graduation.

Graduation was last Friday. I'm so honored to have graduated with such wonderful, intelligent, caring people. Best of luck to all of my classmates. Thank you for making the past two years some of the best I could have asked for. To my family and friends, thank you for still being here after two years! We were told at the beginning of school that we would be clustered in a room or hospital constantly working and studying... it terrified me! So thank you for always being there for me when I wanted to cry, scream, or go running. Your encouragement means everything to me.

i'm a master.

Though graduation isn't until May 25th, I am done with grad school! 100% officially done. The last day of class was last Friday, but I still had to submit the final draft of my synthesis. Done and done. Got the "A-OK" from my advisor. I. AM. DONE! RN, PHN, MSN!

I guess I am now facing life after school. It's weird. I've been in school since I was 3. I went to summer school throughout elementary school and junior high. I participated in extracurricular activities in high school that had me on campus until 11pm at times. I spent most of my college days on campus for 12 hours between classes, studying, work, and band. Grad school has consumed the last 2.5 years of my life. Needless to say, it's going to be an adjustment. I've literally spent the majority of my life in some sort of academic setting.

On Friday, we did a little wrap-up of the semester and then spent some time rehearsing for graduation. Here's to hoping we don't mess up on the big day (ahem, CATHY!!!!!!!). :) My amazing classmates also got me a cupcake cake to celebrate my birthday. So sweet! Though I admit I was afraid all of the candles would set the fire alarms off. Hahaha. It was kinda smokey in there.

Congrats to my fellow classmates. I couldn't have made it through these past 2.5 years without you guys. I'm so honored to be a part of our graduating class and to have gotten to know each and every one of you (that includes you FNP's who graduate next year... You're almost there, guys!!!!).

To quote Elle Woods... We did it!

2010                                                                           2012

P.S. The left photo shows the ELMSN class as a whole (FNP and CM), the right is just the CM crew minus a few. Don't want you thinking our program kicked out half the students!

survival.

I think my survival plan of "just do it already, gosh!" is going well (we'll ignore part two of my plan which involves massive amounts of procrastination). I've completed and submitted those little tasks I wrote about yesterday and just have to attend class on Friday to complete phase one. Phase two involves lots more packing... The worst part is that once I'm packed and get everything home to my parents house, I know I'm going to want to unpack everything and do another round of making sure I'm bringing what's necessary and leaving behind what isn't. I probably should just do that this first time around, but I really like to make sure and double check my work. Who knows... Maybe once I have a bigger picture of what I'm bringing, I'll pack in a different way that will let me bring more!

Phase three to my survival plan heavily involves Dave. He's on the mission to secure a place for us since I fly out May 12th! I'm not worried though. We technically have until June 1st to find a place because that is when the bulk of my belongings will arrive and he still has his current place in Arlington for us to stay at.

Phase four, and I think this is the most important part... How to survive if zombies take over DC... or anywhere for that matter. In case you need to plan out your survival, visit http://www.mapofthedead.com/

P.S. Those two guys above are the ones who keep me going! I love my little family.

running behind.

I feel like I'm behind on everything. This Friday marks my last day of school. Ever. Hopefully! I doubt I'll want to go on to getting my DNP, but you never know. I have a few little odds and ends that I need to finish up for school, but keep putting off! Now that I only have two and a half days left, I feel like I'm behind. Yet, I still have no plan to complete the things today! Oy vey!

I had a wonderful Easter with family but no photos! Dad was in charge of that this weekend and I haven't taken them from him yet. I'll add it to my list of thing to do.

I've been packing a bunch over the past week. I still only have a few boxes packed (and realized I only get 8, not 10 because of the two snowboards!) but I'm not stressing yet. I've sold my washer and dryer (kinda... the person is supposed to pick them up later today) and am hoping to sell a bunch of my other belongings that I'm not bringing with me to DC. It's hard to part with these things, I've had some of them for years! For instance, my washer and dryer...

Dear Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer,


Oh we've had so many good years together. You've kept my clothes clean, my delicates safe, and my closet full. You've held up so well over the years, working hard and staying pretty. You've supported many friends through the years, making sure they're able to stand erect when they had a little too much fun. You were a great food and beverage stand. Oh, I will miss you and your beauty. xx

In other news, Target thinks Dave and I are engaged and sent this lovely "congratulations, now use our registry" card. I must admit, the photos enclosed were gorgeous!

I also got to spend some time with two of my favorite little ones while working on my cousin's wedding invites. Isn't Wynterlyn adorable putting her socks on?!

And last but not least... Oh my goodness. This video!

march already?

I can't believe it's already March! This year is going by so quickly. This month marks the opening of Wanlass Park in San Pablo. It's small but perfect. My entire childhood, this area of land was an unused field. A few years ago, they began plans to renovate the area and open the park. They began construction but it was slow moving. I honestly didn't think it would ever open! But finally, it has and I love it. Plus, we've had great weather the past week. So glad the sun was shining for the grand opening of the park. Sadly, Mr. Weatherman said it's going to get cold fast the next few days.

For me, March came off with a rocky start - I wasn't feeling too well. My stomach was not happy and wasn't afraid to show it. Luckily, I had Friday off to recuperate. I'm happy to report I'm finally, mostly 100%. My appetite isn't fully there but I'm able to keep things down without feeling nauseated.

Friday also marked the day that I submitted my advanced draft of my synthesis project. This, my friends, is the paper that stands between me and graduation. It is also the thing that I dreaded from day 1 of starting the program 2 years ago. I have to admit it wasn't as bad as I was led to believe. I was lucky enough to have decided on my topic early on and therefore wrote many of my previous assignments on the same topic. This gave me a lot to work with when putting my paper together. In the synthesis, we develop a case management program based on current literature for a specific population. Mine are obese and overweight pregnant women. After doing more research on the topic, I was shocked to find out just how much of our population is overweight/obese and how many women gain more weight than recommended during pregnancy (almost 50%!!!!!!). I present my program to the University and anyone else who is interested on March 30th. 

Oh, another note about school... My graduation announcements arrived! Such beauts.

Saturday, I was feeling mostly better and went with my cousin to the San Francisco Flower Mart to look at flowers for her wedding. Love the smell of fresh flowers. Afterward, she introduced me to one of the best places I've ever eaten. The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. Yum. They only serve breakfast and lunch. We were there during breakfast. I got the veggie sandwich. Delicious. To make it more breakfast-like, each breakfast sandwich comes with an over-easy egg inside. Again, yum. I'm so happy my stomach was able to handle it. All of it. Saturday morning was one of the few times since Thursday morning that I've enjoyed a full meal.

Today was another one of those times. I made delicious puffed pancakes topped with a little syrup, powdered sugar, raspberries, and blackberries and a side of turkey bacon. Maybe my body is just in the mood for breakfast foods?

Lastly, I bought my tickets for DC in May! Not the tickets for the big move, but the tickets that will allow Dave and I to find a place to live! So excited!!!!

procrastination.

I've been working on my synthesis project for school little by little for what seems like eons.  I actually have a day off from clinicals and class, and am therefore using it to finish up my paper... The paper that signifies the end of school for me. Even though we still have school through April, this is the last real hurdle to graduation. While I don't have much left to go, I can't focus long enough to actually get it done.  For anyone who knows me, my addiction to Pinterest is nothing new. Today, however, I've visited it more than I've worked on my paper.

My other procrastination tool... YouTube! When studying for the NCLEX last year, I spent so much time scouring YouTube for various new videos and songs. Anything that could take my mind off the task at hand. Guess what! Yup, I've been on it a decent amount today. And I can't say I regret it. I've got a new favorite song (granted it's fairly old).

It's Two Door Cinema Club "Something Good Can Work." They have an acoustic version too that I can't get enough of.

I guess it's time to start focusing on this paper again... Though I'm sure I'll be back online looking for a new distraction in about 20 minutes.

mix tape.

Dave's officially on the road to DC - he just arrived in Phoenix where they'll be spending the night. He's making the trek out with Scott, a friend from Peace Corps Panama. They'll be taking extra days on the trip to stop and see other Peace Corps friends as well as some of Scott's family. If you look at the map below, you can see their route. Yes, they will be going to New Orleans and Atlanta. They're also hoping to get some snowboarding in while in Colorado. I can't wait until June when I join him out there! Only 22 days until I visit him for the whole week of Valentine's Day.

Inspired by his trip and the fact that his car only has a radio and tape deck, I went old school and recorded a mix tape... on an actual tape! None of this CD mix tape or iPod playlist crap that we've grown into... I'm talking good old cassette tape folks! I added roadtripable tunes. Some highlights (that I also highly recommend if you're in the market for new tunes) are "The Light is You" by Said the Whale, "Lolita" by Throw Me the Statue, "California" by The Kooks, and "Chapel Song" by We Are Augustines.

On another note... Into my second week of my last semester! I started my Case Management preceptorship this week (at CPMC, not LP... I've come to learn things change and it's best to just go with it). I'm loving it - proof that things work out. Last day of school and 100% done in 84 days. :)

P.S. Don't know if you watch Grey's Anatomy, but I'm catching up thanks to my dvr. Man... the last 5ish minutes of the January 5th episode were a doozy! Bawling central. Good and bad moments that make this girl who cries at practically everything... cry.

happy pinning, remy.

Go, Remy!

I'm so honored to have celebrated Remy's Pinning a few weeks ago. This girl is beyond amazing - funny, caring, gorgeous, smart, and now... a Registered Nurse with her BSN! Heck yes! Love you, Remy! So so incredibly proud of you.

cold.

So it's cold out. It's colder in Bakersfield. Not as cold in San Diego. Pretty cold in Mariposa. Poor Raiza is now in St. Louis where it's even colder. Oh, and I have a cold. That pretty much sums up my past week.

First off, I feel like I'm hacking out my lungs. My chest hurts so much from coughing the past few days. I coughed so much last night, I didn't get a good sleep. Medicine, start kicking in please! I totally blame Dave for getting me sick, though I guess I should be blaming the little ones he works with every day. I'm sure they're the ones who got him sick.

Last weekend (Saturday through Monday), the family went to Bakersfield to visit Kuya Russell, Ate Joyce, and their kids. Raiza was still visiting with us and came along. Dave even drove up from San Diego to visit as well. We celebrated an early Christmas - even though no presents were opened. This was just the only chance we'd have to get together.

It was a quick weekend but fun. It's always a good time when you're with Kuya Russell and Ate Joyce. Milo and Peter (their kids) are amazingly sweet and fun to be around too. I just felt badly that Peter is afraid of dogs as we brought both Buster and Anz. Thankfully, he warmed up to them enough by the end of our trip. We also took a quick trip down to San Diego so Raiza could visit some friends and then took a trip to Mariposa as well to see Ate Lyn, Kuya Roger, and their kiddos.

Tuesday, the parents took Raiza to explore Sacramento - including a visit to Thunder Valley. Is it just me or do Filipinos love to gamble? Every time I go to Thunder Valley or Cache Creek... pinoys everywhere! Whenever mom and her friends go out - casino! Hahah. I stayed home to start and finish up a presentation for class.

We went to the city on Wednesday and met up with Ate Ari. Pier 39, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge. And then... Ghirardelli!! Granted we went to the outlet store in San Leandro where the prices were waaaaay cheaper. Seriously.

On Thursday, we sent Raiza to the coldest she's ever felt - St. Louis. She'll be living there for some time with her mom and sister, so I hope she acclimates soon! It was a shock coming from the Philippines to the bay in regards to temperature. I couldn't imagine how it would have felt going straight from the Philippines to St. Louis this time of year. Wow.

School is almost over for the semester. It's been going well. I'm really enjoying the courses and am excited for my CM preceptorship at Lucille Packard next semester. My official last day of school is my birthday! How great of a gift is that?! If only April were here NOW. We have to wait over a month though for our graduation - May 27th.

Can't wait until next weekend! Hopefully I'm feeling better by then. Last day of the semester is Friday. Saturday, Anz and I will be heading down to San Diego! Chargers v Ravens, Christmas concerts, ice skating, wine tasting, and Chanukah are just a few of the things on our schedule (I'll be coming back to the bay for Christmas).

    
 

oh, oh, oh, sandy eggo.

Anz enjoying the beach

As you probably know by now, Dave is finally home after 27 months of living in Panama and one additional month traveling Central America with his brother, Greg. Even though he's in San Diego and I'm still splitting my time between Sacramento and the Bay, we've been able to see each other a good amount. I've made many road trips to SD and back with my faithful companion, Anzuelo, and really enjoy it! Sure, the drive is a bit long, but it's worth it. With school only being on Fridays, driving lets me visit for almost a week and bring the dog. No way would I pay for a flight for me AND him. Plus, after his trip from Panama to America (he was stuck in Texas over night due to some miscommunication)... I don't ever want to put the poor little guy on a plane again. Dave has flown up here a few times, but he can only stay the weekend since he works during the week, so me going down really is the more enjoyable option. 

My visits have been filled with days at the beach, camping, visiting family, watching movies, cooking, running, and just plain enjoying each other's company. I'm so grateful that we have been blessed with the ability to visit each other as much as we have. It's already November and we still have four visits planned! He'll be up here for Thanksgiving, then he's meeting me and my family in Bakersfield for an early Christmas with my cousins, then I'll head down for a week as soon as classes end, and finally NEW YEARS EVE! 

For those of you wondering, school is going well. One and a half semesters and then I'm done! My birthday is actually my last day of school - pretty decent birthday gift if you ask me. I'm done with all of my prelicensure courses, am officially a nurse, and am now focusing on my MSN with a focus in Case Management. I'll be starting my Case Management preceptorship in January at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital - I'm beyond stoked about this opportunity.

Here are a few photos from the past months.

Brent, Dave, and I celebrating NFL's opening day and the
10th anniversary of September 11th at the Chargers game

Camping in San Elijo

September babies in class - Lisamarie, Angelica, Hanh, and Karla

Mom went to the Philippines

Watched my nephew, Tony, kill it at soccer

Eating papusas

Cathy's surprise birthday party

Dave's pumpkin

Pumpkins all in a row - Sandra's, Steve's, Dave's, and mine

Karen's birthday dinner

Anz being a little cutie patootie

Iron Man and the pumpkins

Delicious food at Carney's

Outside of the Griffith Observatory