sparkly, sparkly nails.

one of the best parts of my job is spending time with my little patients. it doesn't happen very often...but this weekend i took care of the sweetest little 10 year old, and i actually  had time to hang out with her {i am usually running around like a crazy person}.  we watched hannah montana while she painted my nails sparkly pink.  aren't they cute?  unfortunately they got a little chipped right after due to my nurse duties, but i love them nonetheless.  she also made me some pretty jewelry and a feather pen.  after 2 days of caring for her i left one spoiled, happy nurse.  

i love my job.

we did it!

we are officially rn residency graduates!  not quite as sweet as finishing nursing school itself, but it does feel good to be done.  i can't tell you how grateful i feel to have my job, i love it so much and get to work with such fabulous little patients/coworkers.

also, another bit of exciting news...i recently found out i am going to be training to work as a nurse prn {as needed} at the kids instacare i worked at for 3 years during school.  i am so happy!  it will be a nice supplement to my work at the hospital.  

dear nursing,

i am so glad i choose you as my profession.  it was meant to be.

love,

emma. 

i'm pooped.

i worked a night shift last night. a very, very long night shift. good thing i only have to do them a few times a month, i am definitely not a night person. plus i really hate waking my patients up when they're sleeping. not fun.

i'm going to bed.

when i wake up i'll be all ready to enjoy the holiday weekend - a little christmas date with friends, a family party, and lots of time in the kitchen.

happy weekend!

half shifts blow chunks.

i worked my first shift alone yesterday - it was crazy. i worked a half shift {1 pm-7 pm} because i had my nurse residency class in the morning and you would think a half shift would be nice and easy. um, no. every time i work the last 6 hours of the day shift i want to scream and cry. it is always so crazy. i wish i could share with you the insanity that happened {i almost got punched...thank goodness for male coworkers} but something about patient confidentiality keeps ringing in the back of my mind. okay, i'm done complaining. i really do love my job.

today i'm planning on spend the entire day in, there is no way i'm facing the last minute thanksgiving shoppers/the icy icy cold snow. no way. two things i do not like. my plans include continuing my harry potter fest {i'm almost done with book 1}, baking some pumpkin snickerdoodles to take to work tomorrow {i'm working another half shift! at least it's the front half or i might cry}, baking a pecan pie for my lover boy/fam to enjoy on thanksgiving, and possible putting up my christmas decor - minus the tree. yay!

i love thanksgiving. the end.

random thoughts.

this picture makes me laugh. taken here.

isaac is finally home from what seemed like a never ending business trip {6 days!} and i am one happy girl. on sunday night i had the most terrible nightmare and was so glad when i woke up wimpering that he was there to hold me close.

big news people. i am now totally on my own at work. i finished all my orientation shifts on sunday! i can't believe it. i'm excited but a little scared. i just keep telling myself "you can do it, you can do it" and it seems to work. my unit is so great because there is always someone around to help me if i need it. i love my job so much. last weekend i was able to really help some of my patients make big progress towards getting better and it made me feel so good. and one of them even brought me a chocolatey treat the next day! being a pediatric nurse is the best.

i just finished reading sarah's key and absolutely loved it. it is such a well written story. it is very sad, but you really must read it. now, what to read next?

christmas is in 40 days! i unfortunately have to work the night shift on both christmas eve and christmas, but i am excited nonetheless. we just have to get creative about when we'll be celebrating! and i can't wait to get decorating. i found the cutest wreath at target last week and can't wait to hang it up.

other things i'm excited for: thanksgiving and harry potter. yep, that's it.

a little tidbit.

{image}

this week one of my particularly busy patients {a 15 year old boy} said to me after a very hectic shift together, "thank you for being so patient with me, it really means so much to me." i can't describe how good it felt to know that i had made a small difference in his hospital stay. i love my job so much and feel so happy that i am able to not only work to help support my little family but i also get to do a little good each day in this very crazy world. children are amazing! i feel so blessed.

the end.

wednesday thoughts.

first off, let me get this off my chest...i may or may not have eaten cheesecake for breakfast this morning. and i may or may not still be in bed. gotta love days off! i'm so lazy.

i've said it before and i'll say it again, i.love.target. and when i find beauties {like my shoes pictured above} i fall even more in love. i've been on a hunt for new black flats for quite some time now, and these babies fit the bill. find them here.

i'm going a little nurse crazy. during my 12 hour shifts i spend a good deal of time encouraging my little patients to eat and drink, to get up and go on walks, and to try to go to the bathroom. then when i get home after a very long day i find myself monitoring everything i eat and drink, how much i walk, and how much i go to the bathroom. totally totally nurse crazy.

i had my family over for a little dinner and fun the other night and made the most delicious steak tacos. i posted the recipe over on just cook already...go take a looksie, you'll love it.

alright, alright...i'm getting out of bed now. there are dishes to be done, laundry to be folded, a birthday gift to be wrapped, and a much need workout to be completed. oh and a redbox copy of the back-up plan to be watched...the hubs is away on business and i've got to get my dose of cheesy chick flicks in while he's gone!

welcome welcome autumn.

{weheartit}

hooray for the first day of autumn! it is so fabulous here in utah and i can't wait for it to start cooling down so i can start bundling up. my absolute favorite thing about it getting cooler is going to hatch family chocolates for the most delicious hot chocolate in the world. literally.

the past few days i have been on such a high with passing the nclex and starting my new job. i am so happy. my first two days on the unit were great, everyone was so excited i got hired and so helpful when i had questions. it just feels right, and for that i am so grateful! today i have the day off, so i'm planning a little me time {glee and giving myself a mani/pedi}, cleaning my house {i've seriously been neglecting it due to the massive amounts of studying i was doing}, baking a fall treat of some sort, and putting up my fall/halloween decorations! ha, i hope it's not too early...

sunday brunch and some fabulous news!

happy sunday everyone! after attending a lovely day of church i came home and found out i passed the nclex {the devil test you have to take to become a registered nurse}. i am so so happy! we celebrated by eating way to many cinnamon streusel muffins and i am now laying down for a sunday nap. yessssss.

tgif.

{image}

don't these ice cream cookies look fabulous? i made a very simple version last summer, but i'm thinking i need to step it up with the different flavors and sprinkles! oh the sprinkles.

this week has been a stressful one here at the westwood home and we're so happy it's the weekend! i have a very big challenge to conquer today but come this evening i'll be free! it will be such a relief. we're planning on going out to celebrate, but part of me wants to have dinner at home and make yummy homemade macaroni and cheese. i've wanted to try this recipe for quite some time now, so we'll see if tonight is the night. i might just get the craving for some steak tacos from the red iguana...ha! after dinner we'll probably spend the night at the movies. can't wait.

guess what! i start my new job as a genuine nurse at the children's hospital on monday. i.am.so.excited. i bought pink scrubs and everything.

just a little news...

i got a job!

and not just any job, the exact job i was hoping for on the children's surgical unit where i did my capstone this summer! i can't tell you how happy/relieved/excited i feel! i feel so proud that all my hard work as a student paid off. nursing jobs are hard to come by for us new grads and i feel so blessed to have one. hip hip hooray!! i can't wait to start!

goodbye college of nursing.

i can't believe i'm really done! these past 15 months have been so crazy, and i can't believe the time has come for me to move on to the next stage of my life. it's exciting but scary at the same time. the job market is so terrible right now, i am hoping and praying the children's hospital will be able to hire me. keep your fingers crossed!

the one and only hard part about school being over is the fact that i won't get to see my friends all the time! our group was really close and i made some fabulous friends. i decided we're going to start lots of clubs...book club, recipe club, lunch club...haha. doesn't that sound fun!

our rockin' group. i'm on the bottom right.

these girls got me through our clinical at the psych hospital. it was crazy and i'm so glad i had them by my side!

my second home. it's weird i won't be going there anymore.

okay okay, i'm done being nostalgic. the weekend is here! i'm not quite sure how the hubs and i are planning to celebrate, i'm sure a little date night is in store. all i know is i need me some mexican food, i've been craving it all week. and definitely some pool time, i've gotta take advantage of this last month of summer! i hope you have a lovely weekend!

i did it!

i am done with nursing school!!!

i can't tell you how happy/relieved/free i feel. 5 straight years of college and 2 degrees later and i am finally finally finished. i can't wait to start my career as a nurse. and to embrace my life again, free of school. hip hip hooray!

pure procrastination.

i finished my last ever paper for nursing school last night. let me tell you, it felt good. such a weight lifted off my shoulders! i took many unnecessary facebook/blogger/photo booth breaks...and discovered these delightful pics, all taken this semester while procrastinating studying.

aren't i a treat. pretty scary if you ask me!

dear photo booth,
thank you for helping me document this frightening time in my life.
love, emma.

happy.

photo of me on ike's bday taken by my fabulous dad.

i am feeling happy today. i had another rough start to my week {2 disabling migraines on tuesday/wednesday, praise the lord for imitrex} but i survived. it's beginning to feel surreal when i think of how close i am to finishing nursing school. i have been a student forever, i hope my transition into the professional {adult} world goes smoothly. i have a list of hobbies i am going to get back in to that i've neglected during my 5 years of college - dancing, exercising regularly, learning to sew, rollerblading!, reading lots and lots of books, spending long nights with my best girlfriends, and of course trying lots of new recipes. oh i get so excited just thinking about the possibilities!

this weekend is a holiday in utah and i can't wait! i have tomorrow off and my mom is throwing a big party full of yummy food and family. and fireworks! i'm assigned to bring cupcakes {of course} and my mom has requested red velvet. and we all know you can't go wrong with red velvet! and i'm thinking i might also make cupcakes for all the fabulous nurses i've been working with this summer. sunday is my 2nd to last day and i need a good way to thank them! plus it would give me the perfect reason to fill this up with cupcakes!

i hope you have a yummy weekend!

i need a vacation.

{weheartit}

this.week.has.been.rough.

really really rough. i am completely exhausted with my life right now. mentally and physically exhausted. thank goodness i only have 3 weeks left of this stress. i want my less-stress life back! i'm so ready to be a nurse, work 3 12 hour shifts a week, and have some time to do the things i love to do. and take a vacation! isn't the picture above a dream? you have no idea how badly i want to be there right now.

tomorrow is my hubs birthday and i'm so excited! we have a party planned up at our cabin and i can't wait to celebrate with him. and give him his gifts. he is going to love them. i just love buying and giving gifts. especially to my lover boy. okay, i'm going to forget about this week and just let go this weekend. after all, that's what the weekend is for right?! hope yours is fab!

let the countdown begin.

the hubs and i at aj's wedding.

it's monday people, and i only have 5 more mondays until i'm done with nursing school. doesn't that seem close?! aaaaaahh it just feels like forever. i worked 53 hours at the hospital this week and i am dead tired. and today i start another clinical rotation - psychiatric nursing! i'm nervous. but i'm really excited about the site i'll be at and will hopefully learn a lot about children with mental health issues.

guess what! mr. isaac westwood came home on saturday night and i spent approximately 1.5 hours with him before we crashed in bed, i got up at 4:30 am to go to the hospital, and he jetted back to st. george for more business until thursday. can you believe it?! i miss him so much when he's gone. luckily i have school to keep me busy and i'm having a girls night tonight with my best girlies! i'm so excited, i haven't had a night with them in so long. isaac will be back for the 4th of july weekend and i can't wait. we have some fun plans in the works. i can't wait to go to our cabin, do sparklers and fireworks, and eat yummy food. i gotta get planning the treats i'll be making!!

what are your plans for the 4th?!

grumpy goose.

yo. i just finished another shift and i'm feeling pretty good about my nursing skills. go me. let's just hope i get a job where i'm interning because i don't want to start all over again at another hospital. and i don't want to work with adults. please no. anyways...i'm supposed to be writing a paper for a presentation tomorrow and i'm just not feeling it. gaaaaah. only 8.5 more weeks. hubs and i are counting down, because let's be honest...i'm kind of a mess. if i don't get enough sleep i get all emotional and grumpy and am no fun to be around. and i married the happiest, sweetest man who handles stress like a champ and he is always so nice to me...i'm working on it. i do not want his nicknames for me to stick. nicknames like turd pants or t.p. for short. not great. so here's to managing my time and getting enough sleep...aka being a nice girl.

{weheartit}

and i want my hair to look like this. are these things too much to ask for?! i think not.

what a day.

hi friends. my first day of my capstone was aweeeesome. i loved every minute of it. the nurse i'm working with this summer is so smart and happily answers all my silly questions. i learned so much in just one day. it was my first full 12 hour shift and it wasn't even that bad! minus the leg aches {why do i get leg aches?!} and ratty hair, i'm doing just fine. go me, go nurse emma.

now excuse me while i go pass out in bed. i am one tired lady.

friendsies.

one thing my very early graduation celebration made me realize is just how much i'm going to miss all my friends i've made this past year in nursing school. we've had so much fun together enduring all the crap the college of nursing puts us through. luckily i have one last semester with them before we officially graduate. then we'll all be off to be real life nurses all over the valley. crazy crazy.

here's to getting through the next 3 months!