Blessings.

I was thinking of blogging a bunch about day two of orientation (which was pretty average). In fact, I'll go ahead and say that I learned a lot about Maryvale, did some nurse-y stuff (cool!), and got an official badge (that says RN AND BSN on it....because I busted my butt for that second part!). I'll post photos and more later. But for now I have to share a story that I have been keeping up with for a bit now. As a nurse and now a wife (and a someday mother), I feel so engrossed in her experience.

First you should know: I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Mormon housewife blogs. One could argue many reasons, like this self proclaimed 'feminist obsessed with reading mormon housewife blogs'. Maybe we enjoy a break from our lives by watching amazingly sweet photos of joyful motherhood in an Anthropologie catalog unfold before our eyes. Maybe we enjoy seeing people have so much fun being married, since (and as a newlywed, I think I have the authority to say this) people have nothing but NOT nice things to say about being married these days. Maybe I like trolling for new styles and outfit ideas ('cause these ladies are CUTE). For whatever the reason, I follow a few (including that of our AMAZING wedding photographers, the Langs) and really enjoy reading them.

The Nielson Family 2008, Blue Lily Photography

One day, while enjoying this new hobby of mine, I came across the blog of Stephanie Nielson or 'Nie Nie' as she affectionately refers to herself in the blogisphere. A Utah/Arizona (Mesa) resident, her blog, The Nie Nie Dialogues, was started in 2004 as a cutesy mommy blog and chronicled her life as a young (first one at 20, four by 23, mormonnormal) mommy and wife. I read through the old stuff first and read posts about her life with beautiful pictures of her and her family. In August 2008, she and her husband were flying in a small private plane in Arizona with a friend from church piloting when the plane crashed. Their friend and pilot died. Her husband, Christian, suffered burns on his face and neck, while Stephanie was severely burned over 80% of her body. They were both treated for months at Maricopa Medical Center, right down the street from my house. It houses the only burn center in Arizona and acts as a regional burn center for severe cases from Utah and New Mexico. They were treated there until they could return to their home in Provo, Utah and to their four lovely children.

It has been about two and a half years since their accident and Nei Nei still blogs faithfully about her life, her adorable/hysterical kids, her wonderful husband, her treatments, her pain, her joy, her faith, and what a blessing it is to be able to wake up each morning next to the people who mean the most to you. I feel like I went through a definite period of self-loathing during my 8 month job hunt and found it far too easy to forget about the miracles that were staring me in the face every day: getting to marry my everything, having found a beautiful and affordable home to live in, my soon-to-be-husband having the opportunity to fulfill his dream of serving others through medicine. I watch her story and read her blog and as a nurse I can truly appreciate the ongoing process that is both physical and emotional healing. Stephanie will have surgeries for years and years to come and will deal with pain every day. However, watching her enjoy decorating her house with her kids for Valentine's Day and taking snuggle naps with her husband gives me so much pride in what I have chosen to do with my life. Patients go home and enjoy life and it's the BEST! I also feel so much humility as I have no grounds to declare my life a struggle. Even if it feels that way sometimes.

Nielson Family 2010, Blue Lily Photography

Reading Stephanie's words is like taking a look through a new pair of glasses. When I read her words I see a moment in life that was nearly missed and is thus savored all the more completely. I feel so grateful to have a chance to experience life. I feel honored at the thought of being someone's mother someday, to have the privilege of enjoying my children and watching them grow (which is what motherhood truly is to her). I hug my husband every day and kiss him square on the mouth. Every day. And tell him I'm in love with him. Every day. I feel like I savor moments on the couch with the dog now like I might savor a day in Disneyland before, because it is a chance to be and feel and love that I have! What a gift! A chance that was almost taken away from Stephanie and that she savors every day, on the good days and the bad.

You can read (and fall in love with...I DARE you not to) Stephanie's blog here. I hope that no matter what your religious beliefs are, you can appreciate a story about love and strength and miracles and hope and a different outlook on life. I know her blog found me right around the time that my attitude needed a swift kick in the pants. I hope maybe she can kick you in the pants too.

And please remember (and never forget)...
That I love you. And Christian loves you. Very much. Thanks for being the people we love and loving us back. We are thankful.

XO,
Ash

Watch Stephanie's story below. Despite its intention as a mormon message, it comes across to me as a faith message. And a people message. And a love message.

P.S. The part that makes my nurse heart shiver every time I hear it is near the beginning of the video. "I am Stephanie Nielson, and I am not my body." We all are so much more than that and as healthcare workers patients should always be treated accordingly. Thanks for the reminder, Nie Nie.

mondays...boy i hate mondays...they make me-e so steamed...

JUST KIDDING (check that super-famous song about Mondays by Satan...I mean, Will Ferrell). Well, usually Mondays suck but this one was about as great as they get. Today was my very first day at Abrazo. Nothing earth-shattering (just corporate orientation) but it was so nice to get going on something new after so many months of stagnation. Gross. Plus, I sat at the cool table with all the cool new grads. I mean, where else would I sit? After orientation (which got out early WHICH ROCKS) I had to go back to occupational health to get another TB skin test. :/ Gross x2. Some big dummy forgot to go back the day she was assigned to get it read. Oops. I have to go back now on Thursday. If you talk to me before Thursdsay, please remind to go get it read (after 3PM)...please and thank you.

My dude's handiwork.

Then, I came home to my schweet sheebey puppy (baby talk for Shiba...I know...) and my schweet good-looking husband. I have to say, this is why Mondays (and this Monday in particular) rock. Actually, this is why pretty much every day rocks. :) Chris cooked me a delicious sausage/cheese/veggie/potato dish for dinner and it was fantastic. So cheesy. We sat down and chatted about orientation and what he did in class (um...held in his hand and studied infant hearts with congenital heart defects....med school is boss). I think I am going to cook something this week. I cooked dinner TWICE (count it, TWICE) this past week. Wait...Okay...now that I count it myself I may be realizing I only cooked one and a half times as I just put the chicken in the crock-pot for the amazing tacos we had friday night (and that is where my contribution ended). But I did make low-cal cheesy potato soup that was awesome (so says my husband and he's no liar) and it lasted a few days for lunches. We have a pretty sweet deal of delicious meals in exchange for clean dishes and I don't mind being on the dishes end of that situation most of the time. Did I mention it's fun to watch the cook do his thing? Especially because he's really-ridiculously-good-looking?

Only daredevils cook with no shirt on.

After food we decided to tackle the unholy mound of clean laundry that prevented anyone from sitting on our already tiny couch. This includes poor Viesey who had to nap on her perch instead of snuggled up with mom/dad on the couch. Yes, I am too embarrased to post a photo of said mound, but I can say it is GONE! Although I realized we need to severely thin out that closet (and by we I mean me) ASAP.

Girlfriend is irritated that her spot is taken by laundry.

In conclusion (always a great way to wrap things up in my opinion) I'm just about ready for bed. Tomorrow is day two with hospital-specific orientation, which I'm excited for. I'm ready to get a good look at my home for the next whoknowshowlong. Chris will probs stay up a bit longer and study. Right now our super cool/super-smart-with-bikes neighbor is helping him with a tune up (I don't know how one tunes up a bike).




Until next time, America.
Ash + Vies


P.S. We are also nursing a serious addiction to the Royal Crown. God help us.

Like crack. 

family love.

Kyle's birthday is coming so Megan decided to treat him with tickets to the Suns v. Celtics game on Saturday night. Chris and I have been meaning to check out a game (since we live right down the way!) so we decided to see if we could score a deal on Craigslist. We did and we had a great time! We had Meg, Kyle, and some of their friends over for soft tacos and then we headed off to United Airways Arena (or Planet Orange, as they call it).

[almost] birthday boy.

hooray for craigslist tickets!

Suns win (hooray!), Meg and Ky and the gang were bummed, Megan tried to fight a guy and I threatened to NOT bail her out of jail. We came back to the house and hung out and snuggled Viesa until bed.

Today was Fashion Square. Tonight is dinner at Bloom, Kyle's choice! Looks AWESOME. Megan and Kyle might be some of our fave out-of-towners. And we love birthdays, soooo....yeah! 

Woo Hoo!

Ash

how on earth do you sleep like this...?

one of the many questions we wish you could answer for us.

another chapter.

How cliché, right? Well, regardless...that is where we are. I have finally come to the end of a ridiculous 8 month long job search. This will be my new home until further notice:

Maryvale hospital, about 7 miles from the house, has offered me a job as part of the Abrazo Health Care new graduate program in the Intensive Care Unit.  I'll train for 12 weeks until I begin taking on some patients of my own and will be precepted until I feel comfortable! Anywhere from an extra month or two to six months. I love this cushion of comfort they're giving us...such a necessity when you're a new grad! Some of you may be realizing that ICU is not quite the direction I hoped to go with my nursing career, but I am so thankful for the learning opportunity I've been presented with and cannot WAIT to master the ICU! What better foundation to build a diverse nursing career on? Then someday, I'll be here and it will be perfect. It's only a matter of time. :)

Of course I have to say thank you to everyone who has been so incredibly supportive of both me and Christian the past 8 months. From graduation, Christian's master's defense, engagement, moving to a new city, planning a wedding, and having said wedding, I know I personally have been an emotional wreck and probably not the best friend/sister/daughter/fianceé/wife that I could or should have been. But through all of this, you all never stopped supporting us or picking me up after every rejection and set back. Your confidence in me is relentless and humbling and I am so grateful to have you in my life.

But above all people and all things, I have to say (while trying not to make you all puke) how my partner made it possible for me to stay sane during all of this; how he was there for me at every step and every turn, encouraging me, cursing the new grad climate with me, laughing with me, crying with me, and ultimately pushing me to not give up despite the OBVIOUS obstacles and their obvious affinity for beating me down! I learned to delete rejection emails instead of holding onto them, cry and kick and scream when I was upset and then move on, and most of all I learned to count my blessings every day and realize that no matter how sorry I felt for myself, there was someone out there dealing with something harder. Counting your blessings helps every time. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I can't wait to be the MASTER OF NURSING (which ICU will inevitably prepare me to be). 

Love from Phoenix (and doggy kisses. and doctor kisses.)

Ash

I know I need to post our honeymoon blogs.....

.....but I haven't had a chance. Maybe today after work? :)

However, I leave you with our newest addition, Viesa. I think she's getting comfortable with us, don't you?

Love and doggy kisses from Phoenix,
Ash

WE'RE MARRIED!!!!

On December 18th, we had an AMAZING wedding that we will never forget. We can't wait to share all the photos and details with you very very soon.

We just got back from our honeymoon about 4 hours ago and, believe it or not, it feels so good to be home!  Again, photos galore and.....just for you wonderful folks.....we blogged the entire honeymoon for you! We wanted you guys to share the fantastic-ness with us, as many of your wonderful gifts allowed some of the best parts of our trip to become a reality! Once I get the photos organized (just a day or two, I promise) I'll have it up. All 13 days of it!

Here's a sneak peek of what our photographer has done so far! Incredible! And Happy New Year!!!!!!!!