A New Year in our Life

I feel like we are always changing (and improving) our lives. Ryan just started his second semester of school and he is doing amazing- not that I had any doubt, but when you can pass all your classes without even needing to take the finals, I would say that's amazing! Now he just needs to figure out which direction this whole college thing is going to take him... I personally don't mind what he studies as long as he ends up happy with what he is doing.  I have started working at UVRMC on the mom/baby unit and I am loving it!! I could do without the night shift but I do enjoy being a part of so many people's happiest moments.

I realized a few months ago just how long he will need to be in school and I started to seriously think about this. The main question I was pondering was when I would go back to school. Should I wait until he is done and then start or just get it over with??? The idea of being in school for another 6 years between the 2 of us was just too overwhelming for me! I knew that I needed to finish so I decided we might as well go at the same time and get it all over with!

So, I have applied, filled out all of the silly paperwork, sent in my transcripts, talked to my guidance counselor entirely too many times and, yes, I have been accepted into an RN to Master's Program! I will be going through Western Governor's University. It is a strictly online program that gives me credit for the fact that I am already working as an RN and will take me through my Master's in Healthcare Administration. I am a bit apprehensive about starting school again but I also have the opinion that 2 years will pass regardless- am I going to just work or improve myself? I have chosen to improve myself. I think the biggest difference with going to school this time is that I can work at my own pace. There won't be too many overwhelming deadlines and I am already really close to having my Bachelor's Degree which helps a ton when it comes to moving up with Intermountain Health Care.

Life is bound to be stressful in the next few years but I keep telling myself that it will never be as bad as that last semester of Nursing School! I can hardly remember that last semester- I think my mind is blocking it out to protect me!!! Even with the stress, I feel like we are really moving in the right direction. I just hope that our kids can gain one valuable lesson from all of this.... go to college when your young! Of course, that being said, I never would have become a nurse if I had finished college in my 20s... wish us luck!

Marty's Farewell

Merry Christmas! It has been a long season of elf antics and laughs! We have enjoyed having Marty at our home and hope that he comes back next year.... Here are the last 2 days of mischief.

Marty left with Santa last night when he came to deliver our presents. If you remember, Taylor told me that he saw Marty in his "big self!" Well, Marty showed us all his "big self"- He left us a thank you note that had a picture of him and Santa in our living room last night!!! It was even a bit black from the soot on Santa's hands! Wow!!!













On the 23rd, we had our Johnson family Christmas party. The kids all decorated Santa cookies- a family tradition. One of them left one out on the counter and I think Marty thought that he would try to make some. Apparently, he was distracted by the sugar! It must have reminded him of snow- we haven't had much here. Marty stopped making cookies and instead made a "snow" angel in the sugar.

I will post actual Christmas pictures soon....

My New Pink Badge

I am a VERY excited RN at the moment. Christmas Eve will be my last day working in downtown SLC at LDS hospital. While I am very sad to leave friends that I have made, I am excited for the new adventures that are waiting for me.

I have been working for almost a year on the Psychiatry Unit at LDS hospital. I have had some great opportunities on this unit and grown a ton as a nurse. I really felt that it would be an easy unit and that I didn't need to be there very long- but it is amazing to me how much this unit has taught me! From gaining the opportunity to become a Charge Nurse and run one of the largest units within Intermountain Health Care to the patience to listen to a patient that doesn't feel that their life is valuable. I feel that I have grown so much as a person and I have gained a listening ear and patience that I didn't have before. For these reasons, I am so thankful for my time on this unit.

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed and took a job at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I will be transferring next week to the Mom/Baby unit there. It seems very surreal to me that this has occurred. I had applied for the job a few months ago and had forgotten about it when they called and asked for an interview. I really struggled about even going to the interview because I was preparing to interview on my current unit for a management position- one of my good friends told me to at least go and interview. I did and to be honest, it was a gut wrenching decision to make. I am so excited now that the stress of decision making is over. Ryan and I feel that this is the best thing for me personally and for our family. I can see myself spending a lot of time working in this area of nursing- possibly even the rest of my career. There is something to be said for being involved in some of the happiest moments of people's lives. I understand that there is still hardship and loss in this area- but after working with severely suicidal patients for the last year, I feel that I have the skills to help those that are struggling as well.

Yesterday, this became more real to me when I picked up my new pink badge! Ryan laughed that I was so excited over a pink badge but to me it means moving on in life and starting something new that I really want to do.

How does he come up with things????

As always, I am playing catch up with Marty. I just love that he is so creative and the kids are loving it too. My niece and nephew just came in for Christmas and they are loving Marty too. This Mommy will be happy when Santa picks Marty up though- Taylor is getting out of bed at 6 am to see what Marty has done. On to the pictures (in order from most recent)

Last night Marty brought a TON of gifts from the North Pole. He left the kids a letter saying that Santa's sleigh is too full this year and he needed some help. Marty helped out by bringing some of the gifts early. The tree is overflowing with all the presents! I guess that's what happens when there are 5 kids in the home...

Not really sure what Marty was trying to do to the milk but he was caught turning it green. Taylor thinks that "he was trying to turn it into candy and we caught him!" As Taylor was eating his cereal he said to me, "Mom, it is really sweet, candy milk!"

Zack and Kylie have come in for Christmas. Marty and friends were pretty excited about the whole thing and made them a Welcome Home sign. Both kids thought it was great!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Marty and friends must have been bored last night because they set up an entire baseball field and played a game. Once again, Marty included the manger play toys. They even put a scoreboard up on the big screen. I love that they named their teams 

"The Mischievous Elves vs. The Stable Boys"

Taylor was wondering why they never wake him up to play.

Choo, Choo

I put our Christmas train up on top of the cabinets this year. Mostly to keep Taylor from breaking it more than he already has. Marty and his friends decided to take a ride on it! I have to wonder if "Polar Express" had an influence on this... Taylor wanted to know when he gets to ride on a train.

Reindeer, Kisses and Bums!

Marty is such a pill!!! He does make us laugh every morning though and Taylor adores everything he does. I have been working so again I am catching up....

This morning, Taylor found Marty sitting on the floor outside of the garage door. He was pointing to the garage and looked like he was laughing.

 When Taylor went out in the garage, he found that Timmy the reindeer had turned the cars into reindeer as well. Tay was hoping the car would fly too but I think we need some magic Santa dust for that!! (Thankfully!)

Our printer is one of those multi task ones and it is also a copier. Marty had been watching "Despicable Me" (it was in the DVD player) and decided to copy his bum like the minions do! What a great use of ink, right!?!

We have Tink up on top of our Mickey Mouse tree. I guess Marty had been watching her and decided that it was worth the climb to steal a kiss! Taylor found Marty on top of the tree smooching Tink... actually, I think that Tink is doing all of the smooching.