the driver) had to lean to my left as I sat in my seat. I could not see anythingtot my right while inside, so I had to ask Melyn everytime I wanted to turn right if my path was clear. And we had to travel 80 miles with all this stuff. This is the kind of moment where you say a silent prayer. Believe it or not, we made it home. And the office chair on top made it too. I think it's about time that I give my car a break.

Job Hunting, Jump Start Med School, and Orientation

There are basically three hospitals that I would love to work at.

1. St. Mary's Hospital. It holds Magnet status, which essentially means it's an amazing place to work at. (There are only 3 Magnet hospitals in Utah, all IHC and in Provo, American Fork, and Orem.) Plus, it's only 1.5 miles away from my house, which means I could bike and Jordan could then drive to school. Or I could take the bus or walk if I was in a pinch. Plus it's so quaint looking :) The only downside is that they've rejected me from all but five jobs, but since I got my VA nursing license, that should change.

2. Henrico Doctor's Hospital. This is also about 1.5 miles away from us. Apparently, after talking to lots of locals, this is a great hospital.

3. VCU Medical Center. Oh how I would love to work here! First of all, it's literally across the street from Jordan's school. Jordan will be having clinical work and seeing patients here. Plus they are considering me for a New Grad Program in psych, which I love, and which would give me guaranteed employment for at least six months. Plus then Jordan and I could drive together whenever I work and he has school. It's only a 15 minute-ish drive.

On to other things. Jordan attended a Jump Start Medical School for the week of August 2. It was comprised of an introduction to how med school functions as well as a biochemistry class, which Jordan has already taken, so it was easy. They also had a ton of club introductions, and lots of free food. Yay!

The week of August 9, Jordan attended orientation for med school. He thought the majority of it was a waste of time, but that's ok. They mainly talked every day for hours about how to study and not be a failure in life. He's confident that he isn't a failure, and I am too :) This was also the week that Jordan's parents came into town to see us! More on all our adventures later. They were mainly here for Jordan's White Coat Ceremony, which is basically where they are given their white coats they will wear to clinical rotations and where they take the Hippocratic Oath.

Walking in with all the students

Wendy, Jordan, and Jim

Me and Jordan

I tried to upload videos of Jordan getting his white coat on and taking the Hippocratic Oath, but Blogger is being stupid. I'm sorry!

Happy Birthday from Virginia

This is Jordan blogging. I've never blogged in my life. But if there were a reason to, it would be to commemorate my little brother's birthday. If Que had a favorite day of the year (besides Christmas), it would be his birthday. Que loved having his family get together for it. I remember when some years we would go to Lake Powell over his birthday or there would be some other Summer activity and he would be disappointed about celebrating his birthday while on vacation. I didn't understand what was the big deal then (he'd still get presents, right?), but it makes more sense now that I'm away. Though Que liked presents, it wasn't about the presents. It was about the family all being together under the same roof. There's no atmosphere like the home. Melyn and I now have our own little home/apartment (more on that later), but your parents, brothers and sisters are always your family and you still miss them. I miss Que very much, and now I'm missing all my family. But it's only for a brief while. And it will make it that much sweeter when we're all together again.

So Que, happy birthday from your favorite brother ;).

I don't know when Melyn is going to get around to updating our blog. Maybe I'll have to take over.

Stress Fracture

I didn't post this earlier, but Jordan believes he has a stress fracture in his right foot :( in the first metatarsal, a.k.a. big toe bones. He is so depressed about it. He absolutely loves to run and is so stressed that he can't put any more stress on the break, otherwise it will get worse. He was planning on running the Ogden half marathon but wasn't able to because of the break. He is doing a lot of cross-training (mainly biking) right now to keep his heart and muscles strong.

Up in Ogden on Saturday we were able to see Jordan's sister (Lindsey), dad (Jim), and family friend (Steve) run the half marathon. When they were finished we went back to the hotel and ate breakfast. Afterwards, the immediate family and a TON of friends and extended family went back to the finish line and bleachers. Jordan's sister (Allie) and dad joined Wendy and Anthony (Jordan's cousin who ran the entire marathon with her) in the last stretch and all the supporters and well-wishers were screaming and shouting out "50, 50, 50!" It was so exciting! After the marathon, the news interviewed Wendy, Lindsey, and Josie (Jordan's other sister). Then we came home!

Now, Jordan's sisters planned a surprise party for Wendy with tons of people - family, friends, neighbors, etc. They were all going to be coming over at 5 that evening to celebrate her huge accomplishment. His sisters planned everything, and it was so perfect :) We distracted her and took her to a movie (Letters from Juliet, which, by the way, is so cute) and then planned on going to Cheesecake Factory afterwards for dinner. We went to their house after the movie to get coupons for the restaurant (hehe) and all the people were standing in the front yard when we got there. Well she was shocked! It was awesome! Allie also made a sign that had all the marathons Wendy has run around the edges and hooks along the bottom for her to hang up all the medals. The party had catered Cafe Rio and many delicious desserts. It ended up being a wonderful night :)

This weekend was also great because my brother ran at the state high school track meet held at BYU on Friday and Saturday! We weren't able to see him but he did very well. See his results here. The high school is Maple Mountain, and they are 4A. This is only the first year the school has been open and they've been doing incredible! Here is another story about them. I love it - I'm so proud of my family!

Done.

We seriously never imagined this day would come! WE ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL!!! Getting our bachelors degrees has been such a rush and time has flown by so quickly. I makes me a little sad, but mostly happy. Jordan is SO happy he is done with Physical Chemistry and that he NEVER has to take another one of those exams again. We really have had so much free time since school got out yesterday that we don't know what to do! Yesterday I had my last final early in the morning. Jordan spent the morning playing games and watching movies. I came home and we got ready for the day, ate lunch, cleaned up the house a little, went to the temple grounds and walked around, played the piano, read books, took a nap, talked about stuff besides school, went to dinner, took another walk, and watched another movie!! :) It was so great!

I now know what I'm going to be doing with my free time. I'm going to be playing the piano again! I haven't seriously played since my freshman year of college, simply because of the time my classes took away from it. But I'm going to be learning a new piece called Wedding Day at Troldlhaugen by Edvard Grieg that is simply amazing! I'm really excited to get back into playing again - not just church hymns. There are only so many times you can play through the hymn book. After Grieg, I'm going to get a book of Chopin pieces and learn some of those because Chopin is such a master! I'm so so so excited.

I am going to officially be an Nurse Apprentice on May 7th and will be making almost double what I am now. Plus, I'm not going to be limited to 12 hours each week of working. I can pick up empty shifts whenever! So I'm going to be working about 16-24 hours each week. May is going to be amazing. My dear friend Amy Sampson is getting married on May 8th at St. Marks Cathedral and then she and her husband are moving to Connecticut. I sincerely hope that the weather in May is warmer/better than it was in April! Funny story - so on Jordan's phone, he has the weather for both Salt Lake City and Richmond. He got so excited one night after it snowed because it said the weather the next day was going to be about 80 degrees and sunny. Well the next day, it snowed again. He looked at his phone and realized that he was looking at Richmond's weather the previous night. We want to live in Richmond - mainly because of the weather! The rainy weather here in Salt Lake City has been beautiful though. It has made everything so lush and gorgeous. It looks a little like Oregon on Westminster's campus because of all the greenery!

Here is to a great May!! :)

Finals

Just a quick update...Jordan had a final today, a take-home test to turn in tomorrow as well as a final, and a final and 20-page paper due on Wednesday. Then he is done!! Yay! I have a final on Thursday, one this Friday, and one next Friday (the 7th). I also have a required national review of all things nursing that I'm attending the first week of May. I have my pinning ceremony for nursing students at St. Marks Cathedral on the 28th, and graduation for Jordan and I is the 29th at the E-Center. I then plan on taking the national test to become a nurse, the NCLEX, sometime in June, but I have to register for it first. Until then, I will be working as a Nursing Apprentice (essentially a glorified CNA). But I will be making $2 more per hour and get to pick up all the shifts I want. Yay! It doesn't bother me. I'm going to be studying like crazy for this NCLEX. I really really REALLY want to pass it the first time and I'm going to make sure that it happens! Otherwise I have to pay for it all over again...something I don't really want to do. It costs about $200 for each test. Anyways, thought I'd catch you all up on our crazy life. We are literally in a whirlwind, which is why I named the blog that :D

papers...boo!

I have so many papers to write and I don't want to! I only have a few weeks left until the end of school and then I'm done! Jordan has been taking a ton of tests lately for all his classes too. He is worried about this semester and what it is going to do to his GPA. We had better get in to VCU :) I have a really good feeling about moving there, and I think we will get accepted soon. I have been looking at houses and apartments, jobs, and everything that is fun to do in Richmond. We plan on selling my car before we leave, driving across the country with our few things, and getting an apartment for a few months while we go house hunting! It is so exciting. I am so so excited!! I will work here until the end of July hopefully and then we will move. I'll start work again at the end of August/beginning of September and work on the house. Jordan has been thinking recently about becoming a neurosurgeon - basically doing brain surgery. Wow, my husband is way way smart! He loves the brain, it is his favorite organ. My favorite organs are the kidneys :) haha, now everyone will think I'm weird. That's ok though, because I'm a nurse and I'm allowed to have a favorite organ. Oh, and I haven't have bad chest pain since the day after the ER visit, so I'm happy. Our insurance is covering part of the CT scan, so we hope they cover most of the ER visit. Ok, wow, I'm really procrastinating. We will keep you in the loop!

Countdown

We only have 31 days til this semester is over!! I am so excited. Jordan is very excited to be done with Physical Chemistry. :) Unfortunately, he thinks that P-Chem has destroyed his love for Chemistry, but I don't think so. Every time we have a conversation about anything - ANYTHING - he brings chemistry into it and tells me how certain things work. He really does love chemistry...just not p-chem.

I am excited to take my test to become a nurse - after that test, I will be free. No more papers, no more late nights studying. Ahh. I will be able to read a book for pleasure, play the piano again, and join a yoga class. And do them regularly :)

Ok, really I'm writing this because I'm procrastinating. I will get back to my paper - and finish it so that Jordan and I can finish watching a hilarious movie called Gentleman Broncos, filmed by Jared Hess, the same guy who did Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Oh how I love this man's movies! They are hilarious :)

On an awesome note, our nephews and sister/sister-in-law are in town and we are so happy to see them! We haven't seen them for 3 months and had a great time playing with the little boys last night. We love our nephews :)

Ok, ok. Back to writing.

Birthday!

Today is Jordan's birthday!! He is 24 today, which is really weird. It seems so old :) We are not going to be really celebrating his birthday though because his parents are out of town and he has a quiz and a horrid test today. His teachers have tried to ruin his day, but we won't let it. I'm throwing a party at our house tonight with the two of us! I'm going to buy balloons and party decorations and make a cake. Because I believe that birthdays are special, no matter how old you are. When I lived at my parents, I would always be the decorator for every party. I love it! I'm so excited to see how surprised he is tonight :) he gets home at 8:00!

On another more sad note (for me at least), I have had zero motivation to complete my papers, projects, studying for tests, etc. I am done with school in less than two months and am sick of it. Seriously. I can't even study at our apartment hardly because there are NO comfortable chairs and our landlady listens to the TV so loud that we can't even hardly talk to each other! I have about 5 papers due by tomorrow, two tests, a group presentation in class tomorrow, and an evaluation with my clinical instructor. Bah. Just let me graduate and let me be a nurse. I already know what I'm doing! Not really, but I'm just so fed up. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox.

We still haven't heard from any medical schools. Jordan sent updates on how much he would like to get into schools a few weeks ago. Like I said before, we are supposed to hear from VCU on March 15. We just keep praying and fasting for good news but also to be aware of Heavenly Father's plan for us. It is hard to pray for that but we need to show our faith in Him. I heard a really good quote this weekend: "Faith and fear essentially come from the same place. They are both believing in something that hasn't happened yet. The only difference is that one is positive and the other is negative. So choose to believe in the positive." - Danny Bae

It's Been a Long Time Coming

Meaning this post...I've been so bad these past few months! Here is another quick run-down of what we have been up to since November.

Jordan: Had his second interview at the University of Utah which went very well! He finds out in the end of March/beginning of April about whether he has been accepted there or not. We hope so! He also did good in all of his classes last semester and then had a very relaxing Christmas break playing video games and computer games all day every day :) On January 4th, he had his interview at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and it went well also! The only thing that was interesting was the hotel he stayed in...it was scary and had a bidet in the bathroom. Random. He was able to see the hospital and the school campus and really liked them both. The interview was TWO hours long! Wow! But he feels good about it. We should find out from Virginia whether he is accepted or not in either February or March. So soon!!! He is taking lots of interesting classes this semester including comparative physiology, p-chem, and something else that I can't remember the name of :) Only 3 more months until we are done with finals and only 4 more months-ish until we graduate! Hallelujah!

Melyn: I was sooo happy to finish Community Nursing last semester. I did well in my classes and am still hanging onto my 3.5 GPA - thank goodness! I found out that my capstone/nursing leadership course clinical would be in the inpatient psychiatric floor at the University of Utah, otherwise known as 5 West. The capstone course is where you spend your clinical time in an area of nursing that you love. My loves in nursing are oncology and psychiatric ;) heck yes. I'm loving my capstone and my preceptor, the nurse I work with the majority of the time, is amazing. Most of the nurses up there are Westminster Alumni, which makes it a little nicer. The course work doesn't seem to be that strenuous for me, although some people have complained about it. I think the reason I think it is easier is because I'm no longer taking and general credits along with my nursing courses. I can focus on just my nursing - not history or art. My teacher is a crack-up and I really enjoy her teaching. I have my first midterm test next Thursday so we are moving through the course quickly. My business has been growing well and I'm set to hit the next promotion this month! That will be awesome :) I've also been working on my goals for this year voraciously and am loving it. I love goal setting and truly believe that any goal can be achieved as long as you do the necessary things to achieve it. It is essential to PLAN for success, not just dream about it. As some of my heroes have stated:

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. - Moliere

God does not manufacture junk. Success is your birthright!! - Larry Raskin

Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angleou

If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams. -Les Brown

My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny. - Elaine Maxwell

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "Press On" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. -Calvin Coolidge

Christmas was also great this year. We spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Jordan's family. It was so nice to not worry about having to attend every family party and to be able to spend quality time with family and friends.

Oh, and for those of you who haven't noticed, I have been wearing glasses a lot in the past four months. My right contact broke about four months ago and I have had to live with the torture of glasses. This week, the glasses will be no longer. I am soooooo excited to be going to the eye doctor this Tuesday to FINALLY get contacts! I will look like myself again and be able to look at things without squinting (because the glasses aren't even my correct prescription)!

I will continue to update you folks about our lives, and won't let the blog get this far behind again!!

A Break (finally...)

Since Wednesday, Jordan and I have had Thanksgiving break. Ahhh...peace. All we have been doing is simply relaxing and taking a break from everything related to school. Jordan has been playing video games and computer games and I have been watching House :D and lounging. It is such great fun. I love not having to worry about school.

Updates on school: I have only one assignment left which is still about a third of my grade and two tests left. Yay. Jordan says that, "School is ok. Hard, but not bad." He is so smart. He interviewed at the University of Utah about a week and a half ago and needs to do one re-interview because the first one was so weird. Ask me about it if you want details. The interview at Virginia Commonwealth is in the beginning of January and we are just waiting to hear from other schools. Please pray for us :)

Updates on our life: we went shopping today, Black Friday, and got almost all the rest of our wedding things that we registered for that we didn't receive, which was so nice because we have in-store credit so the stuff was basically free! We have just been up to the same - school at Westminster, working at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, building my business, and trying to magnify our callings as visiting and home teachers, ward building cleaning coordinator, and Relief Society pianist.

That's all for now...not very exciting, I know. I will let you know when our life is better...after graduation in almost 6 months!!!

E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D

SCHOOL!!!!! Holy cow, I don't think either Jordan nor myself have ever been so busy with so many things.

Jordan: applying to medical school, taking 16 credit hours at school plus, extra lab time, research twice a week, volunteering at the Road Home, volunteering for Hearts for Hospice, running XC with a meet every other week...ahh!

Melyn: taking 16 credit hours at school, 14 hours of clinical every week, studying 3 hours a day, working my business as much as possible, trying to sleep 8 hours a night, working at least once a week, trying to tie up loose ends with the wedding (grr)...

I know, I know. Jordan is SO much busier than I am, but I feel like I'm going crazy! If it literally were not for the fact that I don't do anything on Sundays besides take naps, go to church, and visit family, my mind would freak out and die.

Ranting is good. Ok, I'm done. For a while :)