lately

l a t e l y

I'm not gonna lie, school this semester has been out of control... challenging in every way: emotionally, physically, and mentally. Working two jobs and taking 16 credit hours is never a good idea, but I do like being busy. I didn't realize how quickly "busy" could turn into "too busy." The first three weeks of the semester, my entire body broke out in hives... just from stress. I've never had anything like that happen before, but I think I was so busy running around I never had time to take care of myself. It's been a demanding couple of months for both Bry and I academically, and I've lost count of the times I've felt discouraged, and especially inadequate. The nursing field is challenging in every way: you just can't know everything. There is too much to know in too little time, and I completely agree with all the nurses that say it's a lifelong pursuit to understand the human body. 

B U T .  Yesterday, I felt strength in my bones again. I was walking out of the hospital after not doing so well on my last midterm exam... and I had a few minutes to wait for the bus. That's when I realized it was the first time in a long time, I had actually taken time to sit, take deep breaths, and worry about absolutely  n o t h i n g .  Thank goodness for fall break, right?

I began thinking of some things in the past month or so that have made me  r e a l l y  happy. Moments that have been memorable, and make all this craziness seem worth it. The thought of those moments gave me new courage and motivation. Let me share.

1. The first moment I want to write about, I don't have a picture for. It was at the start of October. Everything was adding up, I was terribly behind in school, dishes were spilling over onto our counter, the laundry basket resembled a skyscraper, and I hadn't cooked a homemade meal in at least a week.  I lost it. I just wanted to curl up on my bed and cry. I wouldn't consider myself an emotional person, but there are times when a girl needs to cry.  This leads me to that "moment" I was talking about. Bry came in the room, and just picked me up in his arms like I was a little girl. He held me, and rocked me back and forth until I was almost asleep.  THAT, my friends, was a memorable moment. I love my sweetheart for always holding me whenever I cry. It was exactly what I needed.

2.  That moment when I walked into my office and realized someone was thankful for the work I was doing. 

3. That moment when I parked Bry's huge truck successfully. Impressed?

4. That moment when I got a call from my husband saying he got the job at backcountry! Hooray!

5. That moment when I got to go fabric shopping for our Christmas stockings. :) Can't wait to start sewing!

6. That moment when I took some time to breathe, and when I felt the world was beneath me.

7. That moment when I sat outside the temple with my sweetheart... and couldn't stop staring at him.

 8. That moment when this was the best picture we could get of all of us at the Jazz game. And for when it made me laugh when I was sad. 

 9. That moment when I got invited to be a princess fairy at the ball for my favorite wish kids who are struggling with life-threatening illnesses. That's when you really realize what life's all about.

10. That moment when I took the triplets on some adventures, and they all fell asleep in the car on the way home. My favorite :) 

11. That moment when my mom offered to help me make healthy freezer meals so Bry and I didn't have to survive off of fast food, tomato soup, and quesadillas. 

It's so easy to get caught up in everything that's not going right. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed when there's a lot on your plate. It's so easy to look down when you're feeling sad. But... life is for living. Life is a song. Life is for waking up every day trying to be just a little bit better than you were yesterday. Start by living in those moments that captivate you, that keep you on your toes, and leave you with a smile. 

You'll realize it isn't so bad when you are living in the 

m o m e n t .

xo

m