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.
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!
