Steph Ward RN

So I posted a while ago about how I graduated nursing school, well, not only did I graduate but I also passed NCLEX but for some reason I did not feel like a real nurse until I got my badge.  Here it is in all it's glory.  I work in the ER and absolutely love it.  I work with some of the most amazing people and never have a dull moment.  I actually enjoy going to work.  You know you are in the right field when that happens.  I was on orientation for 3 months and have been on my own now for a few weeks.  It's still weird to think that I am the "real deal" now.  I have had some......very interesting patients, like for instance this week I had one who smoked bath salts. Ya, you read that right, bath salts.  Apparently, it's the new thing but I wouldn't recommend.  Anywho, moving on, I will try to update more here soon.

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Witches night out at Gardner Village

My friend April invited me to go to witches night out at garner village with her.  I was excited because it was an excuse to dress up-and really, I will take any excuse I can get.  We all made our costumes and I think they turned out great!

 We actually didn't plan our stripped tights but they looked great.

This people were walking around and we just loved their costumes!

 We had so much fun, we got hot chocolate and carmel apples and walked around to all the shops with all the other witches- so fun I would highly recommend next year.

Autumn

Took a little drive the other day in the new car to check out the leaves.  It was beautiful and we took the car on a little off roading, just to test it out of course.

The colors were great and it was nice to be able to spend some time with Andrew.

A little Martha anyone?

I have been a little Martha this week thanks to the help of my awesome neighbor Alicia.  She is a huge canner and helped me can some peaches.  I kept having to run upstairs to make sure I was doing it right but I was successful in the end!

I also ventured into the unknown land of real jam.(I only do freezer jam, and even then only once) Also with the help of Alicia-It's so nice to have such a talented neighbor!

Our next crafty session included a wood halloween project which we decorated all by ourselves and a wreath which turned out very cute.

I know, you are all very impressed- you should be because I am not a crafty person at all but I have had a lot of free time and a neighbor willing to put up with me. I like this whole no school thing.

The end of an era

The beginning of August I finished nursing school and graduated with my second degree, a bachelor's in Nursing.  YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA!  I feel like I have been in school FOREVER.  I swear if I ever think that I am going to return to school, someone slap me.  I am so done with school.  Now I can have a real job making some actual money.  Here are some pictures of my peeps from the back row.

The four musketeers

We had a party to celebrate our graduation and most everyone(except me) wash smashed drunk and hugely entertaining.

Me and Lisa

Meradity and Katie

We had a small bonfire to burn all nursing books, this would be me wiping my bum with some maternity nursing.

The Norwegian Barb in the middle who was very entertaining

Good times with good people, sad but exciting. I don't want to be grown up but now since I have a career, I automatically fall into that category. I am still working that out. I feel like I have been working toward something all these years and now I am here, now what.  Don't worry I am just having a mid 20's crisis, I will work it out.  I am so excited to start a new era in my life but at the same time I am sad that one is over.  I had an awesome nursing school class who helped me get through it and I love them for it. I couldn't ask for better friends.

Bear Lake

So, I realize I have some catching up to do and a lot has happened in the last few months so I will start off in late July where we made a trip to my friend Cassi's cabin in bear lake.  We just went up for the week end but we had so much fun and it was really relaxing.  We took Henry up and he played so hard he had to recover for 2 days. 

We went to la beau's to eat which is a bear lake must.  It just happened to be raspberry days that weekend so of course we had to get the awesome raspberry shakes, and they were totally worth it.  In fact we had to stop and get another one on our way home.

That night we went to the raspberry days rodeo, it was my friend Don's first time and it was great.  We saw bull riding, barrel racing and my personal favorite mutton busting.

You always see....interesting people at the rodeo and this fine specimen is what we sat next to.  We snuck a picture with the Don's iphone because we couldn't get over this chick.

Andrew even tried to get in the rodeo mood.  Notice his hat that he obtained from a friends dad who got it free at a rodeo in Wyoming.

We all went swimming and it was a little nippy but the water was so beautiful and Henry of course had the time of his life.  It was nice to come to bear lake and not have to do a triathlon.  Last year we did the bear lake brawl and it was great and all but this trip was much more relaxing. Andrew also brought up some guns and the boys got to shoot stuff.  I brought up my little gun and shot it.  It is about the size of a small water gun and totally awesome. I don't have the pictures of our shooting extravaganza but I will try to get them.

It is so beautiful up there!  Thanks Cass for letting us come up to your cabin and have so much fun.

Saints to Sinners

At the end of July we rode this relay race from Salt Lake to Vegas.  It was so fun and exhausting at the same time.  Ten of my good friends took turns riding for over 500 miles.  It took us 30 hours total to get to Vegas.

Loading up the bikes-we had to fit 10 bikes, ten people and all our crap in two cars.  It was quite the feat.

Me and the hubby before we left

Andrew at the start line

The other car, my name wasn't on it so I put it there

Trevor's real Dior glasses he obtained in Italy. I'm not sure, but I think they might be girl glasses.

Andrew would ride with me on my rides and it was so fun.  On my night ride it was 8 miles of climbing in the mountains.  It was pitch dark and silent with just the sound of my lungs gasping for air.  It was so fun to be riding in the dark with Andrew and he was so supportive.

my excitement for my last ride

Andrew trying to sleep.  We had a few hours before we had to ride again so we stopped at a church to sleep.  It was 3am and we were all sound asleep on the grass when the sprinklers turned on.  I started screaming and I have never seen 5 people move so fast.  It wasn't quite the wake up we were expecting.

Andrew finishing his ride

It was a great time with great people. It was bloody hot and I had some awesome tan lines to prove it but well worth it.  We spent the night in vegas swimming, eating and sleeping which was well deserved by all.

people, please!

Triage in the ER can be an.....interesting task.  Here is a conversation that took place while in the ER.
Nurse: What are we seeing you for today?
Patient: I have a sunburn on my face.
Nurse: Uh-huh.....
Patient: I have been putting my monastat cream(yeast infection cream) on to keep it moisturized.
Nurse: Why have you been putting on yeast infection cream on a sunburn.
Patient: because the box said it was for itching and burning.
Nurse: (dumb founded look followed by a head shake and a lot of typing)

I also went to the jail a couple of weeks ago on a tour(or at least that's what I am telling people) and we walked into one of the cell blocks.   The jail warden made an announcement, "If I hear any cat calls or whistling, you are all on lock down for the rest of the night." This was followed by a short pause and a whistle from an inmate.  I  almost lost it. I love the lack of impulse control.  The warden then told them all to thank the whistler because now they wouldn't be out of their cells till tomorrow afternoon.
He he.

 I love dumb people

4th of July!

We spent the fourth of July in Kaysville with my family and it was very relaxing.  We started off by going to the water parade, which is always entertaining, followed by star trek, lounging and fireworks. It was a much needed break from the demon in my life called nursing school. 

We tried to do fireworks with Chloe but she kept trying to blow them out-kind of defeats the purpose of fireworks.

Dog lake

We went hiking up millcreek to dog lake last weekend.  The last time we tried to go up there, Andrew was on call and had to go into work.  So poor Henry got 3/4 of the way there and we had to turn around. This time we made it the whole way up and back with no major incidents.

These are my poor feet after the first 6 mile hike in my chacos.  5 blisters and counting.

My adorable niece

Here's Chloe! Isn't she so cute! I think so-she is quite the little ham to the camera. Cheese!