Made breakfast for my cousins and then we had a family reunion. I enjoyed getting to see and know my relatives from Canada! One of the highlights was meeting my great Aunt who has been a nurse for a long time and still works the floor. She was telling me what nursing was like when she started...and she even wore the white uniform with the white caps! So cool! That night, my parents and I watched Larry Crown :-).
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Went to church with my family and then went jet-skiing with my extended family and some friends! I loved catching up with my childhood friends and the jet-skiing didn't hurt either ;-)! I love lazy days by the lake! After our lake day was over, my friend came back to my house; we finished watching Call the Midwife, and had an impromptu slumber party! Fun times! -went out to breakfast with my little brother...not so little anymore! We had a great time talking and eating! He is becoming the perfect gentleman...opened every door and picked up the check! Wow! I was thoroughly impressed! That afternoon, I went out to lunch with my other grandmother...really good time talking and listening...and we ended our time by picking up some Jamba Juice on the way home! My dad and I made dinner again... boeuf bourguignon! It turned out quite well, I think! Perhaps my greatest highlight to the day was sitting on the back porch that evening and talking with my mom. We must have sat there for two hours...it even started raining! I went on a nice, morning walk with my mom, got ready, went to the airport, and then said my goodbyes and flew back to VA. As I checked in, I heard my flight was delayed, which caused me to miss my connection. I was rerouted through two different airports...made it in just before midnight. Even with the rerouting, I nearly missed one of my connections. I literally was only in the airport for fifteen minutes from stepping off of one plane, finding my gate, and stepping on the second! Crazy! I made it home...but my bag did not. Apparently, my bag decided to stay in NC...I finally received it two days later! I'm just so happy that it wasn't lost for good! Altogether...my break was so good! I had a blast meeting up with friends and family and being at my old stomping grounds. It had been too long! For me, even though I loved the fun things we did...my highlights were spending time with and catching up with people! I feel very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life! Thank you all for an awesome vacation! I can't wait to go back and am already planning my next trip! I was commissioned exactly one year ago today! This past year has been very full and exciting. I am thankful for where the Lord has me right now and look forward to what this year may hold! Honestly...I'm sure it will be busy too, but I can't imagine it being more intense than this past year. Living in four states, graduating from university, working at five different jobs, starting over in a new city, and starting my career in nursing...kind of a lot to pack in such a short time! I don't regret my decision to join the Navy Nurse Corps :-)
NKO stands for Navy Knowledge Online. I log in to it with my CAC (Common Access Card...aka military ID). You will use your CAC card to use any DOD computers. Your CAC is basically the most important thing you own! ;-) Anyway, NKO has all kinds of information on it...if you have a question, the answer is probably on NKO. You also have required online training to do every year on NKO. It doesn't take too long, but you have to keep it up to date. For us (healthcare professionals), you have to do online training on several different sites...we are always training for something! ;-)
I did my first Tough Mudder a few weeks ago and I think I may be up for doing another in the future. Two of the obstacles were especially unpleasant...the arctic plunge and the electric shocks...those were no joke ;-)! It was an awesome weekend in Richmond with friends and I definitely slept well after the event! My next goal is to complete a marathon this year...we'll see! Summer is great so far...very busy and fun! I love living near the beach—every day its sunny and I don't have to work...I'm pretty much soaking up the sun! Where to start with updates...it's been so busy lately. Well...I finished horseback-riding for the summer, which is probably a good thing since it was near unbearably hot the last time I went! I'm thinking it would be good to start back up in the fall! Aside from that, I went running the other day in Newport News...on the Noland Trail at the Mariner's Museum...very nice, but I think I need to go when it is not the hottest part of the day. I also went golfing for the first time with my coworkers...that was interesting and fun, but I'm pretty terrible at it! I now understand a bit more about the game, but have a long way to go! I've been going to church and mid-week Bible study when my work schedule allows...enjoying that and I'm starting to feel more connected in the church. I also went to an orientation for volunteering at an animal shelter. My goal is to work with the dogs...so excited! I miss having a dog, but just am not in a place where it would be wise to get one...so I'll just play with puppies in the meantime! Last Sunday, I played volleyball with some people from church. I think they were very nice to let me join because I am...quite honesty...terrible! That is not false modesty...I am pretty awful at most games that involve a ball and hand-eye coordination. I'm hoping that the more we play, I'll start to improve. I had a great time! What else...hmmm...I took a course on bereavement care in perinatal loss. It was kind of emotionally draining, but quite valuable since we work with perinatal loss on my unit in the hospital. I think the hardest part is that I never know just what to say since there are no perfect words. I now have an entire textbook on the subject and plan to review that at some point...on my to-do list. Today, I also had training on administering methotrexate (a chemotherapy drug)...my unit really does do a little of everything! The training was good and even somewhat entertaining since when I went to administer the shot in the fake skin, I hit a hard plastic tube...I had to re-stick and my coworkers found it quite amusing! In terms of Navy stuff, I am starting to complete my annual training and I think I'm due to start my annual appointments again...eye doctor, etc. I feel like being in the military is a constant cycle of being processed through the system. I also got my leave approved...and am beyond excited! I get two weeks off and I'm going home!! I am so happy and have my ticket booked...can't wait to pack my bags...and maybe even wear real clothes for a change ;-)! I am enjoying my time in Virginia, but I miss Washington so much! I'll take pictures! I think that is all with the updates at this point...can't think of anything else that is super thrilling...except I made chicken spaghetti for the first time! I had never heard of it until I lived in Texas...and it is so good! I also made Pig Pickin’ Cake...a strange name, I may add. I learned about this one a few weeks ago. A friend from church invited me and another friend to spend Father's Day lunch with their whole extended family. Two things...I liked Pig Pickin’ Cake and I felt like I was home again. I miss my big and fun family! ;-) Can't wait to see you all! What is it? People use it like a verb...but PCS means permanent change of duty station...in other words, you are moving to another command. For me, I will PCS every two to three years. Next time, I will most likely go overseas!
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Prayer Requests...
That I grow in my role as a nurse and always do my best. That I would follow the Lord wholeheartedly. Friendships AuthorI'm Carolyn...am so excited to be starting my nursing career in the Navy. Who knows where this all will take me?! Archives
July 2015
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