How long is the quarter?

Today was Thursday, AEB (that's nursing language for As Evidenced By...:o) the fact that Emily left for school at 6:30 am and got home from school at 7 pm. So again I ask, "How long is the quarter?" All joking aside, today was a good day. I came away completely overwhelmed with how much I don't know, but I am determined to use that for good rather than evil. Rather than curl up in a ball and sob uncontrollably (as fun as that sounds), I have determined that with God's strength I will work harder than I ever have before and do my absolute best. As my instructor said today, "Nobody wants to be treated by a nurse who got less than a 70% average in their courses." Ten more Thursdays you say? Bring them on!

My first stethoscope:o)

My Car

I am thankful for the two and a half years of college that I spent without a car. They definitely made me more appreciative once I got one. Now that I have one, however, I am often astounded that I don't have to leave an hour earlier than I otherwise would "in case" the bus runs late. I don't have to plan for a grocery trip 2 weeks earlier than I need to go because it's the only time a roommate is going. I don't have to plan my social calendar around when someone else is going somewhere. I don't have to ride my bike to work at 5:30 am. And most of all I don't have to bum rides from poor defenseless friends who are probably more excited about my car than I am.:o) Bottom line, I am so thankful for my car! The fact that it is the kind of car I grew up loving and is completely adorable is just an added bonus. Now that gas prices are continually rising, I am also very thankful for the good gas mileage. I am getting more and more used to driving it, and Lord-willing I look forward to having it share in my commute for the next 2 and 1/2 years.

Too cute for words!

It just doesn't seem to have a bad side, so I took pictures of both.:o)

New Beginnings

Today was my first day of nursing school. I woke up at 5:30 am, took a shower, got ready, packed my lunch, loaded up the car, and was out the door at 7 am. I took three surface streets to the 118 East, to the 210 East, to the 2 South, to the 5 South, to the 10 East and arrived at my destination. It took me about an hour to get there, which left me two hours before my class. I purchased a one hour parking pass, parked my car, stood in line to pick up my quarterly parking permit, found out where to get my student ID, set up my student online account, went to the bookstore to purchase my nursing handbook, paid for my lab fee and liability insurance at the cashier's office, took the receipts of payment to the nursing office, was sent to another office, and had 15 minutes to spare before starting my class. I really enjoyed my first nursing class, and the professor was great. I think I'm definitely going to enjoy that one. I then had a three hour break between classes, so I went to my car to eat my lunch and then headed off campus to a nearby bookstore. I was able to buy most of my books there, and then I headed back to campus and purchased two books at the on-campus bookstore. There is only one more book I will have to purchase later because it wasn't in stock, and then I will be done shopping for them and can officially file bankruptcy.:o) Basically the cashier had to wrestle my debit card from my hand while I hyperventilated into a paper bag. Then I went to my 4-6 pm class, and discovered that it is mostly web based, meaning there are very few class times when I will actually have to be on campus. Hooray! Finally I lugged all of my books and myself to my car, got on the 10 North, to the 5 North, to the 2 North, to the 210 West (which was slowed because of an accident), to the 118 West, and took three surface streets to return to my aunt and uncle's house. I pulled into the driveway and thought, "One day down, only two and a half years to go.":o) Now I realize why they recommend taking baby steps and setting short-term goals. There is definitely great wisdom in that... It actually ended up being a very productive day, and now I have tomorrow and the next day off to recover. I look forward to all of the adventures God has in store for my over those next two and half years, and am determined to do more than survive it. Now remind me I said that during finals week.:o)

Here is a picture of the bookstore that took all of my money. I'm using it as a dartboard in my room.

Here is a picture of Cal State, Los Angeles. The campus is toward the front and the Los Angeles skyline is in the background.

On the Road Again

After a whirlwind seven weeks in Yuba City, I am back down in Los Angeles yet again. I really enjoyed my time spent working for the City of Yuba City, as well as getting to spend an extended amount of time with my family. Since I'll be going to nursing school year round for the next two and a half years, there is a good chance that I will never be home for that long ever again. The last week I was home my mom and sisters were on a missions trip in Mexico, so I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my dad. We had such a good time and made some wonderful memories. I drove down from Yuba City yesterday, dropped my stuff off at my aunt and uncle's house where I'll be living, and then drove to Azusa Pacific University to hang out with my mom and sisters for one more night. Despite being a bit tired, I had a great time hanging out with them and hearing all about what God had done while they were in Mexico. I woke up nice and early this morning and went for a three mile walk with the adults (which thankfully ended at Starbucks:o) and then they dropped me off on their way up north. I spent today unpacking (which btw I have gotten way too good at) and getting things organized for school. I start nursing school on Monday, and am looking forward to seeing what God has to teach me in this latest adventure. I would certainly covet your prayers as it will be a bit of a transition to start at a new school (again), and to even get back into school mode after basically being off since the beginning of December. I pray you all have a blessed Easter as you reflect on the incredible sacrifice and ultimate triumph of Jesus as He died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later to save us from our sins in spite of our unworthiness.

I took this picture while I was in Yuba City. They work really hard to look as California as possible.:o)

Winter Wonderland

After spending a few days in Oregon, I have come to realize that I am a California girl through and through. Although I love spending time here with family when I come to visit, the lack of sun and constant drizzle start to get to me after a while. I know the rain keeps things green, but I'll take the dry and warm. I'm sitting at my Grandma's computer sipping hot coffee and appreciating God's creation...from inside a warm house. Yesterday I went with my parents, sister, and extended family to play in the snow. It was really fun and I had a wonderful time throwing snowballs, building a snowman, sledding, and taking lots and lots of pictures. I'm not sure my camera will ever forgive me... It was seriously cold, but so amazingly beautiful. The snowflakes were HUGE! On the way home we stopped for hot chocolate at a really cute country store. It was a wonderful day of memory making, and it made me especially thankful for my family. I'm off to hang with my sisters. I'm taking them to our church's New Year's all-nighter on Monday night, and I'll probably have some fun pictures and stories to post about that later.









Amazing!








We ended up playing in front of a ranger station.

The Fam.

My adorable cousin Emma playing in the snow.

My cousin Amanda with blue lips.

A sled that actually rolled up on itself.

The amazing (and tall) snowman we built...

The Dal Soglio Family...I'll be living with them in So. Cal.

I Didn't Wipe It Off

I know many people have been wondering what my plans are for next semester, and I'm happy to announce that I finally have an answer to your questions! I received my acceptance letter from The Master's College in Southern California on Wednesday, and I will be starting there on January 21st. I will be majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Pre-Nursing. I'm planning to live with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in Valencia, CA, which will be about 15 minutes from campus. Sadly, I'll be forced to get a car to be able to get to campus...;o) My sister and brother-in-law are moving from Tujunga to Santa Clarita, so they'll be only 10 minutes away from where I'm living. My younger sister Katie will be starting there in the fall, and I have a few other miscellaneous friends who already attend. I'm really looking forward to seeing what God has for me there. I definitely know that this is not how I had pictured my college career going, but I am encouraged by Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I am certain He will use my time at Master's to work all things together for good, and I'm really excited to find out what that entails. The one tough part of moving is leaving behind San Luis Obispo and all of my wonderful friends there. My roommates this quarter were incredible, and I was privileged to continue seeing two of my roommates from last year. I said goodbye to my church choir, my newly acquired job, my condo, Cal Poly, and some adorable children I had been blessed to babysit for. I stopped by their house to say goodbye and give them a Veggie Tales movie, and they gave me a present as well. We took pictures together, and as I left the youngest gave me a big, wet kiss on the cheek like he always does when I leave. He said, "Bye Emily! I love you!", and of course I couldn't wipe it off.:o) I'm going to miss them A LOT! It's crazy how attached you get to kids. I can't imagine how nannies are ever able to leave. I'll post a few pictures of them soon, as well as tell you about my fun day at the snow today.

Birthday Blessings

My plan was to post all about my sister's visit last weekend, but I'm still waiting to get some pictures from her. So...I decided to put that story on hold and talk about what an amazing birthday I had. It's so cool that we have set up a day where we hear from people we haven't talked to in a while, and are reminded of what a blessing it is to have people who love and care about us. I started my new job on Friday, and so most of the people who called ended up leaving voicemails. It was great to listen to one after the other, and feel all warm and fuzzy. After work I went to dessert at Madonna Inn with some friends from Poly. It was delicious and I had a wonderful time. My family sent me an amazing bouquet of flowers that smell so good. My roommates gave me cards and mittens, and my sister and brother-in-law got me this great T-shirt from Walla Walla, Washington. I went around all day telling my friends, "See? It really does exist!":o) Twenty years old. I haven't quite gotten used to that idea yet. Not a teenager anymore. I definitely won't miss the teenager stereotypes, but then again I no longer have the blanket of forgiveness society provides them just for being teenagers. On the other hand, I can still pass for a twelve-year-old, so I guess I can be in whatever age group I decide to be on a given day. Well, I'm off to enjoy the extra hour of sleep I get tonight. Yippee!! I promise to blog about my new job and my fabulous visit with my sister later. Also, in case you were wondering, only 1,036,800 seconds until I hear from George Fox about the nursing program.:o)

Cassie and I at the Grace Church annual college hoedown