Update Overview

The last time I posted was in June of last year! A few big things have happened to me.

Work life: I have really settled into my position at work. The planner in me wants to keep planning for the future. Every other week I say to myself I'm going to go back to school, no I'm happy where I am...currently I am happy with things! I took on more responsibilities at work and joined the "Balloon Team" at the hospital. I don't carry balloons around to the patients, although sometimes I wish it was that stress-free! I am on a team of Thoracic ICU and Cardiac ICU nurses that are specialists in the function of a special pump called an "Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump" that decreases the workload of the heart after surgery or a heart attack. Part of the team responsibilities are to be a member of the LifeFlight team to transport patients to our hospital from other facilities.

Last week were my first shifts off of orientation. The team generally only does five or six transports a year. Two days back to back I did two transports! Both were ground transports, by ambulance but it was still a great learning experience. So far am really enjoying the balloon team, the people I work with, the patients I care for, and learning a TON!

Family life: Where do I start? I am a proud Aunty again! My sister Janelle had a another little girl back in November. Robyn Ruth Nutter joined the family and we all love her so much! Very close to Christmas, my family received some sad news that my Gra'ma (my mom's mother) had an advanced untreatable case of Leukemia. Part of the family gathered in California over Christmas to say goodbye. She passed away a few days after Christmas. In January, I went to Cleveland to see my favorite girls! I spent a week with Janelle, Julie and Robyn...and Ben :). Since I was so close to home I surprised my dad on his birthday and went to Connecticut for a weekend. It was a much needed trip to see the family! In other news, my brother Clayton has turned in his papers to receive his mission call! He should hear within the next 2-3 weeks! I am so excited for him and so happy that he has made the right choices in life to be able to serve a mission!

Future plans: I am going to California in March over Clayton's spring break to hang with my bro, will be so happy to get some sunshine! I am going to Florida in May to attend a HUGE national critical care nursing conference. I got a grant from the hospital to be able to attend, super pumped! Not going to lie...I really want see Harry Potter land at Universal! :) I haven't made any concrete plans yet but I have started looking into going to Peru, Machu Picchu sometime at the end of the year...we'll see!

I will make more detailed posts in the next few weeks about each of these.

Fresh Start

I'm not sure how many people are out there that read this, and I know I've said it in the past that I need to be better about keeping up with my life, but this time I'm really going to try to stick to it! I changed the name of my blog to Cando Can Do! Cando is a nickname I've had since I was in 2nd or 3rd grade that has stuck with me through high school, college, and now at work. "Cando can do" is a phrase that a favorite teacher in high school always used to say to me. I've always liked it, so if you read this, thanks Binger! So I know the time for new year's resolutions came and went 2 months ago, but here's to fresh starts!

JUNE

June has already been and it going to continue to be a great month!! I am leaving to go to home sweet home Connecticut on Saturday for nice long 2 1/2 weeks. My brother Clayton is graduating from high school next week with some pretty incredible honors! I am excited to have some quality time with my family. I went home for a short visit in May, by short it was 3 days, and my dad wasn't even there. I am going to get to spend time my super adorable niece, Julie who is 3 years old now, Janelle my sister, mom, dad, clayton, and my Grandpa Gene who is coming out for a few days for gradution also! I am really looking forward to this much needed break.

Other June happenings: I'm playing tennis again. The sun has finally come out and Michelle and I have hit the courts, every chance we get. That is usually only once or twice a week because of our crazy work schedules, but still it's something!

Two of my favorite artists come out with new albums in June: Owl City and Matt Nathanson. I have some great new music to listen to.

Work: I have made some big steps at work this month. I have finished passing off all of my skills for my first year of work and completed my Level 2 exam, a comprehensive test that all the ICU nurses in the hospital have to take. I have been an RN for a year (as of June 9th) and I have honestly learned more in this year than 4 years of school taught me. My unit has been an incredible place to learn and grow. I am settling in nicely here and and nerdy as it sounds, I love coming to work and seeing what surprise awaits me as I walk through the doors. Every shift has something new in store. I feel like I'm getting to that point that the charge nurses are trusting with some hefty assignments. The docs I work with are getting to the point that they trust that I'm not a complete idiot, or some clueless newbie too.

HAPPY JUNE!!!

22!!

22 is my lucky number, it has been for a long time. I don't really know why 22. It just is. April 22nd is especially cool. It is my niece's birthday, love that little girl!! She is 3 years old today.

This picture was taken at mine and Julie's first meeting, she was 8 months. Love at first site :)

I graduated from BYU on April 22nd last year. Yep, today was my one year anniversary of graduation. I can't believe how fast it's gone! I feel like I've learned more in this one year of nursing than I did my 4 years in school. It's been an awesome experience!

I enjoyed my time at BYU but I can't say that I miss it. I have loved being out on my own in the real world!

One year older and wiser too...

Speaking of being a grown-up, it's my birthday week. I am now the grand old age of 23!! To be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge fan of birthdays, I've had some miserable birthdays the last few years (long sob story, you don't want to know). But this year's was good. I worked, but it was still enjoyable. Friday and Saturday my roomies and I went to Park City, which I had never been. We went to a fancy dinner at Ruth's Chris, a yummy steakhouse. We spent the night up there and got 6 inches of snow. It was so pretty in the morning, I'm one of those weird people that don't mind snow in April. :) It was a fun getaway weekend. Sunday I worked and I wasn't going to tell anyone it was my birthday, because I didn't really care. But someone found out, and ran to Costco and bought a cake. Everyone on the unit was happy it was my birthday, it was very yummy cake. I came home and my roommates had made me cake too. So as is accustomed on birthdays, I ate lots of sugar, but it was delicious!!

:::PICS:::

My steak at Ruth's Chris. Mmmmm!!!

My cake at work. I forgot to take a pic before we cut it, oh well.

23 candles on my cake with the roommates :)

Being a Grown Up

I feel like I'm starting, but really only starting, to become a grown-up, with grown-up responsibilities. Every time something "adult-y" that I have to do comes up in my head I find myself singing the Huggies commercial, "I'm a big kid now!"...which is a true sign of maturity. Here's a list of my recent encounters with the real world.

1. I got in a car accident last November and had to deal with insurance companies. This debacle is still not over since the case has gone to an arbitrator to decide who was most at fault.

2. I went to the eye doctor last week because I didn't want my benefits that I'm paying for to go to waste. Learning the lingo of insurance is very grown-upy. And if you think because I went to nursing school, I know stuff about health insurance, you're wrong.

3. Paying bills. Yuck.

4. Taxes! Ok, I'm not actually doing my taxes, since I have someone who loves me a lot that does them for me, thanks Dad :). Also, it's not cool how many taxes comes out of my paycheck every pay period. Not fun.

5. Visiting the DMV to register the car and dealing with all that paperwork.

Ok fun stuff of being a grown-up:

1. I have my own paycheck, of my own money, that I can do what I want with (with what's left after taxes).

2. Since I am a single adult, I don't really have any responsibilities to anyone but myself. Meaning: I don't HAVE to stay home a cook every night. I don't have to keep my room clean. I don't have to go to bed and get up at normal times of day. But of course, I'm perfect and do all these things anyways. Anyone who knows me, knows my room is always impeccably spotless, and am definitely a morning person.

Being a grown-up isn't all that bad. It's just a lot of new information to learn. The moral of the story: Money makes the world go round.

New Plates

I registered the car in Utah this week. So now my car is a Utah resident as well. I think I'll kind of miss the Connecticut pride...

Also, it only took me 10 minutes to get my contacts in this morning. A significant improvement from yesterday.