Holiday Cheer

Thankfully I do have reason to *cheer* -- I am finally working again!!  I was truly giving thanks this past weekend :)  So, I'm sure you're all curious what I signed myself up for... and in all honesty, it's quite similar to what I did while I was down in Provo (minus all the office drama and the stress/anxiety that job gave me).  My cousin Rebekah works for a company called Vital Signs Staffing, and she is the "Employment Specialist" there (amongst other things) - aka, I really owe her for getting me this job :)  The company oversees three different "groups" of employees:

1. Vital Signs Staffing
2. Home Option
3. Off-Hours Triage

The first part, Vital Signs Staffing, manages a large group of CNA/RNs looking for PRN shifts at hospitals or home health agencies.  So basically, when a hospital needs a shift filled, they contact Vital Signs and Rebekah will look for a CNA or RN to fill the spot.  It's quite an efficient system.  Unfortunately, I can't get into that pool because you need at least 1 year experience in a hospital to be a staffing nurse (surprise, surprise).  The second part, Home Option, is an expansion of the first but specifically focuses on home health and providing nurses or aides directly for clients that request our services.  I could train to be a home health nurse, but it really isn't a specialty I could see myself doing.  Too emotionally draining.  The last part, Off-Hours Triage, is where I fit in: my official title is "Triage Nurse," which is slightly misleading... I basically work in a call center, managing phone calls all shift.  I've worked three shifts now, and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of things!  It's actually a lot more complicated than it sounds, and I feel like I'm going to be doing a lot more NURSING than I ever would have down at the neurosurgery clinic.  Our company provides nurses who are available 24/7 for patients and their families to call with questions -- and these patients are all over the country.  Right now, we have ~45 clients (home health and hospice agencies) located in various states, from Hawaii to Georgia.  They have their normal business hours, and when they close, the phone calls to their offices are forwarded to our center.  Quite an interesting and progressive system, and I know that our company is growing rapidly -- supposedly we are going to get another 5-6 agencies (equaling another 500+ patients) signed on in the next week.  I'm pretty excited to be getting in on this before it really gets going!  Because we are "off-hours," my shifts are less-than-ideal, but I really can't complain.  I work every Saturday from 8am to 8pm, and 2-3 days during the week (either 5-10pm or 4-12am).  I realized today that I'm quite grateful that I don't have a M-F/8-5 job because it allows me to get all my house chores and errands done throughout the day while Geoff is at work.  The one unfortunate thing: the weekdays that I will work, I'll probably see Geoff for about 20 minutes after he gets home before I head out.  But it could be worse, right?  :)  And hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder.... hehe.  So this past weekend, I worked Friday-Saturday-Sunday, and by Sunday my trainers were quite confident that I would be able to handle the job solo on my next shift!  Scary, yet... definitely a confidence booster :)  I just REALLY need to get studying -- hospice care (the agencies/patients that I've been dealing with mostly) requires a specific set of skills/knowledge that I haven't really had exposure to.  Thankfully the nurses I work with are all (so far) extremely helpful and are happy to answer my questions as I try to get more familiar with this nursing field.  In theory, I'm supposed to be able to "triage" patient calls, which means I need to be able to figure out how to help the patient and/or their family as best as I can.... without actually visiting the patient and seeing what's going on.  These calls can range from simple questions to families upset over status changes during an incident that requires nursing interventions.  So it really will require me to know how to manage these patients -- and I know that with some studying, and time, I'll get there :)  I'm just grateful for this opportunity, and I know it really will offer experience that will better prepare me for my nursing career and jobs I will have in the future. 

Aside from the job, life is pretty calm here in Bountiful - we just enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with our families :)  We spent Thanksgiving day up in Rexburg, and enjoyed a DELICIOUS dinner prepared by the Dyers.  I really do love my new extended family, and I am so grateful that they have welcomed me with open arms.  Saturday afternoon/evening we were able to spend time with my parents preparing for Christmas, and it made me realize how grateful we are for the blessings both of our families are in our lives.  But wait -- CHRISTMAS?! Seriously?? Hard to believe it's already almost December... and that time of year again -- "the most wonderful time of the year" :D hehe.  I'm sure I'll have updates soon, but for now, I've got to finish cleaning and start getting dinner ready!  Much love y'all!

2 months, and counting....

So... I know that my husband probably won't appreciate some of this post, but I just have to brag about him for a minute :)  The other day, we were talking about our lives as single adults - long before either of us knew the other existed.  While Geoff doesn't usually like to share stories from his "glory" days, we got to talking about his time at BYU-Idaho...  I learned that while he was there, he was such the "ladies-man" that he had girls cooking dinner for him almost every night, and he was BOOKED for 2-3 weeks out!  I was curious to find out who/what exactly had convinced all these girls to cook dinner for him, so I pushed him for more information.  He then told me that all those dinners came to an abrupt halt when one of the Apostles spoke to the Young Adults in a General Conference talk and instructed the women not to enable the "free loaders" -- aka, no more free dinners for Mr. Phatty :)  I, of course, teased him about this... but he went on to explain that all those dinners were not "free" -- he had offered service to all these girls, and that was their way of thanking him.  What "services," you ask?  That was my next question.  Then he ran upstairs and rummaged around in an old box stored away in his "Man Cave" (aka office) and this is what he brought back:

 

 

 As he handed this little book to me, he explained that it is one of his most "prized possessions."  I flipped through the pages, and each one had a different "Thank You" written on it for various acts of service/kindness that Geoff had offered to these girls.  Knowing how girls are (because I am one, haha) I realized that my husband is truly the sincere, humble, charitable gentleman I know and love... Girls would not go out of their way to do something like this for just ANY guy -- Geoff had made quite the impression on those he knew then, which continues to this day :)  Amidst the 50+ thank you notes, I have selected a few favorites to share:

I'd say I'm pretty lucky to have found this guy :)  2 months in, and we are absolutely LOVING being married!  In all honesty, it just feels right... so completely natural, like this is how it was supposed to be all along.  It really does feel like we've known each other for years... when it's only been months.  Sorry to be cheesy, but I do feel like I fall more in love with him each day :) 

As for other news/updates:  I'm still on the job hunt.  I interviewed at an amazing fertility clinic last week, and would absolutely LOVE to work there, but I'm waiting to hear back... in the meantime, I've applied to a few other positions -- including the Labor & Delivery unit at the University of Utah!  While I know I'm a long-shot for the position (new grads are rarely hired on L&D floors) I still have to have faith...  Faith that the Lord will open a door for me to work as a nurse in the environment best suited for me and for Him.  He does know me better than I know myself, after all... He hasn't led me in the wrong direction yet, so why doubt Him now?  One thing I will say -- since the wedding craziness ended, my unemployment has forced me to appreciate the "job" of being a housewife.  I have always spoken out about wanting to be a working mom, frankly because I did not want to be told to sit at home while someone did all the work to pay for my life!  I didn't find it fair to just expect that someone would "take care of me" -- so I pushed myself in school to gain an education, so that I knew I would be contributing to support my future family.  While I am incredibly grateful for the many experiences I have had as a student, and the many opportunities I will have to work and serve as a nurse, sitting at home with endless chores and responsibilities around the house has finally turned on the lightbulb in my head:  being a housewife is HARD WORK!  Safe to say there are many wives out there that take advantage of their husbands and don't hold up their end of the bargain... but I really feel like I need to take back previous comments I have made during my naieve younger years.  I never listened to those who tried to share with me why they chose motherhood and staying at home to care for their children -- I was convinced that it was all an excuse, that they were complacent with their position and being "barefoot and pregnant" at home.  And that added fuel to my motivation to achieve more for myself... to show women that you don't have to accept the "easy way out" and actually make a difference in the world!  But now... I have definitely re-thought my position.  While I know that I have been blessed with certain talents and skills to use in the service of those I encounter as a nurse, being a mother is quite possibly the most intimidating -- yet most important -- job I will ever have.  And it will NOT be easy.  Geoff and I are definitely going to wait a while before we plan to have any kids, but this topic has frequented our conversations lately... and therefore it has been on my mind.  I know that I will not waste the many talents that the Lord has blessed me with, but I have finally come to acknowledge the single greatest service I alone can offer: the selfless work of motherhood.  Pretty powerful stuff, huh?  No kidding.  But I know Geoff and I have things to take care of before we start down that path... so for now, I'll just be mentally preparing myself for that epic lifetime commitment we both will make at some point in our marriage :) 

And with that, I'll leave you with a photo of a cute magnet I saw while visiting the Meek family home in Edmonton: