Friday Five

 One - My 2015 EC planner is ordered!

I always order my EC planners in June/July when the new designs come out even though my current planner goes through the end of 2014. I do it because I get so excited with the new designs and I can't stop myself! I thought this one was super cute and it was one of the cheaper ones - just an added bonus!

Two - I love the If/Then soundtrack to death.

Honestly, so incredible. I can't wait to get to see it in September!! 

3. All things gymnastics!

Classics coming up in almost a month, then Nationals! Super excited about Gabby and Aly being back in the gym. Aly is definitely not competing this year, but Gabby most likely will do both Classics and Nationals to try and make the Worlds team for this year! So many amazing gymnasts I can't even begin to imagine how they will chose a team.

4. Six days off!

I have off until next Thursday!! I didn't plan it that way, it just happened that I have this weekend off because my weekend preceptor is out of town and then I don't go back till Thursday. I work 3 days in a row when I go back but that's okay :) I have lots of plans -- tomorrow Tessa and I are getting massages and mani/pedis, then Monday my family, Tessa, Nicole, and I are all going to dinner at the Melting Pot for passing our boards and graduates eat free! I also need to find some new work shoes and I want to buy a Vera bag to carry all my tutoring materials in. Sleeping in will also be awesome!

5. First steps in home owning!

D and I have an appointment with someone from Trinity Homes -- the company we want to build our house. Right now we just want to see if we can start thinking about getting the lot, because we really want to build in a certain subdivision. We also want to see the different floor plans they have for us to choose from. First step in a LONG process, but it's exciting.

Sunday Social

This week's questions:

1. What's your favorite scary movie?

 I love all of the Scream movies.

Mothman Prophecies is also a good one & it's terrifying and based on a true story.

2. What is your favorite weird TV show you think no one else watches?

I don't really watch any weird TV shows but one show a lot of people I know hate that I watch is The Bachelor/Bachelorette. They have a new show this summer I'll be watching -- Bachelor in Paradise.

3. What is the song you can sing all the words to without any music?

I don't know if this means sing without instrumental music behind you or without the lyrics, LOL. Regardless, I sing all the time. I sing without music mostly in the shower. I memorize lyrics to songs very fast, so mainly anything I sing .. haha I don't know. I guess my favorite song right now would be Back to You by Mandisa<3 

4. What is your favorite book to re-read?

Harry Potter, best books ever!!

Non-series book: Shawn Johnson's Winning Balance or Lea Michele's Brunette Ambition :)

5. The one website you visit more times a day than others?

Probably Facebook or Twitter.

Next Week's Questions:

1. What was your college major? Did you ever change majors?

2. Best purchase you've made recently?

3. Something silly we don't know about you?

4. Favorite Holiday?

5. First thing you do when you wake up?

Summer 2014 Happenings

I'm definitely going to be doing a WHOLE lot of working this summer. I will be doing three 12 hour days a week for my RN orientation (Tuesday, Friday, and Saturdays) and two days of [paid] tutoring through GTC (Monday & Thursdays). However, I'm totally fine with it because I want to start stashing away money for our first home!! We are definitely moving to a town about 40 minutes away, and we are most likely going to save enough to be able to build our first home! So exciting.

Despite all of the working, I do have a few fun things planned for my summer :)

Madison/PKU Camp -- July 22 - July 28

I will be going to my PKU camp again this year. It is the 20th anniversary of the camp, so it should be a wonderful year. I am going up to Madison two days early to hang out with my best PKU friend from up North, who I only see once a year. It should be lots of fun!

2014 Secret US Classic -- August 2nd

Superrrr excited!!! This year we are going to both the Junior and Senior sessions, which I'm ecstatic about because I love so many of the juniors!! Simone and McKayla should be back from their injuries, Kyla of course will be there, and Gabby possibly will as well! I may actually be AS excited for the juniors as I am for the seniors! Bailie, Norah, Amelia, Laurie, aaah! I hope we get to meet some of them and we also have pretty great seats!

Wedding -- September 20th

My cousin's wedding is September 20th. It is about 2 hours away so we will get a hotel and stay up there for the weekend, which will be great! I always love weddings and this is going to be like a really different wedding than I've ever been to. It's going to be outside all countryish and the ceremony is going to be in a barn. Not like an old barn but you know. They're also having a live band instead of a DJ. I'm excited and I really hope that my brother and his girlfriend come home from AZ for it!

New York City -- September 25th - September 29

This is basically my celebratory trip for passing nursing school and the NCLEX and becoming a nurse! I'm going with 2 of my friends from school and one of their friends. Two of them have never been to the city before so it is going to be awesome getting to show them everything and see them experience it for the first time. One of my friends is my theater buddy that I go to all of the musicals with and clearly we would not go to the city without seeing the amazing Idina Menzel in If/Then!

We have both been huge fans of hers since Rent in 1996 and the thought of seeing her on Broadway live just brings tears to our eyes. Like we really cant even deal with the thought, but we are SO excited. We may also try for Wicked lottery tickets while we are there or Aladdin tickets -- I'd really like to see that! It is going to be an amazing trip and I can't wait! The flights and hotel are like DIRT CHEAP, I can't even believe the amazing deals we are getting!

I'm very happy I have these bright spots to look forward to in my long summer of working, but of course I love my job too!! 

Five On Friday

This is my first Five On Friday in months!

One. As of 2:48pm yesterday, I am officially a Registered Nurse!! 

Now I get to wear one of these beauties to work tomorrow! We just ordered new fleeces for our unit and everyone got their name and title embroidered on theirs. I was nervous to because I wasn't a real RN yet, but I decided to get them and just not wear them until I passed. I wouldn't even try them on! Oh yes, by the way the NCLEX was horrendous. Worst experience of my life. I thought for sure that I had failed. I am so grateful for the support and prayers from my family, friends, instructors, and coworkers. I couldn't have done it without them or without God getting me through. I'm so excited!

Two. Everwood reunion in Austin, TX at ATX Television Fest.

CAN WE JUST ... I am so upset that I wasn't able to be at this with it being so far away and my boards being 3 days after. This show is my whole heart and all of the pictures I've seen make me so happy! Emily and Chris and Treat weren't there, but Emily made a video and Chris FaceTimed with them at the conference. Seriously this is the most special cast in the world and I love them all so much!! <3

Three. Idina Menzel performing at the Tony's.

Incredible, amazing, what more can I say? I cannot wait to see this musical!! My friends and I are going to NYC the last weekend in September and we are definitely going! I can't wait :)

Four. Celebration dinner.

This is where I decided that we are going for my celebration dinner for passing the NCLEX. I just went to the Melting Pot a month ago with Tessa for her birthday and we are going to go together after she passes her boards too to celebrate. Our husbands and a bunch of my family are coming too, I can't wait to plan it! It's going to be so much fun and so yummy!

Five. I have a life again!!

No more studying!! I can read for recreation again! I don't remember the last time I read a book for enjoyment!! 

Happy Friday all! 

Staying On Track -- 2014 Goals

I decided not to break my goals down monthly this year since I knew because of school I would most likely take a blogging break, I decided to keep myself on track this way. I'm going to see how well I am working on the goals that I set for myself in 2014 in my first post of the New Year. 

2014 Goals

• Graduate.

I can't believe I graduated!! It was a long road, but no regrets and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way!!

• Get a job post-graduation.

I was offered a GN/RN position the the OB floor I've been externing on! I cannot believe I'm a LDRP nurse! It's my DREAM JOB and I am so blessed and grateful to have been given the opportunity to get in as an Extern.

• Exercise more and get back into running.

I joined a new gym and I do Zumba every week and have been running off and on but this one needs more work.

• Keep saving for/buy a house.

We have been saving and we even went and looked at houses. We plan to move to a town that is about 40 minutes away, so the fact that we are even actively looking at houses for sale is a big deal.

• (Hopefully) be pregnant sometime during the year 2014.

Working on this. Need blood levels to improve a bit more, but it's still possible I could be by the end of the year.

• Go on some kind of vacation to celebrate graduation if possible.

In the works -- New York City last weekend in September with my friend to celebrate and see If/Then & IDINA!

• Get a small sized Bible and begin doing Bible study.

I picked up a small book of devotions at Hallmark recently and I can't wait to start -- after the NCLEX is over!

• Journal everyday.

Uhhh -- failure. I basically missed February and March because of school, but April and May I did well.

• Start and complete a Project 365.

In progress, I've actually been really good about updating it and I think I've only missed 1 day so far. Love it!

• Update my gymnastics blog through last years World's and be better about it during 2014.

I did update through World's. I didn't blog on American Cup or Jesolo, much less Russian Nationals or Euros, but I intend to blog on Classics (which I will be at this year!), VISAs, and Worlds.

I am actually very proud of the progress I've made on all of these goals, with how crazy my last semester was. 

I hope to complete all the ones that are in progress by the end of the year!

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Trying to switch my Bloglovin to my new blog didn't work too well.

If you want to follow me, you can do it through this post and eventually the link in the sidebar.

Sunday Social!

Ohhh, how I missed my link ups when I took my blogging break!

This Weeks Questions:

1. Introduce yourself and your blog to us: I am Jenn and my I just recently went with a new blog name -- Living the Dream. It's basically just about the happenings in my crazy-busy but extremely blessed life.

2. What is your favorite form of Social Media and why? Probably Facebook just because it allows me to keep up with people's lives who I live far away from and don't speak with on a daily basis. I also love Twitter because I fangirl over some celebs like crazy lol.

3. What made you start a blog? I used to have a LiveJournal and then I came across blogger and I liked it better.

4. What do you feel the most meaningful/special post you’ve written is? I just wrote a really meaningful one about my pinning and graduation from nursing school.

Next Weeks Questions:

1. When do you take time for you?
2. What do you find to be your biggest weakness?
3. What is your biggest attribute?
4. What is your favorite place to shop online?
5. What is your favorite place to kill time?