Refreshed

I slept until almost 9 this morning. It felt great. So far, I've got up and made myself some wheat blueberry pancakes with fresh strawberries and whipped cream on top. Delish. Then I read some blogs that I've recently discovered & fell in LOVE with. I just put on a pot of coffee, I'm blogging, and then heading to Branson with Mom & Trevor to shop.

I feel like a burden has been lifted! After finally making it through the test that for 2 years in nursing school they freak you out about & prepare you for- I feel so light this morning.

What an exciting weekend! My husband earned some major brownie points this weekend, I have to brag on him. He knew how much this test meant to me & really turned it into a special weekend for me.

He took me up to Springfield on Friday night- got us a nice room at The Hampton & then took me out for a nice dinner. The guy working at the hotel recommended the Metropolitan Grill so we decided to try it out- we wanted something more local, more out of the norm than our regular Chilis of Olive Garden. It turned out to be a lot nicer than we expected! We started out ordering the spinach for an appetizer, thinking it was spinach dip-- turns out it was a whole plate of "flash fried" spinach topped with parmesan and lemon juice. It was actually quite delicious, but our faces probably looked funny when the waiter brought a plate of spinach leaves & sat it down in front of us!!

All of the entrees had fancier cheeses, etc. listed in the ingredients. Being pregnant, I have been OCD about only eating the "safe" foods & I had no idea if these cheeses were pasteurized/safe.. I asked our waiter a million questions. Then I had to ask about the dipping sauce for the bread- turns out it had wine in it, so it was a good thing I asked. After the waiter left, exhausted from all my questions I'm sure, we got sooo cracked up. Ryan kept making jokes about my million questions & I literally started laughing so hard I was crying my eyes out. And if you know me, my laugh is NOT quiet- so we were getting stares from the people around us in their suits and dresses (which we did not have on lol).... Definitely a night to remember. It was SO nice to just relax with my husband, eat a plate full of spinach (followed by FILET MIGNON), and laugh our heads off. Times like that make the best memories...

The next morning I could have puked on the way to the testing center I was so nervous. Ryan prayed with me as I got out of the car, and some friends from my class were there, so it helped lighten the mood. Inside, they had to get fingerprints & check your ears, pockets, and ankles for any hidden "cheat sheets". Kinda made it a big deal- I even had to take off my hair ties that I was wearing around my wrist. You had to lock all your belongings in a locker and then go in the testing room. I was SO scared, but as I sat down I prayed for peace and I know many others were praying for me as well, and I really did feel peace come over me. I am so thankful for a God that truly cares about His children, and knew I needed Him at that moment. I am also so thankful for all the sweet people who prayed for me that morning!

75 questions later the test shut off! I was shocked & really happy! 75 is the minimum you can take- it can go up to 6 hours- and they say it's a good sign when you shut off at 75..... I'm still waiting for my results, but I feel really good about the whole thing!

That was my last big obstacle- I've graduated, been hired, and now have got the NCLEX out of the way. Finally I can take a deep breath and relax. All I have to do now is go to work 2 shifts a week and focus on being a wife, mommy-to-be, friend, homemaker, etc. now. I feel like I have let so many of these areas slack over the past 2 years of devoting myself and my time to nursing school. I have never studied so hard or sacrificed so much- and now that it's over I really feel the burden that has been lifted!

There are so many things I want to begin focusing on... First, my daily quiet time. I have no excuse now to not spend quality time with the Lord daily- no studying hanging over my head, class to go to, etc. Second, I want to be a better wife. This includes making better meals for Ryan on a regular basis, and DECORATING our house. I have got some cute decorations now, but I would love to focus on crafting more for our home, getting more pictures up, and having it clean and inviting as much as possible. I want to have friends over & be a better hostess- I want to make Ryan & his mechanics cookies & suprise them, etc. I'm SO excited that I'm going to have time to do these things now! And last, I want to be a better friend. I felt like I never had time to do things with friends the past 2 years. I want to have some more girls days, I want to send sweet notes just because, etc. I really need to work on this and I'm so excited that I'm able to now :)

So there are my goals now that this new chapter has begun! I am overjoyed that this new season of my life is starting. It is SO refreshing!