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 :-)