Put in Perspective

I absolutely love this time of year!! Well, everything but the snow... but we haven't had to really worry about that part yet so it has been great :)

So as I was looking online at gift ideas for those I still need to buy for and at some things I have been hoping to get for Christmas, I started reading some blog posts from friends and came across the blog that never fails to bring a smile to my face or tears to my eyes... Snapshot

This amazing woman, Heather, has been living in Africa to help start out a school for Mothers Without Borders. Her last post humbled me so much and made me SO grateful for all the things I have & of course made me feel guilty about the things I was asking for.

I know people talk about this subject a lot, having something make them realize the true meaning of Christmas & what really matters, but this REALLY hit me. I have not been able to think about anything else for days and keep praying to come up with solutions to make a difference.

You have to read Heather's blog to understand, and I ask you to please! It is really heavy, sad stuff but I promise you, you can't read her blog and not be grateful and inspired to have a more grateful heart.

It's my goal to find a way to raise some money for those little babies.

That is all I really want for Christmas.

Freedom!!!

I am SO excited that I have completed one semester of nursing school!! :) woohoo!

I'm that much closer to being done!!

SUCH a good feeling.

And for now... I am going to completely enjoy my 3 weeks of absolute freedom from school!!

I cannot even begin to explain how ecstatic that makes me!!

So hopefully I do some fun things to share!!

Happy Holidays everybody!!

just a great saturday

So I had a pretty fabulous Saturday that I just have to blog about!

So lately in nursing school each week we have been working on packets. This week our focus was on a teaching packet, so through the NSNA (National Student Nursing Association) a few of my friend's and I went to Macey's to take blood pressures & teach people about healthy diet habbits and avoiding high blood pressures.

I was a little leery about this but it actually ended up being pretty fun!

My new nursing BFF Tracy (we decided we would be BFFs on the 1st day of class - haha) and I can make just about any situation a good time. If you don't believe me you should see us in our lab... i'll have to try & sneak some pictures. Don't be alarmed that we are the nurses of the future :) ha ha

Then I was able to attend the AMAZING Mother's Without Borders boutique with some of my family. As we walked in there was a gorgeous quilt that people were bidding on.. I didn't think too much of it because there was no way I had enough money to bid. So I went around talking to all my friends I ventured to Africa with & was looking to buy some great items. My dad came up to me & told me that he bid on the quilt and I just though "how awesome!!" and continued on. But then they annouced my name & said that I had won the quilt by a generous bid! I was shocked! I of course immediatley started bawling and thanked my dad.

Here is a picture of the quilt - in each of the white squares it has the name written by a child at the Children's Resource Center in Zambia that I grew to love so much.

The first picture is of me & Kathy my hero and founder of Mother's Without Borders. Is that not the most amazing quilt you have ever seen!?

And finally I was able to visit my friend Karyn in her native West Valley! We went to her place of buisness Lanta's Frozone - delish :)

It was such a great day with so many people that I love :)

Best News EVER!

Well I have the best news ever...

My boyfriend Mike is getting baptized!!! :)

I am beyond excited! Mike is such an amazing guy and I am so proud of him & couldn't be happier with his decision. I love this boy so much & I am so grateful for the sacrifices he makes for me. He is a major blessing in my life and I don't know what I would do without him.

I love you Mike!

Nursing School...

Nursing school is hard.

I find that all my time is being consumed by it.

If I'm not doing homework or studying for school...I'm stressing over the fact that I should be doing homework or studying! It's pretty much a constant thing.

On my first day of clinicals my patient DIED. Yeah.

So honestly... at first I hated nursing school. Hated, hated, hated. Somedays I still feel that way.

It's starting to get better though. I've done a lot of praying over it & had my dad give me a father's blessing & I've decided to continue pursing nursing.

I am definitely still keeping my options open, as funny as that sounds. I know nursing will be a great career but I don't know if it's all that I want.

I would love to be work for a humanitarian organization. I don't know in exactly what role... but that is a goal I am going to pursue.

I only get one shot at this life & I want to squeeze all the happiness out of it I can :)

Give 'em 5!

Friends & family: I have an amazing opportunity I am asking you to be apart of.

As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to travel with a group called Mothers Without Borders to Zambia, Africa. Not only was this experience the neatest thing I have ever been apart of but was so life changing & more rewarding than I can even express.

So to my point now... :)

Mothers Without Borders is trying to raise enough money to build a school in Africa and all they are asking is a $5 donation! $5!!! We just need 15,000 people to donate

$5 and we are set!

If you donate $10 or more dollars you can get a cute shirt:

*Lori & Julie - some of the most amazing women I went to Africa with!*

The goal is to have the money raised by Thanksgiving and we already have over $4,000. With your help I know we can do this!

Check us out on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=138228756212977

(definitely check this page out: cute pics of my little African friends & the current school they have running!)

AND Just click the following link to donate:

https://www.motherswithoutborders.org/donation_form.php?type=five

(Let me know if you donate over $10 & I will get you hooked up with a shirt!!)

Please email me with any questions - I have TONS of info on the project if you want more to pass along to your friends and family. I appreciate you taking the time to read this.

Mothers Without Borders means the world to me and I am so excited to share this opportunity with you guys to join in and help this amazing organization! Thank you, thank you, Thank you!!