escaping for the weekend

Rolo knows somethings up...

My man definitely knows how to make me happy. After a long week of cleaning out Grandma's apartment, her viewing, and funeral, I am more ready for a break from life than I ever have been. John is wisking me away to the Outer Banks for the weekend so I can get a little R & R before starting my new job in a week from Monday. Thank God for having a man like him :) He will be doing a little work, but I plan on doing some knitting, reading, walking on the beach, and just vegging out. I'm headed to the gym now so I don't feel like a complete slug when I return, but can't wait to leave in a few hours :)

Grandma's funeral was beautiful. The minister did an amazing job in the sermon talking about what a wonderful life she had led, making me burst into tears when talking about how proud she was of me. She would have loved every second of it and I know she was smiling down on us :)

Anywho, peace out RVA... busy week next week with my last 3 days as a care partner and graduation Thursday!

xo

B

the slacker is back

What a crazy start to the year! First off, celebration is due because I passed my nursing boards f and am officially a Registered Nurse! YIPPEE!!!!!! But celebrations was cut short when my grandma was hospitalized last Thursday because she had developed an irregular heart rhythm called A. fib, which causes the heart to just quiver instead of ejecting the blood properly. This causes clots to form in the heart, and once they move from the heart, can get lodged in different places, for her in her right femoral artery, cutting off all circulation to her leg. SO, the doctor did emergency surgery Thursday night and removed the clot, but it seemed to be too late, because she rapidly declined through Friday and Saturday and passed away very peacefully Saturday evening. BAM, just like that, my 96 year old grandma is just gone forever. I think the shock is still lingering that she is gone. Mom and I have been spending lots of time together cleaning out her apartment, sharing stories and fun memories of her life. Thankfully, my work was very flexible for me and let me off all week. The viewing is tomorrow and the funeral will be Thursday. We will be moving the big furniture out on Saturday. I love and miss you already grandma, but I hope you are enjoying the homecoming with your 2 husbands who both preceded her in death and her 12 brothers and sisters, which she was the last surviving.

But anyways, back to reality, not that I really know what reality feels like since there's been so much changing over the past several weeks. One more week of work at MCV as a care partner, then graduation next Thursday, and begin my nursing orientation the last week of January! I even got my picture taken yesterday for my badge :) New beginnings my friends, all looking very exciting and promising! Now if I could just get myself back in gear with my workouts....

I may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow...

I saw this at Fresh Market the other day and had to take a picture.... What the heck is that and what can I make with it?!

SO! I just got my tail handed to me at the gym. To the point of STILL feeling shaky over 45 minutes post-workout. This is all in the attempt to start toning more. I have lost the weight and am SO incredibly happy with that, but now it's time to tighten up a few spots that could stand a little work. My awesome workout buddy, Caroline (whom I have made her swear to never charge me for training when she becomes professional trainer some day), had me doing a whole series of squats, arms, abs, all with 1 minute intervals on the treadmill in between each set at 8.5 mph... the last one literally making me almost throw up. I had a "biggest loser moment". I was also thrilled to see that the pool is ALMOST done at my gym, so I will definitely be jumping in ASAP! Maybe my fantasy of triathlons are not too far out of reach ;)

Any who, heard some bad news today... John's grandmother (Maw-Jo), who was just this past weekend placed in a hospice-like facility, has taken a turn for the worse and is becoming more and more unresponsive :( I wish so bad that I could be there for the family, but between school and work can definitely not make it there until at least Thursday. Maw-Jo is a hilarious 80-something who I have so enjoyed getting to know over the past 3.5 years, watching her in her rocker gossiping about some good 'ole Radford juicy gossip, her loving heart for her family and her dogs, and has never skipped a beat with her tough love. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, along with John and his family as they handle it the best they know how to... together. I feel so blessed to have each and every one of them as my family :)

Busy month coming up!!!!!

~Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving morning

~THANKSGIVING!!! :) :) :)

~Mom, my niece, and my soon-to-be father-in-law's birthdays

~Surfn' Santa 10 miler in VA Beach Dec 4th

~Final exam EVER in nursing school

~NCLEX review

WHEW! Exhausted just thinking about it all, but I can't seem to stop staring at my calendar! My motto, keep busy and it FLIES by! Even more exciting is the new countdown until I start my new job as an RN :) Only 69 days!

And ps, only 172 days until I'm a married woman!

xo