Happy 2014!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year's celebration!  Since my last post, I've kept busy with work, riding, weekly friend dinners, and just hanging out!  This year I celebrated Christmas in Colorado and in Boston. 2014 is off to a good start and hopefully will be a great year for everyone!

Kevin got me a season's pass to WP for Christmas!

We met Robert Ayers and Chris Clark from the Broncos while celebrating Booney's birthday!

Mavis and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at work.

Gingerbread barn... Harder than they look to keep them standing!

It didn't last long, Christmas night with Brittany and Kelvin 

I spent the 26-1st in Vermont/ the North East... we found a water park!

Happy New Year from Plymouth, Mass!

Good Times as a Grown-up!

Big surprise, November somehow snuck up on me and I'm behind on updating this blog- per usual!

I'm officially one of those crazy night-shift nurses!  I have loved working at Rose so far, and despite the occasional lack of sleep to function like a normal person, nights are not too bad at all.  I have converted my bedroom into a dark sleeping cave and absolutely love my new mattress so things are working out.

In other news, we found an apartment!  Kaela and I are living within the city limits of Denver- so much for getting out of the city, but the 15 minute drive to work is nice and it only takes a bit for me to get to my horses for a break... I have been trail riding in Conifer with Jamie, riding Duke with Brittany, and working with Lucian with Rose so there is no lack of equine in my life!

Monty-man in Staunton State Park 

Lucian doing what he does best... eating!

Duke on the bridle path- yay green grass!

As an alternate to four-legged transportation, I finally sold Ralphie the cr-v and purchased my first new car, Bentley the rav-4.  I have been cruising around town and love the new-car feel!

Ralphie's final photo shoot

Meet Bentley, the new addition!

Social life has been booming, despite the silly night schedule.  A group of 12 or so of my friends and I are doing rotating weekly dinners to keep in touch and just have fun playing games. So far they have all been really tasty and a ton of fun!  I went boating with Maria and Kay, to my cousin Katie's wedding in St. Louis, shopping with Brittany, and to the Notre Dame vs USAFA game with Maggie, Megan, Katie, and Reid.  All in all life after graduation is great, now go put on your pajama pants inside out and tuck a spoon under your pillow in hopes that there will soon be snow on the mountains for ski season!

Boating on Cherry Creek Reservoir (super close to my apt!)

It was one beautiful night, knee boarding was a little chilly after dark though!

Meg, Katie, Colleen, and I at the wedding!

Economical shopping, 2 people (4 legs)  in 1 pair of pants

Tailgate time!

Go Irish, Beat the Falcons!

Hope all is well with you and that you are enjoying equally wonderful fall weather!

Growing up: Graduation, Summer, New Job, and Apartment Hunting

So it is official... I'm a RN, BSN.  I graduated May 10th and could not be happier to be done with school!

SJC Class of 2013

Grandma and Mom at the Pinning Ceremony

We did it!!! Kayla and Emily were in clinicals with me

Bar Crawl after the end of finals

One of my last days in Illinois, at Doc's Soda Fountain with Hannah

I moved back to Colorado after I passed the NCLEX and an extensive job hunt began.  With a little luck and a lot of prayers, I landed a position at Rose Medical Center working on their post-surgical unit to begin August 26th.  I cannot wait to become a team member at such a wonderful hospital!

My new job site!

While looking for a job, I kept pretty busy!  I attended three weddings- Congratulations to Mel and Steve, Justin and Christine, and Emily and Colin!  They were all a great time in unique locations- Boston, Lafayette, CO, and Northern Michigan.  

My little brother has grown up!

Kevin and I in Michigan

Lake Michigan, and a new friend "Ruby"

I went "home" to Grand Lake to catch up with friends and, of course, eat the greatest pancakes in the world and ride horses!  

Relaxing on Grand Lake with Kat and Katie

Zuess survived crossing the river

Swimming with Nemo, Dakota, and Katie

The world's best breakfast

I spent awhile nannying for my friend's 17-month old twins, talk about a handful!  

The babies take over! Reese and Hudson

I truly hope your summer has been splendid and, if you are living "life after graduation," that things are working out in your favor.  Kaela, a friend from Wyoming and previous roommate, and I are going to have an apartment starting mid-September if anyone ever wants to visit us in Denver!

Oh, by the way, it is 2013!

So I have slacked big time as far as keeping this thing up-to-date... The part where they joked about having no time/life in nursing school is true!  I hope you all are doing well, here is a recap of happenings from my 22nd birthday (back in October!) to now :)

Ruger with his buddy Bryce celebrating Thanksgiving!

Nothing like a night out with your classmates after finishing winter finals!
(The bar loved having all of us on a Tuesday).

Who would have known it is possible to dress up and look nice in nursing school!

My UW roommate Kaela graduated this December- woohoo!  And my first snow home was in Laramie, of course!

The first powder day of the season, and we managed to find the "thin-snow" sign!

Bundled up to ski!  Love the Colorado sunshine!

WRR was a winter wonderland! 

The fjords were much more social than Mindy and Sadie. 

Can't forget the big boys!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Speaking of Christmas, the barn dog, Kay, had 5 puppies on Christmas Eve!

We celebrated Christmas with the Naumovich family in Illinois, this was the first year we had to rent a facility to hold over 70 people!

I rang in New Year's at a Florida-Georgia Line concert... here is a guitarist with an anatomically correct heart tattoo!

Uncle Joe, the family bachelor, gets his picture taken each year with a number of Naumovich girls to celebrate anything-but-a-birthday!

Kay, Sean, Riley, and I kicked off spring break with a brewery tour!

Sunburnt noses snowmobiling in March, talk about slushy-snow! 

Bacon smores are quickly becoming a Wyoming tradition!

Better tanning than any beach at WP!
I am still leasing Ruger and have managed to make it to the barn 7 days a week to feed and or ride!  It is a great brain break and I have had a great time working with him.  I tried my hardest to find a puppy-sitter house and failed, so I'm putting a dog on my post-graduation wish list!  I had a blast back home over Christmas and spring break hanging out with friends and I cannot wait to be done with school so I can see them more often.  I met my boyfriend, Kevin, (don't choke on your drink) in the Chicago airport flying back to Springfield and had a blast dragging him to all my "must-visit" spots over spring break.  Classes are going well and are finally on a roll toward completion (have I mentioned only 51 days until GRADUATION?! Not that I'm counting...)  I am working on applying to jobs, this nurse thing is becoming real!  I would love to work at Children's Hospital in Aurora, CO, but have plenty of other applications going out as well.  Work is an ever-ending adventure but I still enjoy it and saved my first life this week (that CPR training really pays off!).  I think that is all for now, I hope to hear from you or better yet, see you in Colorado soon!

Woo-hoo, 22!

Wow, I'm 22, 203 days away from graduating college, and my friends are getting married!  Since my last post, I turned 22, decided to full lease a horse, Ruger, from Wisconsin; have spent entirely too much time at school, and my best friends Liz and Ian got married!!  

I celebrated my birthday by going to dinner with friends from school at Westwoods Lodge, it was low-key and perfect!  That Friday I went out to Boondocks with a couple friends from the barn... After Ruger came!! He is a 4 year old mutt (appaloosa, thoroughbred, warmblood) who looks like a paint.  The little guy is already winning me over!

Nadia, Rachel, Jason Michael Carroll, and I after his concert!

Ruger

Little man can jump!

Liz and Ian tied the knot October 7th!  The wedding was two years in coming and I was so thankful that I got to be there!  We had a Wyoming reunion in Maryland for the wedding- Ian, Liz, Bea, McCabe, JJ, Wade and I all went to school out there!  It was one fun weekend that will go down in history until the next wedding!

Ice Cream is a pre-wedding essential!  McCabe, me, Bea, Lauren, Liz, and Elzabeth!

Girls- all dressed up and ready to go! Bea, Me, Liz, Jackie, Lauren, and little Clare!

Possibly the most fun wedding party in history... Kevin, Brian, Bea, Clare, Jackie, Liz, Ian, me, Lauren, Wade and JJ!

 I cannot wait for Christmas break and some time off from school- my courses this semester are not my favorites... but work is going very well!  I am hoping I can move home after graduation, but I won't know till later, so keep those fingers crossed!

Hope all is well where you are!