Dreaming Of Christmas

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. And now that I live in Wisconsin it is the most wonderful thing in the world to have a white christmas. My family and I always wake up on Christmas morning and get our cups of coffee, put on Christmas music, and my Dad lights a fire in the fireplace. And then one by one we go through and each open a present. It usually takes at least an hour. Afterwords my Dad makes gas stations eggs for breakfast. It's funny how traditions can be so special. I think the most exciting thing about Christmas will be once I have kids. It will be so great to give them gifts from Santa, and to leave out cookies and milk. We would always go to church Christmas Eve night, and right as we were leaving and in the car my mom would put out this huge candy house that she made. And then when we got home from church it would be there from "santas elves." .....And then my Mom told me there was no such thing as santa. I think deep down I knew, cause I was pretty old. I think I was.....12. At that point I dont think any of my friends believed in Santa anymore but I wanted to believe so bad. When my Mom told me I was pretty crushed, and she threw in the Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy too!!! Thanks alot Mom!!!
Anyways I love Thanksgiving too but this is the second year in a row that I have to work on Thanksgiving, so I am not getting that excited about it this year. I think I am off next year.
Oh, and the most exciting thing in the world has happened....drum roll please. I am starting my nursing clincals in January. I dont think most people know just what this means. Most of the schools have a waiting list to start the actual nursing classes, which include nursing theory classes and the clinicals where you are actually out in hospitals and nursing homes. You take all your pre-requisites (anatomy, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry) and then you are able to start you nursing classes but since I had to wait I got ALL my classes done. Now I just need my nursing classes and then I can graduate. Before I knew when I was going to start my clinicals there was never an end date in sight. Now I know I will be done, and officially be a nurse fall 2009, which seems like a really far way off, but really it's only 4 semesters and I know each one will go by fast. Next semester I will be very busy I have nursing classes everyday. Mon, Tues and Wed I have nursing skills, nursing fundamentals, and nursing pharmacology, and then thurs and fri (from 7 am...ouch- to 1 pm) I have my clincals which will be at the Wisconsin Lutheran Care Center next semester. The first semester they always start you out at a nursing home. I am not worried though I already have so much experience. I have been working as a nursing assistant for a total of 3 years, in two different hospitals. And 6 months ago I took my tech class, which means i am a step above a nursing asssitant and can do more technical things. Like, trach care and suctioning, starting tube feeding and even enemas, yeah!!! All the things i already know how to do and am already comfortable doing will be things they cover in the first semester. So I am exciting that I will have a little bit of an edge already going into clincials. Anyways....totally rambling on. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

ice cream is the # 1 enemy

I am busy, busy, busy. With school, work, and all the other little things that go on in my life. I feel like I have a neverending list of things to do, including a long list of people I need to call. I think I get a little more stressed out when it is my week to work. I work one week (7 days in a row) and then I have the next week off. I feel like I dont get alot accomplished the week that I work, and then once my week is over I have a long list of things I need to do, like loads and loads of laundry, catch up on homework, emails, phone calls, bills, ect.... I need a vacation.
Anyways so I have been trying to diet lately and it is actually going really well. It's not a specific diet that I am on but just trying to consume a lot less calories, like somewhere around 1,300 a day, trying to work out at least five days a week, and also really eating really healthy, organic things. I think what has helped me the past couple weeks is 1. I am taking a nutrition class in school and really learning about what is good for you to eat and 2. I have a nutrition project due and you have to write down exactly what you eat for two weeks in a row. The project made me realize how much easier it is to eat healthy if you really plan out what you are eating for the day. And I have been doing really well.....except for one thing. I've been eating like high fiber cereal with soy milk and oj for breakfast, a turkey and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard, some kind of fruit, and nonfat yogurt for lunch, and for dinner I usually have brown rice, some type of vegetable and a small serving of meat or I'll just eat a lean cuisine. And I've really been working out well lately. I try to do 45-an hour of cardio 5 times a week. And then I'll do weights 2 or 3 times a week. I've been working out great everyday, and really sticking to my meal plan. My only downfall is that I am totally addicted to sweets, and I will cap of my great day of eating well and working out with a bowl of ice cream and some cookies and some candy (especially now during halloween). The worst is when I get off of work at 10 pm I will come home and eat ice cream or something else equally as bad. And I am totally in this dilemma because I love, love, love anything sweet and I dont want to, and I need to figure out how I can cut them from my diet. Maybe hypnosis...hmm........any suggestions??? I guess realistically I'd like to lose 15 pounds...and I think I've lost 2 pounds so far, but I know I would lose the weight alot faster if I could just stay away from the darn sweets. darn. ANYWAYS, what I want to know is how does everyone feel about Christmas music on Nov. 1st. Yep, thats right, the day after Halloween I turn on the radio....and what do I hear....Deck the halls with Boughs of Holly. Seriously. I love Christmas. It is my favorite holiday, my favorite time of year, but that is definitly crossing the line. And crossing into thanksgiving's teritory. And speaking of holidays....it is definitly a hard time to watch what you are eating. :( boo...why cant I just eat whatever I want and not have to worry about it...like my boyfriend??? So not fair!!!

Britney Spears

I admit it, I am one of the people totally obsessed with her. I love reading about all her screwups, and seeing pictures of her wearing the most hideous outfits, and laughing at people who are totally defending her. I definitly do not feel sorry for her. She makes (according to her most recent court documents) $737,000 a month. A MONTH!! With that kind of income she can definitly afford to hire a stylist. I think I am so obsessed because I am so fascinated by all the retarded things that she does. Like shaving her head....wearing a shirt as a dress, with no underwear on....flashing her crotch all over town. I know she got a lot of flack for her VMA performance. I thought the performance was not very good, simply because you could tell she had not practiced as much as she needed to, and also she was probably very nervous. However, I didnt think she looked THAT BAD, especially since she just had two kids. But, with that being said, I think she definitly should have worn something different because she is a mom and because she is not in the best shape.
Oh..and she could have done something better with her hair.

My favorite Britney moment, Ok here is the front of the dress

And here is the back.

....Any questions??

You're only as old as you feel

....And I feel OLD. With my 25th birthday looming around the corner I cant help but feel slightly sad that I am definitly closing a big chapter of my life. I feel like I cant get away with alot of the things that I did in my early 20's (nor would I really want to.) Such as: staying up until 5 am, going out drinking every night of the week, not having a savings account, maxing out my credit cards. When I think about being 21, 22, 23....I definitly had a huge amount of fun but I feel like I am so beyond that now. What makes me most happy is staying in on a Friday night, curled up on the sofa with Dan and a bag of popcorn, watching a movie. And even thinking about getting wasted and staying up until 4am when I have to work the next day sounds so unappealing. I guess what makes me even sadder is even though I feel so much more mature/older/wiser/ect...I really feel like I am at the same place that I have been for the last few years. I still am waiting to start my nursing clinicals, not married, no kids, ect....and even though Dan and I are moving in together in the next couple of months, and will get married and have kids, I feel like I am so ready to do that NOW. I am so ready to be done with school and be a nurse. I am ready to get married, and be an old married couple, and cook dinner for him every night. I think for the most part I need to relax and not plan everything out. These things will happen, and its ok if they dont happen right now. I think if I keep reminding myself that I can steer clear of the mid mid-life crisis I would otherwise have on my 25th birthday!! Heres some random pictures.
My favorite pic of my honey

And my favorite pic of us

Alright I'm off to sweat it out at the gym. Ta