My Candy Land

It's been quite a while since I've been around the blogging world.  There is so much in my life that has happened that I wouldn't even know where to begin.  Last year and quite honestly the year before that, were such difficult years filled with many trials that put me to the test.  I have to say, 2013 is like a shiny new penny I found on the streets of Candy Land.  It gets better and better every day.  Let's start at the beginning.

I graduated.  Hello, bliss.  NO MORE NURSING SCHOOL FROM HELL!  It had to be said.  It was the most ridiculous, drama filled, terrible year and a half of my schooling years.  And it had nothing to do with the difficulty nursing school brings in the first place.  But all that matters is, I finished.  I'm done, and that's it.

That, it?  Ha.  So I thought.  Next came NCLEX.  Which put nursing school drama to shame.  Good crap, was that the hardest experience of my ever.  Let's just say, I left about two hours early just to make sure I wasn't going to be late.  I ended up spending about half an hour in the Oquirrah Mountain Temple parking lot praying my heart out to no end before I drove to the testing center.  Then I went into my test.  Five hours later and 265 gruelling questions, I finished.  I was crying before I even left the testing center.  I called my mom and I told her I failed.  I know, everyone thinks they failed.  But no, I kid you not.  I KNEW I failed.  Who else gets 265 questions?  I drove home, pissed off, upset, scared, hurt, and feeling like I wanted to give up on nursing.  I tried the whole pearson re-register trick (try to re-register for the NCLEX, if it lets you...you fail, if it says you can't re-register...you pass).  Praise the Lord Almighty, I got that special little box that says, "Our records show asdflkasf;las and you need to contact the asdflk;asiosdf in order to asdoiawejfa".  Basically from the outside world, I passed.  Let's just say I cried harder than when I left the testing center.  But of course, it's too good to be true it feels.  Well, of course almost exactly 24 hours later, there is was.  My name on the DOPL website.  It said "Heather Stam, RN ACTIVE".  It's true kids, I passed.  I'm an RN.  Come to find out, there WAY more people than you think who get 265 questions (about half the people I work with).  Don't even worry, the NCLEX is the worst experience EVER.  But worth the struggle in the end.

Next.  I got a job.  I am officially an RN on the Maternity floor at IMC.  I'm on my own now after a few weeks of orienting.  It feels so great to be able to do things on my own.  Some days I doubt whether I'm really ready for this, but I've learned it's very easy to call for help when you aren't sure.  I still have TONS to learn, but I'm enjoying every minute.

More change.  (I told you, lots has happened)  I moved!  I live in my apartment now that I will live in once I get married.  I love in the Preston Hollow apartments and I love it!  I live on the top floor, a major pain when it comes to taking the dogs out to the bathroom, but a major benefit when it comes to the beautiful 14 foot ceilings!  2 bedrooms (one for the dogs of course) and a kitchen that two people can actually walk around in.  Cody complains already because he wants a backyard for the dogs, but I'm happy I'm getting my actual apartment living experience, even if it probably won't be too long lived.

Last, and most important.  I'M GETTING MARRIED IN THREE WEEKS!!! I seriously could not be more excited or more happy!  It's unreal that it's so close.  I took my bridal pictures last week and it's also unreal how obsessed I am with my dress.  It's pretty much right out of Say Yes to the Dress.  Yep, I'm that proud so I'm going to be that obnxious about it.  My parents have completely surprised me in how involved and how different their attitude has been about the wedding.  They have helped me with so much for the wedding, I really have had lots of fun with my mom planning things.  It feels the way it should with Cody and my parents, a way I was unsure would ever happen for us.  But it has.  Everything feels right.  Everything feels perfect.  I am so in love and I can't believe I really found the person I am EXCITED to be with for eternity.  Cody is so perfect for me.  I don't think anyone gets along the way we do.  We laugh at everything.  We fight about dumb things and then laugh about that.  We can sit at home all day and do nothing, and still it's the best time ever.  I don't know what else to say.  I can't describe it.  I'm proud of him, I belong with him, and I can't wait to become Heather Rose Jenkins.  :)