Tonight...

I get to see my family and I'm so excited! But I'm not excited to leave my hubby behind. I sure wish he was coming with me. Better luck next time I guess. I'll miss you hubby!

As you may (or may not) recall, I broke my camera over the summer (you can click HERE for the story) and since I'll definitely need a camera while visiting my family, my sweet mom is letting me have my Christmas present early this year! So I ran over to Costco today and picked it up. However, there's one small problem - it's the wrong color. The only color they had left was 'bohemian brown':I called all over to find one in silver:but no one had any. I'm hoping there's a Costco in Utah that has one so I can exchange it. But before I do - what do you all think? Do you like the Bohemian Brown? It's kind of growing on me but I just don't know. I'm too indecisive. Feel free to vote for your favorite over on the sidebar...

A busy week!

Last week was quite the eventful week. This post is going to be kind of long so sorry in advance. I want these things to be documented! (I have a horrible memory.) So here we go...

- Monday was my last and final day of clinical!!! And I couldn't be happier! I was in the ER again and it was awesome. It was a good end to my clinical experience. Oh and I forgot to write about what happened the week before - I got to see open heart surgery! It was awesome! Anyway... Here's a little picture timeline from my four semesters of nursing school:

First semester:

This was taken on the morning of my very first day of clinical! I was so nervous! (I made Jeremy get up and take a picture of me. It was like 5:30 am!)

This is my good friend Allison. She's awesome! We were in the same clinical every semester except for the last. :(

First semester clinical group.

Second semester:

This is the very first IV I ever did! And I got it on my first attempt!

Second semester clinical group.

Third semester:

Allison and I on the morning of our first clinical day.

Third semester clinical group - pediatric rotation.

OB skills lab day (where we learned all about what to do in our Labor and Delivery rotation). I was so excited!

Fourth semester:

{pictures coming soon!}

- On Wednesday we started filling out the applications for the NCLEX (the RN licensure exam). I can't believe it's finally coming to an end. Next month I take the final exam for my final nursing class! In January, I'll take the NCLEX. I can't wait until it's all over. I feel like it's taken forever to get here yet it's gone by fast. Weird.

- On Thursday I had my very first job interview! It was for a position in Labor and Delivery at a great hospital that's really close to where we live. It would be the perfect job. I really hope I get it. I'll find out at the beginning of next month. I'm so nervous. Anyway, here I am right before I left for my interview:

Professional yet uncomfortable.

(One of the best parts of working as a nurse is being able to wear pajamas to work. Scrubs are so comfy!)

- Saturday was the first day of my preceptorship. That's when I work alongside a nurse in the hospital for eight 12 hour shifts. By the end I'll be able to take care of four patients all by myself. Yikes! I'm pretty scared. Anyway, I have the BEST preceptor ever! Her name is Theresa and she is beyond awesome. She's really sweet and super patient. In other words, she's perfect for someone like me. I am so blessed!

In other great news - I booked my plane tickets to Utah! It will be a short trip, but I get to be there for Halloween which I'm super excited about! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to spend with family. We have all kinds of holiday traditions in my family and it makes me so sad when I miss them. But I won't be missing anything this weekend! Yay!

"Coming Out Day" Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools

I joined a few Facebook groups supporting Prop 8 and one of them sends me updates. The following is an email I received this morning. I find it completely outrageous that they would do this in an Elementary School. I'm so scared to find out how much worse this will get if Prop 8 doesn't pass. Keep in mind, California is a very influential state and the outcome could potentially affect how other states vote in the future...

Subject: "Coming Out Day" Coming This Week to California Elementary Schools

Hayward, CA – Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.

The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.

Later this week, the school is slated to talk about families. The parents have noticed several posters promoting families, all of which depict only homosexual families. More controversial discussions can be expected through next week, as the elementary school continues to celebrate Gay and Lesbian History Month. On November 20, the school will host TransAction Gender-Bender Read-Aloud, where students will hear adapted tales such as "Jane and the Beanstalk."

These parents are being advised by attorneys from Pacific Justice Institute. Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, "Do we need any further proof that gay activists will target children as early as possible? Opponents of traditional marriage keep telling us that Prop. 8 has nothing to do with education. In reality, they want to push the gay lifestyle on kindergartners, and we can only imagine how much worse it will be if Prop. 8 is defeated. This is not a scenario most Californians want replayed in their elementary schools."

Any other parents whose elementary-age children have been subjected to pro-homosexual propaganda should contact Pacific Justice Institute for counsel and possible representation.

If you are able to support PJI, please click here to contribute now or visit http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.pji.org%2Fgetinvolved.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.pacificjustice.org%2Fresources%2Fnews%2Ffocusdetails.cfm%3FID%3DPR081022a

. . . . .

I wrote more about this on http://proposition8info.blogspot.com/. Click HERE for my post.

Yes on Prop 8 RALLY!!!

This morning Jeremy and I joined a group of people from our ward to support Prop 8. We stood on the corner of a busy street holding signs and banners encouraging people to vote YES on Prop 8.[marriage = one man + one woman]

I was pretty nervous before we went. I had no idea how we would be perceived by the public and I was worried there might be some harassment involved. However, I was pleasantly surprised! We got a TON more honks, waves and thumbs up than I thought we would! We did get a few thumbs down, birdies, and indecent language, but overall the support far outweighed the opposition. It was awesome to see and very encouraging! It felt good to get out there and support a good cause! I hope we'll be able to do more in the future!

VOTE YES ON PROP 8!!!

we all agree...

please protect marriage. vote YES on prop 8.

and...

please donate if you can: https://www.icontribute.us/protectmarriage.

our opponents are beating us badly - over the past week they've raised over $3 million. we've raised $405,969.

even if you don't live in california, prop 8 needs your support. if it doesn't pass, it could affect the entire nation.

here's a simple explanation of prop 8, in plain english:

Prop 8 Tag

(I know this post is long, but it's really important, so please keep reading!)

You've been tagged. PLEASE READ THIS no matter what state you live in.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt children. If gay marriage remains legal, public schools will put it on equal footing with traditional marriage. Children will likely receive “age appropriate” information about sexual relations within heterosexual and homosexual marriages.

Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt churches. The court’s decision will inevitably lead to conflicts with religious liberty and free speech rights. Society will become more and more hostile to traditional beliefs about marriage and family. Over time, greater acceptance of nontraditional marriage will be demanded of all people. This could impact the ability of any religion to teach and practice its beliefs. Including adoption agencies.

A YES vote will not hurt gays. In California, the law provides for marriage-related benefits to be given to civil unions and domestic partnerships. Proposition 8 does not diminish these benefits.

For your information:
On Friday, October 10th, 2008 a first-grade class took a field trip to witness a lesbian wedding in California. Click Here for the article from the San Francisco Chronicle.

A father in Massachusetts was frustrated when his kindergartner was taught about homosexuality at school by the teachers. He insisted he be notified in the future before such things were discussed so he could pull his boy out of school. He was taken to jail. Click Here for the story.

A Catholic adoption agency in the UK closed their doors because of the Government's new homosexual equality laws. The Equality Act forbids discrimination in the provision of goods and services on the basis of sexual orientation. The law was forced through Parliament last year despite past Prime Minister Tony Blair's recommendation that Catholic adoption agencies be exempted from the rules. Click Here for more info.

Earlier this month judges in Conneticut overturned the state law (just as the judges in California did) to legalize gay marriage. This is not just an issue in California. We voted years ago to keep traditional marriage as the only marriage recognized in the state of California, 4 judges overturned our vote…and we need to fight back. That is what this Proposition is about. This is happening everywhere and the leaders of the church and others have warned that the outcome of California’s vote will affect the way the other states vote. So PLEASE…even if you don’t live in California, put this on your blog or email this on. The internet knows no state line. You know contacts in California that I don’t…and so do your friends. Please pass this on as it could eventually have an effect on everyone!

"Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears there may sound the sophistry of Satan as he whispers, "You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless. You haven't time to be concerned for others." Trusting in the Lord, let us turn our heads from such falsehoods and make certain our feet are firmly planted in the path of service and our hearts and souls dedicated to follow the example of the Lord." -- Thomas S. Monson

Click Here for excerpts from the Broadcast given by Elders M. Russell Ballard, Quentin L. Cook and L. Whitney Clayton.

A good resource mentioned in the broadcast: Preserving Marriage

October 20th: Last day to apply for an absentee ballot if voting out of state. Click Here to get one.

October 27th: Last day to apply for “Vote by Mail” Click Here for info.

November 4th: Election day. Polls close at 8:00pm. Vote by mail must be received by this time and can be hand delivered if necessary.

YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED...Here's what you do:
In the broadcast we were asked to "go viral on our blogs, etc" by Elder Ballard. This is my way of going viral. If you feel this is an important issue I ask that you copy and paste this post...and post it on your blog. PLEASE keep it at the top of your blog through November 4th. which you can adjust each time you post under the "edit post" option. The internet knows NO STATE LINE. You know contacts in California that I do not...as do your friends and their friends...and so on. Please do this. If not for your own children and the effect it could have on them some day...for mine! After you have posted this...email this to your contacts and TAG all your blogging buddies to do the same. THANK YOU!

A couple things...

Thanks to the help of our good friends, John and Becky, I've recently learned how to make free and easy ringtones for my iPhone! I can take any song from my iTunes library and turn it into a ringtone for my phone. It's so awesome, I haven't been able to stop! I'm currently trying to come up with a different ringtone for each one of my friends and family. So if you're one of the two, do me a favor and leave a comment with your favorite song(s). One that you'd like me to hear when you call. Isn't this so fun? I think so!

And, secondly...

To my dear family,

(Just look at that adorable face and those cute chunky legs! She's getting so big! I miss her! Anyway...)

...

I'm coming for a visit at the end of the month (for Halloween!) and I'm so excited to see you! I still haven't bought the tickets yet because I'm debating on my departure time for Sunday. I can either leave at 3:55 or 8:55 pm. If I leave at 8:55 I won't get home until 11 and I might have to get up early the next morning for school. On the other hand, I love being there for Sunday dinner at Mom's. What do you think I should do? Thanks for the help!

Love,

Mikelle

...

P.S. As of now, Jeremy isn't going to be able to come with me. :( But if we can get the cancellation fees waived from our Verizon account, he'll be able to. Keep your fingers crossed!

Protect Marriage

Watching this video...

gave me the chills.

...

We're voting YES on Prop 8 to protect marriage and children.

To learn more about Prop 8 go to http://protectmarriage.com/.

Sorry...

I've been such a slacker lately. But my life is consumed with school.

That's why this post will be so short. (I have to go study.)

I hate school. Have I mentioned that lately?

I have a little over 10 weeks of torture left.

Unless the lack of sleep and/or eating kills me first.

On a lighter note, Jeremy and I splurged and got the new iPhone 3G's last Thursday. And I must say - they. are. awesome. Our budget just got a little tighter because of them, but it is so worth it. I love technology.

Oh and P.S. - I didn't win a shirt. :(