How Blessed am I???

Sometimes being away from home can be really hard! Travel nursing can be so much fun, and you have so many adventures, but often times it is lonely and boring. I have been feeling that way the past few days. I guess it is because I haven't been feeling well. I have been nauseated, and running a low grade fever. This means that I have felt like crap, but not bad enough to not work. Being at work when you feel like this takes so much more energy, effort, and patience (toward those patients). Especially for people like my poor confused old man who spent half the night last night yelling at me that I was holding him hostage, and about the planes flying over his head. Nursing can be soooo much fun!

Today when I was feeling this way I started looking at my pictures and realized how much I have gotten to do over the past year. It really has been amazing. Over the past year I have lived in 4 different cities. I have had 4 family members get married. I have been on the vacation of a lifetime with my Mom. I have partied with the Montreal Canadiens (NHL team, for all those crazy southerners like me who know nothing about hockey!). I went to Napa with my sister. I went to the beach with my dad and step-mom. I went to see New Kids on the Block in concert (om, I know lifetime dream come true!) I did Mardi Gras in Shreveport. It makes my head spin to think about it all. So I thought I would share a little bit about the past year with you.

This time last year we were less than 2 weeks til my sisters wedding. Life was crazy! My sisters wedding was so much fun. She had it at Lake Martin, AL which my family loved showing to all of my brother-in-laws family from Reno, NV. The weekend was one of the best I have ever had. I have so much to live up to when I have a wedding of my own. I have rarely been so happy. I loved seeing my sister so happy, and was so excited to have Tyler join our family.

Shortly after recovering from that. I was packing my bags to take my first travel assignment. I was so nervous. I felt like I was really leaving home for the first time. I was going to Reno, NV, and my sister and brother-in-law were going to let me live with them. While on my assignment in Reno I got to do many things. I went and spent the day at Lake Tahoe, went to San Fransisco for my cousin Jonothan's wedding, went to Virginia City, NV (old gold mining town) and went to Napa with my sister. I loved being able to spend so much time with my sister. We never spend much time together just the two of us, so that was truely a blessing.

(Mom and I in San Fransisco for Jonothan and Jenn's wedding)

(Napa Valley)

(Beth and Tyler's Dogs, Bama and Daisey didn't want there aunt to leave Reno)

When I left Reno I came back to Birmingham. I spent the money I had made for my mother and I to go on a fabulous vacation to St. Thomas. We had never been before, but it is so beautiful. It was wonderful to do a mother/daughter vacation. I don't think I have ever seen my mother so relaxed in her entire life.

(our last day in St. Thomas)

When I got home I packed up again to move to Shreveport. I lived there for 4 months, and made some good friends. My greatest adventure while I was in Shreveport was going to Dallas with my friend Rebecca to see a Montreal Canadiens game. Long story short (I will tell you the long story if you want, and trust me I will tell anyone who has ears) we wound up eating dinner in the same restaurant as the team, and next thing I know I am riding in a limo to a club with the Montreal Canadiens! Craziest night of my life! Shortly after that it was time to leave Shreveport!

(at the hockey game, the Habs Won!!)

I went home for a month or so, and then took off again to Jefferson, IA. Looking back over the past year is amazing. I have gotten to do so much, and even though I have spent a lot of time away from my family and friends, I have also spent so much quality time with all of them. I am so blessed to have them in my life, and to get the opportunity to do so many memorable things with them.