Special Friends

     I truly could not ask for better friends.  The weekend before Halloween, around fifteen of my Wyoming buddies pooled their funds and flew me out to visit!  It was the greatest birthday present of the year!  I loved seeing everyone (not all are pictured below) and it was great to get a breath of fresh mountain air before buckling down for the end of my first semester in nursing school!  One of my classmates heard my Laramie adventure story and couldn't believe that I had such "special friends" that cared enough to bring me home to celebrate.  There really is something about Colorado and Wyoming people, they take care of each other, they have fun, they're real.

Bea the bunny, Jess the flapper, Katie the hunter (who was chasing the bunny), Ang the runny nose, and Kirsten the scarecrow!

Riding!  It really is therapeutic... with Liz, Velvet, and Cooper :) 

Dorm buddy breakfast: Kali, Matt, and Brandon

     There are only thirty days left until I am heading out on an airplane for Christmas break.  I cannot wait to see snow and to ski!  It will be wonderful to reunite with everyone.  I can't believe that I'm almost a quarter of the way through with the nursing program, they sure keep us busy which allows for time to fly!  I looked over my calendar and realized that it has been since August that there has been a week with no tests.  All the late nights and hours spent studying sure pay off though in the clinical areas when I can help a patient in any way to have a good day.


     How are you doing?  If you are in Colorado/Wyoming over Christmas break, let me know so we can catch up!

School, Study, Eat, Sleep, Clinical, Lab, Repeat!

Nursing school is in full swing and on the fast-forward mode!  In only a little over a month I have had countless new experiences.  I've spent more time learning and studying than I ever have before in my life!  This semester my clinical rotations include a psychiatric floor and a transitional care unit.  I have had some great experiences on both floor, but do not really feel that either is my true calling in nursing.  I love the application of knowledge aspect in clinicals and labs, they're a blast!!

Ang, Kayla, Christine, and Pam on our first day in scrubs! (Check out the cool helicopter!!)

Life in Illinois is "a whole new world!"  I am (finally) starting to figure things out!  Some of the comical stories of my adjustment include: a record of 9 u-turns trying to get to my friend's house that is only 5 minutes away... those darn 1 way and discontinuous streets are out to get me!! Looking outside and it is cloudy with grey skies, so I go out in jeans and a hoodie only to turn around and run upstairs to change into shorts and a tshirt... who knew cloudy could be warm!  Getting lost on my way home... the roads here change names all the time and I didn't realize Bruns Lane and Chatham Road were one in the same.  Getting soaked in the rain... apparently I'm the only person in the state who does not own an umbrella.  It sure has been entertaining!


A very positive aspect of my move to Illinois is spending more time with the Naumovich side of the family.  I have gone to several family dinners.  I have also caught the Naumovich football 'bug.'  I have gone to every Sacred Heart Griffin football game this season, and find myself jumping around and screaming for the Cyclones, a team representing a school roughly 900 miles away from the high school I actually attended.  I also have spent every weekend watching the ND Irish disappointing football... hopefully they can figure out how to play before the end of the season!  

My cousin's cousin Lindsay and I waiting for the SHG game to begin!

I have also made quite a few new friends!  I study with a group of classmates at least one day every weekend and attend the young adult mass at SHG.  And, of course, I have found a horse to fall in love with!  I am leasing a 7 year old Morgan mare, Kat.  She is a bundle of energy and is a blast to jump around with!

Here is a picture of Kat with her owner

I hope everything is going well with you!!

Summer Has Come And Gone...

Wow summer 2011 went by crazy fast!! Summer vacation started with my first schooling event at Windy Wyoming.  Erika, Cinthy, and I went to the show and I had a blast!! Velvet was a good girl (minus some issues with a bright orange snow fence...) and it was a great experience!!  I will miss everyone up in Wyoming this year in Illinois!

Jumping with Velvet- so much fun!!

I went home for 3 days then to Illinois for intersession classes and from there, directly to vacation in Florida with my family.  While in Florida, Chris and I went parasailing for the first time ever!! It was a fun time that will be repeated sometime in the future!  

Parasailing!!

From Florida, I went straight up to Grand Lake for another summer at WRR.  It was a blast being back for one more "fun summer" before "getting a real job."  I made new friends, spent countless hours riding, enjoyed campfires, went atv-ing twice, swam at granny's, pedal-boated, hiked, saw the fireworks on the 4th and more... it was wonderful!  I am planning on visiting this winter, just to check in :)

Ang, Cass, Lucia, Kay, and Carrington at Lucia's Birthday party

Ang, Tiff, Kay and 3 baby goats :)

River Riders- Kay, Cass, and Ang

ATV-ing in the Arapaho National Forest! 

Most of the summer 2011 crew at WRR

I also went to Wyoming for Cheyenne Frontier Days this summer.  We saw the parade, a rodeo, and Jason Aldean's concert- it was amazing!!! 

Sam, Kay, Kaela, Liz, Ian, Bea and I looking silly!

Now I am in Illinois, possibly until Christmas break!  If anyone is ever passing through Springfield, let me know!!  Nursing school is going to keep me pretty busy, but I hope to keep in touch with everyone, as best that I can!


Let me know how your summer has been, I can't wait to hear from you!

The times, they are a-changin!

Wow, I haven't written since New Years, that is crazy!  Here is the latest and greatest news from Laradise!


I am transferring to St. John's College in Springfield, Illinois for the next two years to get my nursing degree, it will be a HUGE change but I think it will be a great experience... I can't wait to spend more time with the Naumovich side of my family.  

St. John's College of Nursing 

School is one heavy work-load this semester, but I am working hard and have pretty much taken up residence in the library on campus... it is paying off though!


I spent my spring break in Grand Lake with my friend Hope, from New Hampshire, it was a fantastic vacation from school with perfect skiing weather! We also hung out with all the locals and got to ride the Fjords around :)

Hope and I at the top of Winter Park

Sasha Sonja Hope and I

Buttercup is back in Grand County now, she walked out of her pen because they had so much snow at Winding River!!  We ended up taking her to the pasture in Granby and she was very happy to see her horsey friends.


I have been riding a friend's pony up here, Velvet aka Velveeta Cheese, and have learned all kinds of new things, I am even going to ride in my first 3-day event at the beginning of May- I cannot wait!!

The cheesey pony

There is only one month of school left for me at UW so I'm planning on leaving on a strong note!  After that I have one week off then 2 weeks in Illinois, 1 week in Florida, and back to Grand Lake for another wonderful summer up at Winding River!  

Bea and I in a giant snow suit at McCabe and Erin's dinosaur birthday party!

Let me know how things are going for you!