The Waiting is OVER!

About 2 weeks ago I was feeling rather discouraged about where my life was going. I had just received news that I wouldn't be accepted into the University of Utah's nursing program, this makes rejection number 4 in the last year. I can't help but think what in the world is wrong with me? Why will none of these schools accept me?? What in the world do I do now?
I immediately went for my back up plan & scheduled an appointment with an advisor at UVU. She was super nice & super helpful & super encouraging in helping me change my life long major of nursing to community health. For the first time in months, seriously months, I finally felt peace about my life, finally felt a little relief. I immediately enrolled in classes. If I started now I could graduate June 2014 with my bachelors degree. I would then try again for an accelerated nursing program & graduate with my RN & 2nd bachelors degree 16 months later. 2 bachelor degrees in 2 1/2 years? Sounds good to me!
Last Friday night I was at work & decided to start working on my online class, I read a few pages in my textbook & was too tired & bored to continue. Community Health is not the "nitty gritty" of healthcare as my advisor put it, however I thrive on the nitty gritty.
Sunday then rolls around, Mother's Day, I'm in Provo still. It had been my weekend to work & I was super tired after my last 2 nights with very little sleep. I sent my mom a happy mother's day text right before I headed to bed. A couple short hours later I receive a text, usually I sleep right through a text, but not this time. This time I open it to find this......

An acceptance letter?? From none other than my last, last resort for nursing school & the school I applied to last minute if nothing else worked out, the school I have already graduated from. This is not happening to me! If I choose to accept it would mean moving home...to Manti! 

My initial reaction was NO! I am going to get 2 bachelor degrees in 2 1/2 years. Needless to say I didn't go back to sleep. I tossed & turned, then a couple hours later I got out of bed & all I could do was cry! This must be some joke.  I had a talk with my Mom who gave me some things to think about. The next 24 hours this was all I could think about. Then a thought came to my mind about a blessing I had received last October. It was specific in saying the Lord is going to ask me to do something & I will think it is completely crazy, but I must exercise all the faith I can to act upon it. Then I was promised blessings & specifically to be more financially stable than I am now. I felt like this blessing was a little odd & so did my friends dad who gave it to me. We then discussed it & he had shared with me a time where he didn't act on something he was asked to do & how I must follow whatever it is, not matter how hard it will be. I have thought a lot about this blessing since October & have wondered what in the world would be crazy? I think I have found it.....this is it!! Crazy would be the word to describe this.
So here I am, officially accepting Snow College's offer for Nursing School, dropping out of UVU & preparing to pick my life up in Provo & move to Manti.  I have only been waiting 5 months for all of this to come together, not a long time, but it has sure felt like forever! All I know is Heavenly Father has an odd sense of humor & a plan I don't understand for me at all!! There have been a lot of deja vu moments of back when I was deciding to serve a mission that have happened to me lately that I know this is right. I know from that experience that I will never regret something the Lord has asked me to do. This has been a very hard decision to make, I have pretended for the last few days that it doesn't exist.  However I am relieved, the wait it over & I'm finally going to be a nurse...in 2 years that is!!

Time Well Waiting

The last few months have become a time of waiting. Waiting for pieces of a puzzle I have worked on for years to finally come together. I began nursing school applications for a number of schools back in December, submitted them in January & now I wait. I have received unwanted news from 2 of them & am waiting to hear back from 2 other schools in hopes to finally be able to go to school for what I want to do.
I haven't been enrolled in classes this last semester because all I need at this point is nursing school. I've been working in the Adult ICU for the last year now & decided to work & just enjoy this waiting period I seem to be stuck in.
Here is how I have been spending this time of mine, waiting.
January started with a trip to a city I have been dying to meet!! I feel rather connected to this city due to my name & its name.....San FRANcisco! My mom needed to visit for a conference so I decided to ask for a few days off of work & explore the city with my dad & baby sister.

There is just far too much fun to be had in this city!! I anxiously await my return! #FransForever

I then headed north for a little Logan reunion & cabin trip to Bear Lake. This place holds a special place in my life of the hard times in Logan, but some of the best friends I could have ever asked for to share those hard times with! Also on this special trip I shot a bow & arrow for the very first time! 

It's only 75 lbs. to pull back

A few weeks later I was able to return to my mission. Something I feel very fortunate to have done! The feeling of entering the sacred ground of the Washington Kennewick Mission brought tears to my eyes! I had a flood of emotions return along with the many memories of things I learned & was able to experience & the many people I was able to meet who touched my life! My 2nd home, which happens to be one of the most beautiful places!

Multnomah Falls

 Sun setting on the Columbia River Gorge

 (this picture does not due justice to how gorgeous the drive across the gorge is)

I went with 2 elders I had served with & we were able to meet up with President & Sister Greer. This was the highlight of my trip! The Greer's changed not only my mission but my life!! 

It was incredible to see people who I had taught who are doing so well in the gospel & unfortunately others who weren't doing as well. Regardless the people of Washington will hold a special place in my heart!

I had only returned to Provo for a couple of days when I headed down to St. George for a few days! One of my very best friends was getting married so a few of us headed down for a little bachelorette party. It was a fun couple days of playing, eating, swimming & laughing. I then stayed down there for a couple more days to spend time with another of my best friends Ryanne. Where we scootered the blvd & rode the carousel.

This waiting time has also been filled with love & marriage. Showers, Temples, Receptions & Perfect Days. My best friend up in Salt Lake was married to Mr. Jeremy Felt. #FeltWrightWedding It was such a fun day to share with Jess & a sweet sealing! It was so apparent all day how much Jeremy loved Jessica & how he will take care of her the rest of their lives!!

After a bit of traveling & wedding I took some time here & picked up a few extra shifts. But also trying to make the most of this waiting time I went snowboarding, hiking & shopping:) I also put in another application for nursing school just as a back up, applied to be a CPR instructor at the hospital & made a few trips home to Manti to spend time with my nieces.

Then this last weekend was one of my most favorite mission companion, roommate & dear friend's wedding. I miraculously had that weekend off & found a super cheap flight out of vegas in order to spend this special day with her & Mr. Redding. They were married in the Oakland Temple & it was a perfect day! It was such a special sealing! Katie was absolutely stunning! They are a couple that compliment each other so well.

4 months of waiting & here I am. My mom opens Main Street Clinic, her very own clinic, where she will practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner. I start working for her this week on top of the hospital. Summer is going to be busy, but exciting! I'm still just trying to hang on with the little bit of hope I have of pieces in my life falling together. Trying to understand that it is not going to happen how I have wanted it to, but it will be the way it is supposed to happen.

So in the meantime I will do my best to spend my time well waiting......