Almost Done

So this is my last week of orientation. With orientation they pair you up with a nurse and you work the same schedule they do. It is great because school can only prepare you so much. The goal is to make an easier transition into being a nurse. Well this Saturday is my last day. After that I am on my own. I am a little nervous about this. There is so much to know and learn. The good thing is that I work with some pretty good nurses that I know will help me. I was talking to Ron (the guy that has been training me) and he said that he has seen nurses the first day off of orientation standing at the PIXIS (the machine that hold the medication) with trembling hands. I am going to laugh if that is me.

I found a great poem about being a nurse.

Being a nurse means...
You will never be bored.
You will always be frustrated.
You will always be surrounded by challenges.
So much to do and so little time.
You will carry immense responsibility and very little authority.
You will step into people's lives and you will make a difference.
Some will bless you. Some will curse you.
You will see people at their worst and at their best.
You will never cease to be amazed at people's capacity for
Love, courage, and endurance.
You will see life begin and end.
You will experience resounding triumphs and devastating failures.
You will cry a lot. You will laugh a lot.
You will know what it is to be human and to be humane.
~ Melodie Chenevert

Our Trip to Hawaii!

So I can't add all of the pictures that we took because I took about 250 and Derek took over 500... so that would be a lot to add. We we went to Maui and the big Island.



Derek and I both love Mustangs so we had to rent one when we were on Maui. This is outside the hotel that we stayed in.










We took a bus tour of the Hana Highway. It was so beautiful. We stopped at several waterfalls, Oheo Gulch, some black sand beaches where we walked through a lava tube, some white sand beaches, and a few more stops. There was one cove that if you looked down into the water you could see the outline of a car that had fallen in.








The next day we woke up early and went up the mountain to do a zip line tour! There were 5 lines each one getting longer and better. Starting at the third one you could start running to get more speed. The last one was over 700 feet long! This was our favorite activity! We also went to the Maui Ocean Center and went to the beach to watch the sunset.






Then we went to Lanaina. We walked around and did a lot of shopping. We saw a tree that took up one entire city block, the old Banyan tree. We also went to see a show called Ulalena. It was a musical production about the myths and history of Hawaii. It was amazing!








The last day in Maui we did a lot! First we work up early to see the Iao Valley and hike around. Then we went to Twin Falls. Now the name of that made me think that there were two waterfalls in the same area... not so they did have two waterfalls but in not very close to each other. It was still a beautiful walk. These were very small waterfalls compared to the other ones that we saw. After that we went to the Maui Tropical Plantation and had lunch before we flew over to the Big Island!!





We got to the Big Island got our car and started to 2 1/2 drive to our hotel. By the time that we got there it was pretty dark but in the morning this was the view from our room!! It was such an amazing hotel!







We went to the Place of Refuge. Derek loved the Tiki's! We really enjoyed learning some history about Hawaii here.













We also went to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This was right outside the Thurston Lava tubes. We also saw steam vents and Halema'umu'u crater. Still have no clue how to say it.









That night we went to a Luau. Derek got some pretty cool pictures of the Fire Dancer. We watched them did up the pig from the Imu. We had some poi, neither of us were big fans of that, but overall they had good food.










This is Akaka Falls. It is a 420 foot drop! It is at Akaka Falls State Park. There is also another waterfall that is a 400 foot drop but it is hidden a bit by all of the trees.
We also went to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. We learned that when they actually sell mosquito repellent before you go into the park there is a good reason why. We were eaten alive! We had so many bites when we came out. It took about two hours to walk all the way through it. It has amazing flowers though!


So if we had to do it all over again I don't think that we would hop around to the different islands. There is just so much to do! We had so much fun!

Happy Birthday Derek!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband and best friend! Derek you are so amazing! You are such a kind, thoughtful, and generous man. You have shown me by your example what it means to really love someone.


I love that you are so comfortable with who you are. That you will have fun no matter where you are. I am so excited that I get to spend this life and the eternities with you by my side. You are my superman! I hope that you enjoy your birthday! I love you with all my heart!!

Newfoundland dogs

So I fell in love with this breed of dog. They can grow up to 27 to 29 inches tall and 100 to 150 lbs. So not small dogs but they remind me of a great big teddy bear. Their nickname is gentle giant. They are so massive but so cute!

An Early Birthday Present for Derek

So I know that Derek's birthday is not until the 21st but I gave in to Derek and let him have his birthday present early.
















I got him a Wii.
Right after he opened it he just stared at it for a while.


















When it finally hit him what it was his eyes got so big! It was so much fun watching him open it!


After I asked him why he just sat there for so long and his response was, "I thought if I touched it it would go away." I love this picture! There is no hiding his emotions.

The Last Step

So Thursday I took the state boards (NCLEX-RN) to become an RN. The test is a computer adaptive test. The test is very different for everyone. You can have a minimum of 75 questions or a max of 265 questions. I had 75 questions and the computer screen went blank. I walked out of there got in my car and thought that all of the years of work towards this point and it is over in 75 questions. Well this morning at 9:00 I looked on the state board website and found that...


I PASSED!!!!!!!!!

I am officially an RN!!!!!!!!
I am all done! I now sign my name J.Schey RN!

Father's Day

The First Man I Loved

I remember standing on your feet as you taught me to dance
And walking along side of you as a little girl
I remember sitting on the counter as you fixed my many bumps and bruises
And the way you stayed so calm.
I remember being so happy when you came home from work
And running into your arms

Dad you were the first man I danced with
The first man who loved me
And the first man I loved

I remember the quiet ways you would show your love
And the joy in your eyes when I succeed
I remember the way you love my Mother
And knowing I wanted a man that loved me the same way
I remember seeing the smile on your face as we danced at my wedding
And seeing that you were proud of your little girl

Dad you were the first man to show me how to love
The first man I looked up to
And the first man I loved

I am so grateful for all of the wonderful men in my life. My wonderful Dad, you have taught me so much. My Father in-law, I love hearing all of your great stories and thank you for always making me feel welcome. My Grandfather, I love your jokes, stories and old cars! My wonderful Grandpa's that have passed away, I love you dearly! I am so grateful for you examples. My uncles who helped me so much so many times! My Derek, you are not yet a father but I look forward to seeing you with our children! Derek you have already taught me so much about love you are going to be a wonderful father! I have had so many example of great men in my life! I wish you all wonderful Father's Day!