Rachael after Graduation

I had to add this photo of Rachael because she looks so cute! I have been trying to practice with the D90 Rachael and I purchased this past Christmas and this picture turned out pretty good.

Alternate Students Class of April 2009

Left to Right:
Front--Nathan Bradfield,Cody Merrill,Chad Allen,Tami Higdon,Kara Birch
Back---George Garner,Jabez Smith,Treana Jones,Josh Bybee
(Meisha Johnson missing in picture from Alternate Students)

Shaking Elder Niel L. Anderson's hand at the Nurses Pinning Ceremony on the 9th of April

I'm a Nursing Graduate!!

This past friday on the 10th of April I graduated from the nursing program from Brigham Young Univeristy-Idaho! It's been a tough year and 4 months of grueling mental toughness needed to endure to the end. Many of the professors, tests, clinicals, paperwork, etc pretty much frustrated the heck out of me but it's over now. I graduated with all A's in the nursing program which could have easily been broken a few times here and there because of the subjective nature of some of the tests. I'm currently studying to re-take this ATI exam and ultimately for the NCLEX-RN Boards here in the next few weeks. Rachael is still hard at work at the Law Firm here in downtown Idaho Falls. I've got an interview on the 23rd of this month at the University of Utah and am hoping that I will be accepted into their Critical Care Internship Program! If I get in at the U I'll probably work there for 2 + years and in the meantime apply for CRNA programs.

January 4, 2009

Well the christmas season and new years has been great for 2008. Rachael and I were able to be with my family on Christmas Eve and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by acting out the nativity scene 'to our best ability'. It was fun to hang out with family. Rachael and I stayed in Idaho Falls for Christmas day and were planning on going to Sugar City, ID Christmas afternoon but we were stopped by the storm that came in the night before making for icy/snowy roads. We had Garner family pictures on Saturday the 27th of December in Rigby and hopefully they turn out well. Reagan and Sara were having a tough time that morning which made it a little difficult to get the poses and pictures we wanted, but hey they're kids right!! I went snowmobiling for the first time this season on the 30th of December with a friend of mine that's in the nursing program with me, Cody, living in Iona, ID. We ventured out to Fall Creek, Skyline Ridge, and Comessary Ridge out near Swan Valley, ID where Cody grew up. I hadn't ever gone sledding out that way before so that was a lot of fun. When we got out to Comessary Ridge, about 33.5 miles away from the parking lot we left from, the crouch of my snowpants ripped out while I was trudging through hip-deep snow to help Cody get unstuck. We ended up heading back to the truck after that episode so that I wouldn't freeze. Rachael had to work the 29th-31st (half day on the 31st) so we hung out when she wasn't working. On New Years Day the McMurtrey Family and Rachael and I went bowling at Skyline lanes for our traditional day at the bowling alley each year! Rachael struggled a bit the first game but came out throwing some strikes and spares the second game. I scored a 136 the first game and then a 162 the second which wasn't all that bad. We had a lot of fun with the family. Rachael begins work again tomorrow and on Tuesday the 6th I start back with my last semester in nursing school. I believe that I'll be plenty busy so I've tried to make the most of this break.

December 19th, 2008

Well I thought I would write and explain what's happened in the past few months. I just finished up my 3rd semester in the nursing program by taking my last final on the 2nd of December. I managed to get all A's in the Obstretics, Nursing ethics, and Pediatrics courses this semester. I haven't got a B yet in the nursing program and hope to keep it that way for my final semester! I've got cardiovascular nursing and neurological nursing courses next semester which will be challenging but very interesting. I've been trying to get ready for Christmas but have procastinated like usual. Rachael is still working hard at the Law Firm here downtown. She works so hard and I'm so appreciative of her work to keep us afloat while I finish up nursing school. I'm looking at possibly going to work at UCLA medical center, the University of Utah, or perhaps a hospital in Arizona (if I can find one that fits what I'm looking for)! I want to get into a RN ICU Residency program so that I can get into the ICU as quick as possible so that I can get a year of experience and be able to apply to Nurse Anesthesia schools. The weather here in Idaho Falls, ID has definitely changed to the winter conditions you would expect the last few days dumping a lot of snow. I'm hoping that here in the near future I'll be out snowmobiling with a nursing friend, Cody, as well as Rachael (she actually said she wants to go with me)!! I've been trying to work out more consistently the past few weeks and have lost a bit of weight and gained back some of the muscle I gained from working out for the fisrt few months earlier this year. All in all, everything is great and looking forward to the new changes that are in sight upon graduating from nursing school!

August 28, 2008

Well it's been awhile since my last blog but I'm going to do my best to write what has happened since my last post. I finished summer semester in the nursing program on the 18th of July! I ended up getting an A- in my GI/Cancer class, an A in Psych nursing, and an A in Metabolics. I really think I should have got an A in GI/Cancer but my professor wasn't the easiest to work with. I'm finished now with the Freshman year of nursing school and will start my 1st semester as a Sophmore this Fall on September 9th. My brother, Dave, got married on the 25th of July to Laura Wright in the Newport Beach Temple in southern California. Dave and Laura have moved to the Mckinney/Plano area north of Dallas, TX and are getting situated there. At the end of July through the first couple of days of August I went with some leaders and the youth to their high adventure trip to the Wind Rivers north of Alpine,WY. We hiked four days which included summiting Freemont Peak (13,745 ft)! The picture shown above depicts some of the guys that went on the trip, along with myself, drinking some water at the Summit of Freemont Peak. The trip was outstanding and strenuous but definitely worth the views I was able to see and enjoy those four days. Roger, Rachael, Rick Telford, and I are planning on summiting the Grand Teton in two days if the weather calms down--especially the wind. In my spare time other than working out at World Gym or walking around the river, I've been playing Disc Golf at Freeman Park here in Idaho Falls. I've enjoyed playing and being able to relax before hitting it hard again when school starts this Fall. Garrett this past Sunday was ordained and Elder by my dad as he obtained the Melchizadek Priesthood! I was really proud of him for his desire and choice to receive the Melchizadek Priesthood. Well that's about all I can think of at the moment of what's happened--until next time.