I saw the Red & Blue lights come

Have you ever had to call the paramedics for your dad?....i hope not. I dont wish it on anyone. ...But i had to dial those dreaded 3 digits in order to get help....


December 24th, 2010, 1230AM.

I came home early Thursday night thinking I was tired, but really it was more of an urge to go home. I walk into my parents room and kiss my dad on the forehead as he laid sleeping to let him know i was home. He had been having a dry cough for a couple of days with a low grade fever, so i asked how he felt. "bien" (good) is all i got in return.

I went to my bedroom and did my usual bed time routine. My mom and niece who had been watching a movie when i got home, got into bed at this time.

Around 1230am, i heard my dogs going CRAZY barking. They only bark this way whenever a stranger is in the house and I dismissed their barks thinking they'd seen a cat go by the window. But they persisted and I whiningly got out of bed to shut them up.

"Oh dear Lord what do I do!!"....came the chilling cries from my mom as i opened my bedroom door. Without taking a second to see what was happening, i instinctively ran for the telephone and through the master bathroom looking for my parents.

In the kitchen, i saw my Dad running toward the sink with his arms in the air as my mom ran behind him patting his back in a frantic motion. I faced my Dad to see his face completely blue, ears going white and a desperate attempt to breathe. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING. He was sleeping just a few minutes ago.

Immediately i dialed those dreaded three numbers. Help was on the way.

I ran to my dad and on my way to him, i saw my 9 year old niece standing by watching him with her hand over her mouth. MY HEART SHATTERED INTO PIECES. no child should have to see this. I shouldn't have to see this. NO ONE deserves to see their loved one in this state of emergency. I ran to my baby and held her tight and whispered words of comfort and we said a quick prayer.

As i reached my dad he began to cough, THATS A GOOD SIGN. The lady on the other end of the phone asked me if he was conscious, and he was. So we had to keep him coughing to get some sort of O2 going through him because if he stopped coughing and the o2 was cut out again,...no oxygenation to the brain means....you know, the "D" word.

All i remember was running to my dad and in desperation fanned him and grabbed his hands and yelled into the Heavens,... DO NOT DO THIS TO ME, DAD. DO NOT LEAVE ME! LOOK AT ME, COUGH!!! ..... i was numb. completely numb.

I ran outside to see the flashing Red & Blue lights bolting down my street. I let out a breath of relief as I walked the men towards my dad. They stabilized his airway, took vitals and gave him oxygen. As i held my mom the paramedics instructed us my papa needed to go to the ER. without thinking it twice, we took my dad to the Emergency room.

We didn't leave the hospital until 0800. Diagnosis, upper airway obstruction. My dad's viral infection (cough) got so bad that his tonsil swelled to the point of closure. The nurses started him on an IV and gave him steroids to open up the airway.





His ER doctor wanted to hospitalize him to keep his heart monitored, but EKG's and lab enzymes were clear, so my daddy signed himself out AMA. (Against Medical Advice).


DECEMBER 24th, 2010 was the scariest night of my life.

I dont remember anything. This is all little spots of memory i have here and then. My mommy told me she saw me differently as i ran down the halls of our home for the paramedics, how i was calm and quick to act, yet my eyes told a whole different story. I WAS SCARED. genuinely scared.

My Heavenly Father blessed me with strength in those moments of panic cause i never imagined myself to be "calm". I broke down after dropping my dad and mom off at the ER door and i went to park my car. I called Tori with out reason, just to tell her to pray and I have never felt such pain and worry in my heart. I scared her cause she's never heard me in hysterics before. I was strong for my daddy. ANd he was strong for me.

I am grateful for the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father. For the strength he gave me and my mommy. I didnt leave my dad's hospital bed side for a second. I was his best nurse he said :)

I broke down on the car ride home, holding my dads hand and expressing myself.

ABOVE ALL, I BROKE DOWN TALKING TO MY HEAVENLY FATHER. He helped me and blessed my family that terrible Christmas Eve moment. But all the events, made our Christmas that much sweeter for our family was more united than ever and the outpouring of love and gratitude was felt.

IM SORRY. this post makes no sense maybe cause my thoughts are all over the place. I can't write things in order cause like i mentioned, i dont remember. But i know that every moment i see my dad, I remember my test of faith cause not for a second, did i forget to thank my Lord.

Let There Be Praise

I Love Christian Dance Company!!


This was my 3rd year in the Company and also my last. 2010 marks the 10th year since CDC was created by amazing girls with tremendous testimonies.


For those not familiar, read this article featured in the NEW ERA about how the annual "Let there be praise" Christmas show came to be... http://lds.org/new-era/2008/12/let-there-be-praise?lang=eng .... :)


I have a simple, but strong testimony of my Savior and Redeemer. This annual performance is such a testimony builder in which i learn so much from my self, as well as the beautiful girls involved.

The Temple performance is my favorite, for i have the most perfect view of the Lords sacred home in front of me. It's difficult to dance in such a small stage, but the view is beyond perfect. The rain poured down on Temple grounds as we performed that night, i felt so bad for all who were sitting in the cold still wanting to watch us dance. We ended the 30 minute performance with my all time favorite hymn, "I Know that My Redeemer lives"...we walked on stage at the end with our hands to our hearts as the words sang, "i know, He lives"...with my eye set firmly on the Holy Temple and those words being sung, i felt the spirit so strongly and merciful. I may have cried.

I LOVE THE CHRISTIAN DANCE COMPANY.

I am grateful for the experience i get to dance through my testimony of my Savior and to share it with everyone i love. I am grateful for Tricia who began this program that on this 10th year, continues to inspire our community.

i'm 21.

Happy birthday to meeeee!!


[ On December 17th ]

I never do anything for my birthdays beside the casual family get together, blow the candles and call it good. I enjoy that a lot cause i despise being the center of attention. It makes me nervous and i dont like people focusing on me. Im silly like that.

My birthday week started off with a trip to the snow which was so much fun! My guy friends are pretty silly. That week was my school finals so i spent it locked up in the library. Luckily, a studly guy needed library time so we spent hours studying it up at the library. I passed pharmacology and nursing, but failed my pathophysiology class. POOTS. sad day. But i can retake it. so it's not the end of the world.

anyways, the week consisted of school, studying and work. My RN school friend bought me a pin that said "CARD ME, IM 21". cutie!

Come midnight on the 17th, i did my traditional "jump on my parents bed and yell "IM BORN IM BORN, GIMME PRESENTS!" " ...( im really mature, i know). I opened my gifts at midnight which was a spicy black purse and soft pink pj's. I love my parents!


FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17th...

My day was pretty normal, loved the phone calls, texts and messages wishing me a happy day. Im blessed with terrific people all around me. Towards the afternoon, Gabby & Mel came over and we went to practice for a dance we were doing at my family ward's Christmas dinner. We performed at 8 and then i was supposed to meet my friends at the "BACKYARD" for a quesadilla and something chill. In my head, im thinking it wa sjust me and my girls.

welp, i show up to this:










these girls are amazing!!

next thing i know, a bunch of cutie friends show up and wish me a happy birthday. It was so sweet of them to do that for me...i never would have done something for myself so this was the way to get me out of my "im shy to do something" phase. Lots of great friends, and good conversations went down. We ended the night playing games at a cuties house and welp...i had the greatest 21st i could have imagined.


my blessing: my friends.

I'm lucky.


happpppy birthday to meeeeeeeee!!!


next step: SWITCHING MY DRIVERS LICENSE TO THE ADULT VERSION. can't. wait!!

Do you ever get an urge...

...to shop without reason?






Fact: I do not like to go shopping! When i do go, i have something specific in mind and i know where to get it, so ill be in an out within minutes. And if i feel like browsing (which is rare) again, it's quick and i usually get bored and leave.


BUT IN SOME CASES... like today, i have an urge to just go swipe my favorite plastic card. I have nothing i need or want. I just, i just...i just wanna go swipe muh card, enter muh pin and buy me something pretty.





I THINK... i get this way after I go over a "hurdle". For example, i spent a total of 16 hours studying for my pathophysiology final (dont worry, i still think i failed the class) and i only got 2 hours of sleep. I went in this morning, took the final, and now....i wanna reward myself for just getting it done.


good thing im "cheap" and clearance shop all the way! I bought a hoodie shirt from H&M for 20 dollars (reasonable) but i still cried a little in my heart. YAY FOR SALES!




swipe swipe swipe....sigh.

You know those nights...

... where all your stresses both school and dating related just kinda come on you and squish you?


those nights, im grateful for my amazing best friends.

Flip the page...im excited to flip it!

Come the new year, there will be great goals planned for myself and i cannot wait.

point of the post is,


I LOVE MY BEST FRIENDS with all my heart!! helping each other and being there for another unconditionally is the greatest example of selfless love. I am blessed. For my sisters, i am grateful.


and side note: boys smell. where da men at?

three things. (because im avoiding studying)

Three Names I go by
1. Dar
2. Dartard
3. Darleeeneyweenie

Three Jobs I have had in my life
1. Mervyns kids department manager (at 16, holler!)
2. habilitar/respite for Pediatrics that have Autism (current)
3. n/a

Three Places I have lived
1. Lima, Peru
2. BAY AREEEEA, California
3. Mesa, AZ. (im boring)

Three TV Shows that I watch
1. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
2. community
3. Llena de Amor (telenovela. HAH that's right!)

Three places I have been
1. PERU
2. CALIFORNIA
3. uhm....brazil when i was like 3?..does that count? gosh dang it i gotta travel more

Three of my favorite foods
1. frozen yogurt
2. anything with chicken
3. hot cheetos. it's in my basic food group.

Things I am looking forward to
1. no more escuela!
2. meeting a guy that wont play games/lead me on/waste my time
3. moving in with some pretty awesome friends

A much needed getaway!

School has been mean to me and work's been getting hard. Pathophysiology wants me to fail so i've been a sad little Peruvian and i'm stressing out with my car being sick.

So when Mark, Luke and Josh planned a day trip to the snow for me, shelby and gabby it was like music to my ears!! Luke made us breakfast and we were on our way!

Something about being on the road makes me so relaxed and happy. I dont care if we hit the road with no reason, i love it!!

We went an hour past payson and played in some snow. I'm grateful for them cause they had no idea how much i needed a day geataway.

I am now home sick with a sore throat and small grade fever. SO WORTH IT THOUGH!

I drove a stick shift

I drove a stick shift.


...and i stalled like 7 million times. (okay, more like 7 or so)





thank you to my cousin, Shelby, who was so kind to spontaneously want to teach me.

We drove to a church parking lot after my wards Christmas party and she trusted me with her mini cooper. (awesome car).

First gear= fail!

i always stalled!! but it was fun once i got going and got to switch to second.

point is, i LEARNED THE BASICS and now i can be less jealous of all the girls who drive stick.

why?

cause i think girls that drive stick are hott...and i want to be a hott girl :)

haha YAY ME i drove a stick shift!

Things I want to learn in 2011...

The learning never ends! there are so many things i'd like to learn this new year and im making my list....now!



1. Learn to cook "American" dishes. I can whip up Peruvian (still learning), but now i want to learn to make traditional "American" dishes. By that, i mean your casseroles, pies and those things that Peruvian don't do.

2. How to SEW! 100% of the time, my jeans are too long for me. I have short-leg syndrome. So i have to get them altered and hello, why spend money when i can learn to sew and do it my self? Also, i want to make cute aprons! I LOVE APRONS! weird?

3. Learn to SALSA DANCE!!... I can follow the rhythm and do it once someone teaches me. But i dont have that saucy Latin confidence. I love me some salsa and merengue music. All it takes is a good partner... :)

4. Learn about cars!! uhm, coming from the girl that discovered her cruise control two years after owning my car, ...i think it'd be smart to learn about cars. How to change oil, change a tire, all that fun stuff.

5. Learn to do my hair. Sounds funny, but I HATE DOING MY HAIR. 90% of the time, my hair will be outta the shower done. AKA, up in a messy 2-second-to-do pony or down in an afro mess. The other 10% (a weekend) ill either run the curler or rarely straighten it, but i just leave it down. I would like to braid, or at least learn of styles. I should start loving my hair.

6. Learn more about Politics. There's a lot going on and i'd like to understand the entire process more. I know some, but definitely not enough to have a well educated talk with someone about my thoughts.

7. Learn to scrap book. I HAVE NO PATIENCE TO BE CREATIVE. i lack that "creative" bug, BIG TIME. I dont know what looks good together, nor do i have the patience to care. But i am so jealous of the cute stuff i see my friends and girls make. They are so creative and i bet they will have an adorable home one day. I should learn to be creative. Or at least love it.

8. Learn about finances and all that awesome stuff that i hope the man i fall in love with and marry knows all about. I've been earning credit for years now and my dad helps me, but id like to be able to negotiate my own stuff without thinking "uhhhh...crap" .

9. Learn to READ DIRECTIONS when building something. Im worst than a man. I refuse to read directions. stubborn. yep. But i gotta learn to be patient, read directions, and do it RIGHT. hence my broken shelfs i never fixed haha.

and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL....

10. LEARN TO BE PATIENT WITH MY HEAVENLY FATHERS PLAN FOR ME!! I tell myself this all the time. ANd for the most part i believe it. But i have my days where I'm "blah blah blah" and i question ME, MYSELF, AND I. Not ever having an officialy "boyfriend" makes me do the whole "what's wrong with me? am i ugly? am i not smart? am i fat?"...you know...all the questions some girls will go through on those long nights where we can't sleep. BUT I GOTTA REMEMBER, TO TRUST IN MY PLAN. To continue to live righteously and be PATIENT. I tell others to be patient, but i have to be an EXAMPLE of my own preachings. So, this year, no doubting or debbie-downer thoughts. i will learn and exemplify my TRUST :-)


These are 10 of several things i want to learn.
Learn.something.new.each.day.


2011...can't believe you're around the corner!!

Diagnosis: IBS

THAT IS HOW I FEEL TODAY!....

why you wonder? because I self diagnosed myself with IBS. (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
I won't give you a medical lesson on what it is, but let's just say it consists of me GIVING UP ALL OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO EAT!

WHY?
....because IBS is an evil disorder that affects 1 out of 5 women who have an intolerance to Milk. GO ME. IM THE WINNER.


Today I had a talk with my papa and we went to Sams club to buy me foods, snacks and drinks that wouldn't irritate my tummy.

In other words...healthy food. WHO DOES THAT? (jokes, but seriously)

These are just a few of my favorites that i MUST give up, starting TODAY.

1.

Hot cheetos have been so good to me. We are in love. They make me feel better when I'm stressed, sad, or just plain hungry. I know they're not good for you,...but we all have a guilty pleasure, right?

2.

and



Oh my gosh it hurts just to think about it. DP & Pepsi are my everything. Other nurses and doctors on my floor have their coffee,...i have my DP or Pepsi. It wakes me up at 4am when i have to drive for an hour, and it wakes me up before pulling an all nighter. I now am BFF's with Gatorade, thanks to IBS. (u suck, IBS!)


3.

So long, fast food. Oh how i love you, Arbys. But we must not be. For you are the biggest reason i can't digest. FATTY FOODS. ....i know they're bad. I dont recommend it. But c'mon...every once in a while a quick pick up of a roast beef and curly fries adds just the right touch to your day. Unfortunately, fatty/fried foods are the biggest factor affecting IBS. darn it.

4.

Pizza, I love you. But your tomatoes and dairy are bad to me.





HEART BROKEN. that's what i am. I love me some cheetos and dr.P while im studying. I always say, "i dont know how im not morbidly obese for how terrible I eat"...welp, here is my warning sign to stop. IBS means i gotta change my entire diet.

IM NOT HAPPY.

I dont like wheat, veggies, salads, blah blah.

But in reality, when i put on my Nursing mentality, I totally 100% agree that this is THE BEST THING I COULD DO. My eating habits are bad. Dont get me wrong, i eat Peruvian food at home which is a meal very well balanced. it's my IN BETWEEN MEALS snacks that are hurting me. NOT TO MENTION STRESS ADDS TO IBS.


This change in habit will be good though. I am giving this change a full month so i can assess my changes in IBS and hopefully, with time, reverse the affect and treat all the symptoms so that i can eattttt like a normal human being. I've never been skinny, nor am i now. I'm average. But im assuming that only good can happen from this habit change, and with it comes a balanced metabolism :) SO EVERYTHING IS BETTER IN THE END :)

(sure, with my sacrifice of my favorite foods. oh how i love you!)

[[ oh and i started on daily BID calcium supplements thanks to my intolerance to milk. Latin women are susceptible to milk disorders and again, I WIN. But im okay with popping calcium pills every day to prevent osteoporosis when im a cute old lady. ]]


I already have a head ache from not having any caffeine today. Uhh this will be a long process haha...wish me luck?

THANK YOU, IBS for being my warning sign to STOP MY HABITS, STAT. (even though you're not a very nice disorder)

...off to dance dance dance!

oh, THANKS !

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND WAS PERFECT!


Going back home to the (408)

Every Thanksgiving, my parents and I fly out to California to be with my mom's side of the family. I LOVE THE BAY AREA! I lived there for a couple of years growing up and it will always be my second home. It was so perfect being with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.



Oh, and SPIKE the DOG.





[[ he and I have a bad relationship. you see...a few years ago, SPIKE the DOG bit me. riiiiight on the bum. Since then, I will not make eye contact with him. he plots against me to catch me alone just to bite me again...i just know it...i mean look at his smile...evil!!]]

I could write forever about Thanksgiving, but im'a just list some things that i'm most grateful for this year. ready...go.

1. The Gospel...oh my lanta, where would I be without it? (i dont even wanna think about it). The Gospel is special to me for SO many reasons. But the one most recent has to do with the unbelievably quick death of my grandpa Poli. Exactly ONE MONTH after me being with him in Peru, he fainted and in the blink of an eye, got diagnosed with Leukemia and passed away. It was my first loss in my immediate family and oh boy, it hit me hard. I'm teary just thinking about it, but what soothes my spirits is THE GOSPEL. knowing that i will see my Grandpa again one day and that he is in the most perfect place of all...brings joy to my heart and comforts me. He is with our loving Heavenly Father and is not hurting or in pain. He is at peace and I will see him again. For the Gospel and our knowledge, I am grateful.

2. My Familia...I wished i had family in Arizona. My entire mom's side resides in CA, and my papa's side in Peru. All i have here is my parents, brothers and their wifes, nephews and nieces. Being Peruvian, family in our direct culture is everything in the world. Traditions are passed and love is all around and expressed in so many ways. Our favorite way is in the kitchen...peruvian food is DELISH! My family is my world and my unconditional support. My parents and i were sealed as a family in the Mesa, AZ Temple on May 8th, 2010. Families can be together forever, and for that...i am grateful.






3. MUH BES FRANS...my buffalos. Everyone needs that great friend they can rely on. the friend they can spend hours talking to about life, hearts desires and the Gospel. The friend that knows what they're saying just by looking at their eyes or smile. The one that knows you're eating hot cheetos in bed when it's 1am. I AM SO LUCKY i have all of that and they go by the names of TORI WADSWORTH AND MICHELLE STONES. holler! i am a lucky girl. I can't tell you how many times michelle and i have stayed up till the weeee hours of the night discussing the Gospel and how we can better ourselves, and i can't tell you how many times something happens and tori knows EXACTLY what my reaction will be or what im thinking w/o even looking at me. For their love,support and never ending encouragement...for the greatest friends i could ask for...i am grateful.






4. EDUCATION...Oh what's up school books, wanna be my boyfriend? cause i seem to always be dating you and I can't seem to get rid of you! haha! General Authorities have encouraged us to get an education and that's exactly what I be doing...ya dig? haha. I LOVE THE MEDICAL WORLD!! Nursing is kicking my butt, the program is intense and this one little class seems to want me to never pass...but even if i dont pass it....NBD, i wont give up. But for continuing to learn, grow and be a professional...for all of that, i am grateful.


5. DANCE...oh haiii, that does not mean i'm good. Not at all. But i've been dancing for years now and i do it for the pure joy of it. All styles, all music and rhythms...put on a jam and i guarantee i'll be moving to it. I am thankful for MANIC MONDAY cause it kicks my trash andd it keeps me feeling like i wont be morbidly obese from all the hospital food i eat. Also am thankful for CHRISTIAN DANCE COMPANY. dancing through my testimony of my Savior is unreal, and performing at the Temple is such an incredible feeling. It gives me the perfect view of where i want to go, hopefully someday soon with my eternal companion. For the gift of music in my soul,...i am grateful.






....So, i could go on forever but...i have to go to work now. hehe. Im a 20 yr old, broke college student with a full heart and a million things to be thankful for. hey, im alive and kicking. Life is good :)

The sweetest example of selfless Love

...True Love...it's the sweetest thing to see and I can't wait to experience it! I had the pleasure of meeting a very special couple whom I'll never forget. They were in their 90's and the wife...she was my patient :)

My experience::




Early morning, as i got her ready for the day,I heard a sweet, gentle voice announce "Good morning!! Sorry i'm late sweetheart,...but i'm here and ready to read you your book" . I looked up at this sweet elderly man slowly shuffling his way to his wife on his walker. Immediately, a lump formed in my throat- was i seriously gonna cry already? c'mon now! I quickly introduced myself as her student nurse who was going to be taking full care of her. He sat down on the recliner next to her as I continued to do my duties. Playfully, he said "you take good care of her now, she's the love of my life and my sweetpea. She likes her hair to be in a head band, could you fix it for her?"....I happily agreed and before i knew it, i was in a deep conversation with the both of them.

He gets dropped off every morning to spend the day with his sweet heart and take care of her and keep her company. She wasn't very ill, but had to be taken care of professionally...to that, he stated "I can't be home without her thinking she could be lonely or might need something. we've been happily married for 75 years, I wont spend a day without her, I can't breathe without her, she's my everything..." ...after i shared a few AWW's ...she replied "oh, he has always been a sweet talker...". We shared some laughs and they looked at each other as if reading another's thoughts.

They shared a lot about their personal life story and their family. What an incredible couple. They told me how they have been happily married for 75 years and raised a wonderful family and have so many grandchildren. After a good 20 minutes of chatting, i had to go off to my other duties and left them to be.






A few hours later, i walked by the room to see him reading to her. If i could take a picture, i would have ...it was the most tender sight. Time passed again and she had to go to physical therapy. I took that time to go in and chat with him if he needed anything. He shared more stories with me, which i absolutely loved! He told me about how he courted his wife and how she is the prettiest gem of them all :) He then gave me a life lesson i was not expecting. He shared his thoughts of what a woman should be and how his biggest concern in in heart was making sure his daughters chose the right man to marry. He looked at my hand and said,...

..." I see you're not married...let me tell you something. Meeting you today has shown me that society isn't as bad as i think it can be, there are still good people out there who truly care about others and you are the perfect example of one. Women like you, deserve a very special kind of man. Do not settle for someone who doesn't deserve you. You...like my wife, are a gem, that sort of rare gem that you dont come around often. You will marry a good man. Don't go rushing into anything...you're young. But don't forget, you're a gem. Do not settle for anything other than a worthy man cause you deserve a Good man!...write that down in your chart, I dont want you to forget my wise words. Im wise you know ;) " ....



That man, is a gem! his wife, another gem! What a blessing to meet such a wonderful couple who in my shift taught me SO much! his advice to me, his "WISE ADVICE" will forever stay with me. What a wonderful man,...I definitely needed to be reminded of that.

His wife later came back from therapy and his sweet voice once again announced, "hi sweetheart, did you do good at therapy? I was waiting for you to continue our book..."


a few hours later, as i left the facility, i walked past her room to see him over her wheelchair, softly brushing her hair. yep...there goes that lump in my throat again...

.....their love was real, sincere and selfless! Their love, was eternal.

for their example, I am grateful.

getchur head in the game!

...Nope, not high school musical,...this is [[real life]] !!



Stress Stress Stress,...if i'm not stressing, something isn't right.

School is going so good so far, really busy and new teachers for some material so i'm learning differently and I'm learning so much!

Im finally getting the "NURSE MENTALITY" ....thinking as a whole and with evidence based practice. It's been tough but i feel like I'm changing my thinking process into NURSING PROCESS. ((this makes no sense to non-medical students)) But it's a good feeling!

Banner Hospital has been amazing!! I start my first official shift this week and the journey here has been long but finally ill be on the specialty unit volunteering 4 hours a day to making someones day a little brighter. I probably have no time for volunteering, but I'd feel selfish not doing it. As an RN i am IN and OUT of my patients room,..i'd LOVE to sit and chat with them but my work load only allows me to be in their room as long as a procedure takes. I'd love to sit down and talk about their likes, family and all that fun stuff but you just can't. No time. So what better way to fulfill my desire to spend more time with my patients than to volunteer. I can finally sit down and talk to them about how they like painting, birds and nail polish without thinking "oh crap, i have 5 minutes to pull out the meds for room 213!" . Doing my orientations, interviews and walk arounds at the hospital has been great:: the Doctors are SO nice, the RN's love giving me advice and the spirit of help and love is truly felt. At least, I feel it :)

BOYS::....I don't have an interest...a special interest on any guy at the moment. I've been meeting so many different guys and they're all great and so fun to hang out with. But that's the problem, HANGING OUT. General Authorities have talked to us about this several times, to stop hanging out and DATE. But not much i can do, not my fault i dont get asked on dates. (or is it?) HA! point is, IM SO HAPPY NOT HAVING A GUY TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT NOW. my mind is fully focused on my career. Full speed RN student starting a new hospital rotation, working full time with children that have Autism and Volunteering in a specialized Cardiac Unit...HELLO SELF. I ROCK!! And not having the GUY to worry about has been so nice, i am happy being single (not like i have been miserable) but i feel GOOD not needing someone or worrying about having to impress the guy i like. THIS IS SO NICE. and i feel like i've been meeting lots of guys. SO i guess, not looking results in actually meeting guys. regardless, im so happy right now.


Some DANCE DANCE DANCE in my life. Awww yeahhh!! I am not a trained dancer nor do I intend to be. But dancing for pure fun and to let go, to dance with reason and leave it on the dance floor...yeah boi, that is the greatest!! Im once again in Christian Dance Company and dancing through my testimony of my Savior is a blessing. I have a special angel I'm dancing for this year and I can't wait for performances. I dance with a group called Manic Monday and it works me out!! Calli is an amazing teacher with AMAZING talent and is so well rounded. I always enjoy those classes and leave drenched in yummy sweat. Also, ZUMBA!! gotta work the latina hips, right? haha i love dance! Monday-Thursday nights are my favorite ;)


My head is in the game of life and i am succeeding. RN, working with children that have Autism and spreading Autism awareness, Volunteering every week and dancing. Oh yes, I am happy :-)

Life since Peru

Has been pretty fantastic!!


I think about Peru every night before going to bed, i miss it so much! But coming home meant taking care of business and getting myself prepared for this semester.

First order of business....


Finishing up my volunteer process at BMC. I got accepted and it is such a long process. Im up to date on vaccines, background check and references,...i just have to stop slacking and do my tour and final interview before i can get on the floor. Yours truly got accepted into the Cardiac Unit for pre/post-op patients, and i'm very excited cause i've had good experience with telemetry as an RN-student. My shifts are weekends so I'll be one busy little volunteer. Banner has been amazing! Can't wait to put my foot in there as an RN someday-soon!


Second order of business....

Ah, second block- i am back again and this time Adv-Medical Pathophysiology will not drown me! I failed with a 75%...so mad! but that's okay cause this time ill know more and get straight A's! Re-doing second block sucks but for financial reasons, im doing the block in order to save my scholarships/grants. Im kinda "meh" about doing med/surg again. I was so excited and ready to go on to Labor&deliver, psych unit, etc. But i'll take all the practice i can get on med/surg, ICU (which is where i worked most of the time) and telemetry. I loved it all, dont get me wrong,...but i was ready to float to the other sectors of the hospital. Nursing program is HARD. I hate the reading, but i love the hands-on we get. Heck yah go Medicine!


Those were my biggest "to-do's" to get take care of stat. In my free time, i've been hanging out with my '07 guys that are finally all back from the mission! In a few months Elder Chapman will be home and then it'll be perfect. I love my friends, they are all terrific men and im so proud of their 2 years serving the Lord. A lot of them came back with knowledge of a different language which is terrific- will come in handy when working professionally. It's a compliment to my latin culture when they want to speak in Spanish with me. In my Patriarchal Blessing it mentioned people putting down my talent of tongues, but to never let that get me down and to always be proud of my gift of tongues and use it when given the opportunity and never hide my light. I always remember that specific blessing and I try my best to share that gift when I can. Just like when i went to Peru and found someone that spoke english, it was pure bliss :)

With our '07 dudes we went to the desert this weekend and it was so fun! the boys didn't let us help with anything, which made me feel useless, but it was sweet of them to have prepared everything as we just laid back and relaxed. We made a fire, sat around it as some went shooting, others rode dirt bikes and others cooked some pizza in dutch ovens. It was great talking and catching up, hearing about missions and just having us together again. Way awesome!!








I was thinking a lot about picking up another language. The third most used language in the hospital is VIETNAMESE and it would be very beneficial if i picked it up. The more languages, the more money, the more knowledge ya? I hope i can get into a vietnamese class. I love learning languages, it's beautiful and I know i could pick up a different tongue. So that's my current "hmm what if i did this" thought.


Lastly, i love my best friends. Seriously blessed!

Peru Peru PERU!! (warning: this is LONG)

In case you didn't know, Yo Soy Peruana :)




It's almost unreal to step outside of myself and realize, Hey you were born in a developing country that is absolutely beautiful and rich in culture, with great family bonds, beautiful castellano and amazing food. Hey you have your entire NALVARTE side of the family in Peru, your own house down there where you took your first steps, and your beloved foods are everywhere!

I had the incredible chance to spend 3 amazing weeks in Lima with my momma. I hadn't been back to Peru since i was 18, and for my mom it had been 5 years.

ARRIVAL:: After a very long long day of traveling, we started our decent to Lima around 11:30pm. As soon as i saw the city lights and we kept getting closer and closer to the ground, i began cryingggg. I am such a baby, it was such an overwhelming feeling of happiness to be back in PERU!! I can't even explain the feeling, i was "HOME". MY culture, MY people, MY family, MY language, My EVERYTHING!! It is such a humbling feeling to be back. I'm so grateful!

Stepping out into the terminal, I was still crying! After we found our way to baggage claim, it was time to look for our family. my Tio Jorge was there waiting with a big smile. AHHH!

FASTFORWARD: we get to my house in Previ and my twin cousins, Noelia and Angie are already running outside to greet me. yep, more waterworks. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME! I could not stop crying. Actually, i knew exactly why i was crying. I FINALLY GOT TO SEE MY NALVARTE FAMILY!! it was such a sweet moment for me. My grandma, uncles and aunts and cousins. oh what a blessing!!



3 WEEKS OF FULL PERUVIAN CULTURE. I LOVE MY LIFE!:: I could sit here and write about every amazing second of my trip to Peru, but ill share some random highlights. July 28th is Peru's independence day from España, and we took a 4 hour ride to MATUCANA in the Cierra Peruana. I was grumpy, SO grumpy cause 1)4 hours on different buses and on a bad road...ugh! 2) i wanted to stay in the city for the cool army stuff and 3) i did NOT want to wake up at 4am to get ready. NO NO NO! I was being such a booger but then i shut myself up when i looked around me...I WAS IN FREAKING SOUTH AMERICA, in PERU...i should be excited to travel to Matucana for Fiestas Patria. I popped my motion sickness pill, took a nap and enjoyed my day. We saw the parade, ate yummy food and went to a CORRIDA DE TOROS.we had front row seats and it was awesome. the Bulls weren't super psycho scary, but just enough to get me to scream a lot of times. watch this:












hahaha too funny!



The major reason of this trip was to be with family and friends. Just relaxing at home in Previ and enjoying our foods. We had people come over ALL THE TIME. Not once did i wake up to an empty house. Someone was always over for breakfast which i loved!

oh,..breakfast. Mmmm! the smell of FRRRRESH french bread, jamonada de pais con mantequilla, ...MmmMmm my mouth waters just thinking of it. French bread here is wack! Just wait till you try the bread in Peru...uhhhmayyzeeeng.

Walking down my street felt like i was famous. Why? cause my family is pretty well known in my "barrio". My papa was a well respected general in the Peruvian Air Force and he did a lot of good for the community. Everyone knows the Nalvartes ;) Im being silly...but at the same time, i'm not kidding haha! We constantly were stopped with the same reaction: "Luisa (my mom)...is that you?!! oh my gosh i had no idea you were in Peru!...and who is this...NO WAY...little darlene? oh my gosh you're so grown up, you look just like your mom, oh my gosh i can't believe this is the little 4 yr old girl i knew!!"....muahaha im cute.


GREETING people is a big deal and shows your respect for others. Walking in and waiving "HELLO" is RUDE. If you are the person to arrive, you are to go around and hug & kiss everyone in the room. PRETTY AWESOME if you ask me, it's my culture :) . People ask me if it weirds me out to hug&kiss since i grew up in the States and that's not common here...but it doesn't weird me out at all. It literally is SO natural to do that. *hug* *kiss* *introduction*. Perfectly normal. I enjoyed the greeting a little more whenever it was a STUDLY Peruvian Man greeting me. Like my neighbor, Oscar. Muahaha he and his 2 older brothers grew up with my brothers, they were all BFF. Oscar is the youngest, 25, and a musician/radio talk person. He looks like KAKA the brazilian soccer player. Anyways, his hug&kiss were always extra long, but ohh i didn't mind at all!! I love Spanish greetings,...why can't we all just hug & kiss as our HELLO??...hehe!!


FOODS...the reason to why i gained so much weight on this trip... WAS CAUSE I DIDNT STOP EATING!!...ask me if the food was worth the extra pounds?...OH HECK FREAKING YES!!!....people, you dont understand. PERUVIAN FOOD IS AMAZING!! top ranked in the food world. no joke. I spent my days eating everything!! my favorites include: salchi papa, pollo broaster, anticuchos, pansitas, pollo ala braza, chifa, aji de gallina, papa rellena, lomo saltado, pollo al orno...ETC. You have no idea what these foods are. Believe me, you try it and you will wanna travel to peru STAT! ...i hate ice cream. I like the super plain ones but if you know me, you know i rarely want ice cream. but in peru, DONOFRIO ice cream is to die for! i had ice cream almost every day! i dont know what it is, but hot dog it is DELISH!!! the drinks...INKA COLA and KOLA IGLESA. my weakness. All day everyday i had those drinks. breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between...gulp gulp gulp. *ahhh* refreshing :)












IN PERU, WE DANCE FOR EVERY OCCASION......dance is such a strong part of the culture. If we are celebrating a birthday, wedding, death, an arrival, ANY occasion,..we dance! Music is everywhere and it's impossible to not move your body to the beat. CHILDREN EVERYWHERE DANCE. i love it!! we had some music playing in the background at my tias house and her grandson (12) handed us some pictures while dancing. No one is shy to dance. Dance runs through our blood naturally. one of my little girls was 3 yrs old and danced her salsa so adorably cute! family and friends all moved to the beat. The markets had music blasting and you would randomly see a group of people just DANCING. it was HAPPY. Music and dance brought us all together. Salsa, merengue, cumbia, toneras...everything all sorts of music played and everyone danced. Boys, girls, men and women...even my 84 yr old grandpa danced. I have a Special Uncle who fell from a 3 story house when he was 2yrs old so he has some cerebral trauma and is still at a 2 yr old mentality even though he's 40. One day, i put on some music at my grandmas house and he ran down. I smiled and said "TIO, BAILA" (uncle, dance!) and....he did. of course, i cried haha but words can't explain how amazing music and dance is in Peru. it literally runs through everyones blood. it's "weird" if you dont dance and clap in happiness to the rhythm of the music. PERUVIANS LOVE TO DANCE.







let's talk poverty... It is everywhere! Unfortunately, peru is a developing country. If only you saw what i have seen, i guarantee you that you will think twice about what you're grateful for...YOU HAVE NO IDEA. of course, im generalizing,..many have served missions in extremely poor areas and others have come from it. I'm just saying, there are so many of you that i know are so blessed that have never had to dig through trash to find 20 cents for a piece of bread. have you?...This is the part of my trip that was hardest for me. I wont get into detail because I hold this part of my trip close to my heart. I did a lot of things that most people my age wouldn't do or think of doing and things that my friends have no idea i did. i'm not "an angel" or "amazing" like i was told while doing these things in Peru,...I tried my very hardest to make someones day better while being there and I pray for them everyday. Writing this right now i'm already tearing up. It's something that ill never be able to put into words, an emotion so overpowering that it infuriates me that i dont have the power to change the poverty level in that country. that i dont have the power to build homes for all the homeless, help all those who are dying due to lack of money to see a doctor for a simple cough, to clothe all those who are walking around in torn shirts in the middle of winter, to give a starving new born the appropriate foods and vitamins,...oh my gosh if only you knew.....


Natural love....it's all in the culture! You meet someone and they smile and greet you as if they were your best friend, your sister, your brother or your own parents. *hug and kiss* "may i offer you a drink? are you hungry? would you like some of this..this this"...it's amazing. They are very humble, but even so they will share with you what little they have and they do it with such a huge smile and sincere love. Every perfect strangers says hello to each other in the street, i get called "señorita" with such respect, i love it. RESPECT is one of the most important aspects of my culture. It's very sweet to feel like the perfect strangers you run into will greet you and treat you like a sister. I loved the malls and markets cause i heard "buenas tardes señorita, como esta? la puedo ayudar a buscar algo?" . wahhh take me back!! i miss it so much already!!


MY MARINERA DANCE INTENSIVE... it was SOOOO STINKING ROUGH!!!! bare foot zapateo. watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pMvwN1s-Q8&feature=related

around 1:10 it shows good foot work. looks simple. But learning the basics and breaking everything down in order to go fast and stomp, point, flick, push, step step accent accent..AHHH!! my instructor said "if your toes aren't bleeding by the end of the routine, you aren't doing it right"...i crapped my pants. uhh I dont like my toes bleeding, k thanks! marinera is beautiful. It represents how a man courts a woman and she is a flirt who almost teases him. But through his respect and effort she falls for him and they fall in love, and in the end, love wins :) it's beautiful! the women is modest with a full dress and the man is respectful. her dress represents a dove...something like that it has a lot of Peruvian history. I LOVED IT!! but boy was it TOUGHHH!! im not a fan of putting a pole on my back to fix my posture. Ill stick to hip hop where i can slouch and be ugly.


These boys stole my heart....this is one of those stories that i previously mentioned I want to keep close to my heart and not openly share. But, this was an experience ill never forget. Again, i cried like a freaking baby but prayed for strength to do something. Without sharing the story, here is a clip of my boys working hard for a few cents which earns them their daily bread....







My Testimony...grew on this trip. For several reasons and several experiences that left me in awe. Something i loved was going to church and entering a FULL sacrament meeting. all 3 sessions were packed and the spirit was SO immensely sweet. They are so eager to learn about the Gospel and they already know SOOOOO MUCH! In their testimony they all shared their gratitude for that tender knock on the door from 2 young missionaries who shared the Gospel and brought their souls into the waters of baptism. It gave me great joy to hear their testimonies and how strong the work is going in Peru. The organization of the church is incredible, i'm so beyond grateful for my experience. Too bad for me, the Temple was closed during my stay in lima :( it's gated so I couldn't even go on Temple grounds cause something was going on with construction. BUMMER. My dream to travel and enter many Temples is still there though, so maybe next time :)








Leaving....To be honest, towards the end of my trip i selfishly began to miss my comfort here in the States. My car, my bed, my computer and cell phone. ew, how worldly and selfish can i be! I was mad at myself. But i couldn't help but miss my commodities i am accustomed to. I feel bad. I get to live in Peru for 3 weeks and help out, but in the end...i know im coming back to the states and to my commodities i'm selfishly used to. ajdfl;ajdfklajdfa anyways....leaving was hard. leaving my family again, my cousins my friends my culture. One part of me was ready to come HOME, but the other part of me wanted to escape my duties and stay there to keep helping and keep on enjoying my time with family. But my life here hadn't stopped... i had to come back to work, school preparations and start my volunteering at the hospital. The night of my flight home my entire family gathered at my home in Previ. friends and neighbors constantly stopped by dropping off gifts and thank you's to us. The love was felt and it was truly humbling. I have so many little kids as friends that i talk to all the time and played with...who surprised me that night. they had kindly gathered their change to buy me my favorite slice of chocolate cake and ice cream. My gosh, they touched my heart tremendously,..ill never forget them. Just thinking about them and everyone brings me to tears. haha i wished i wasn't such a cry baby!! After an emotional nights of goodbyes and hugs...we took off to the international airport where a few family members accompanied us until we entered customs. Upon the airplane, again came the waterworks...

Take off was hard for me. A lot harder than i expected. I reflected on my trip, my experiences and life changing moments that built a stronger testimony. I remembered those things which i saw that brought me to my knees to pray, and remembered those moments of pure love and happiness that made me smile from my heart.By reading this, you will never know the feelings that ran through me...they are special and unique to me and my experience.

I love Peru with all my heart. I love my family with all my heart. I love my experience and all those who touched my heart and made a difference in my life. They probably have no idea they did, but they did in such a great great way.


I LOVE MY HEAVENLY FATHER above all because thanks to my blessing of being able to travel, i was able to learn more, do more and grow more in SO many different ways. He blessed me with the appropriate words, He blessed me with the appropriate reactions and He protected and guided me the entire time. I'm so lucky. SO lucky and SO blessed. I must give back and this trip, was just the beginning....

Day trrrip to the friendliest town....

....PRESCOTT!!!!


I love Prescott, Arizona SO much!!

So today, I woke up and just didn't want to be in Mesa. Me and Tori's best friend, Michelle Lee Stones, was on the road to San Diego and we were jealous of her road trip (hitting the road is fun!). [[baby girl will have a fun time, she gets to go to sea world and disney!! love itt! im excited to see her pictures!]] . So Anyways, I called Tori, "Hey! Wanna go to Prescott?" . She jumped at the idea and we planned to leave after i got my oil done. [[ Why can't car's just run on water and love? ]]

{{{ANNOUNCEMENT:: I, DARLENE INES, DROVE TO PRESCOTT!!.... If you know me well, you'd know that just this year i was exposed to driving on the freeway. I'd go as far as the Hospital i did my clinical rotation at in phoenix, but never long distance. But we humbly said our prayer and I actually drove. Im proud of me. This is a big deal haha!! }}}

On the road, we stopped at what we thought was a cute little town to have lunch. We cheerfully asked Emmerson (the cutie working) what town we were in and he looked at us with a funny expression... "this is phoenix...uh where are you from?" ....we look down in emberassment... "we're from Mesa..."... HA HA HA!! you had to be there.

We kept on the road and got to Sunset Point. We had fun there, though i can do without the burning OVEN we live in (thanks arizona!)











After Sunset Point, we got a phone call that there was a fire happening near us. We approached the fire and it seemed to stretch about a mile. It looked pretty under control. So we kept on. We stopped by Tori's grandma's old house and it was so pretty! on the top of a hill (scary hills), and it was fun for her to see the house after over years. We kept on the road and finally, PRESCOTT!!

oh how i love prescott! there was a lot going on for the 4th of July weekend. We walked around the downtown square and talked to some fun people. We looked for a boutique to get Tor some jeans since she'd forgotten hers and only had sweat pants. nbd, but we wanted to go to the rodeo and didn't want to be underdressed. We stopped and had frozen yogurt at a fun shop with some cute workers. I caught them dancing and it made me smile. We stopped at candy shop and i got my fix of salt water candy. mmMmMM!!!














We hit the road back towards the shopping mall to get tor some clothes. We stopped at BK and grubbed before the Rodeo. We get to the Rodeo and bam "SOLD OUT SHOW"...NoOoOOO!! we kept walking in though. Security guards were there and we started a conversation with them. Richard from Mesa and Thomas the Cowboy. THey were SO nice. Thomas the cowboy was dreamy!! After a friendly conversation, he went over to some people leaving and asked them for their tickets and gave them to us! yipee!! we got in and saved 12 bucks on the ticket fee. Oh Thomas how i love thee!!

The rodeo was AWESOME!!! crazy horses, barrel racing, and bull riding...and most importantly...cowboys!!! aww yeah!! we were pretty much drooling a lot. There was a scary moment when a bull took the rider by the horns and pushed him back into the stalls. tori screamed! haha!!

By then, it was 10 and we were ready to head back home. we stopped at circle K and this man tells me my headlight is burned. aw crap. We go to checkers, buy a lightbulb and ask for help. the dude working wasn't able to leave the store so...it was just us two. uh oh. we had troubles getting the hood to stay up. success, we got it up. Now, how on earth do you get to the lightbulb? I imagined you just pop the thing out. FALSE. My car is ridiculously 'secure' and has crap all over the place. These two men leaving checkers offered their help. I was SO grateful for them. After what seemed an hour, EPIC FAIL. the two men couldn't even get the lighbulb OUT!! darn chevy!!!....our hands and arms were filthy from helping. sadly, we couldn't fix it. so we drove home with the brights on. haha!!


I LOVE PRESCOTT!!!

I wished michelle coulda been with us but baby girl is in CALIFORNIA with her amazing family. Sad note: I only get to see her next wed/thurs and then i wont see her till August 16th. she'll be in ID and Alaska (LUCKY!!!) and ill be in peru so we're gonna be crossing each other. sad day!!


I love muh best friends!!!