At 2:30 this afternoon I take my final for the semester. For some reason I have never been this nervous for a final. It's been my best semester academically since starting nursing school, but I am terrified nonetheless. I NEED PRAYERS!!!!!

...that is what I have become. The lazy housewife.

I have watched an entire season plus some of Grey's Anatomy since Monday.

I have not had lunch ready for Cheston on his lunch break 50% of the time this week.

I am still in my pajamas today, and it is 1:oo pm. This is not the first day this week (it's Thursday people) that pajamas were worn ALL day.

I have dirty towels on the floor in our room... they have been there for a solid week.

Cheston has run out of underwear twice in the last month (and is well on his way to time number 3).

It took me 4 days to change the sheets on our long overdue bed.

I have let stacks of books and homework piled up on the side table, kitchen table, computer desk, dresser, floor, and couch for the last week.

AND I have stepped on crumbs, nasty floor juice in the bathroom every single day for the last 2 weeks, and just barely found the motivation to sweep and mop the floors about 15 minutes ago.

Anyone who knows me well or has lived with me KNOWS that I am ANTI-MESS and dirty... to the extreme!

But I have been cooking and baking new things...
Like apple crisp
Butterscotch rolls for Cheston
Brownies for our primary kids TWICE! (the first time I forgot
it was Fast Sunday-
so they went with us to Cheston's parents for Sunday dinner)
AND.... homemade pizza!

All the pictures we took, were this good....


I tried to add a video, but it won't load... sorry!

I am not quiete sure why my blogging skills have been less than admirable as of late.... but they have. I have been engaged since June 11th and I have yet to find the motivation to share all the details of that very happy day! And yes it was VERY happy! It could not have been more perfect. Hopefully this blog will help me find some motivation in the very near future to blog all the details of the day my wonderful, soon to be HUSBAND.... PROPOSED!! Hopefully I will actually do it before the wedding.... wish me luck!

4. The winner's tower will hold the most weight.

This is the one that did it for me... Black does not hide everything... Wow!

I love Jennifer... I love Picazzos. Enough said.

This has been a challenging week. I knew the month of March would nearly kill me, but I didn't take into consideration the other unplanned twists that would make it even harder. I was talking to my friend, Dave, this morning and I half joking told him I was on the verge of giving up on certain things... and he shared this quote with me:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.
The most certain way to succeed is always try
just one more time."
-Thomas Edison

So I share it with you. I thought it was fabulous!
I have realized this week, that I have some very good friends that really care about me, and that has made the biggest difference.

Also I started my VERY first IV on a human being.... and I got it on my first try!! YAHOO!!! On to weekend clinicals and Banner :)

I have been serving as the Relief Society president in my ward this school year. This is the 3rd presidency I have served in. I have loved serving and learned so many things. Earlier this week I was visiting with my bishop and among lots of things, small talk was exchanged about how there have been times that people have more experience serving don't allow others with less experince to learn and grow in their experience to serve. I did not think twice about it really until today as I was thinking about some things that have really troubled me during my serving. I never fail to get frustrated that not everyone understands the importance of going to ALL your meetings, showing up to meetings on time, and how you can easily show up to class or something your really want to do early in the morning but you can't show up to 9:00 church on time or at all. I struggle with feeling like I have to be a babysitter sometimes, and wake people up for church, remind people consistantly to do their visiting teaching, and many other things..... but it FINALLY occured to me today, that I must allow the girls that I love so much to learn for themselves and gain their own testimonies of the importance of the little things that we are asked to do. So if I call someone and ask them if they have done their visiting teaching, and they basically tell me it is not a top priority to them... it's okay. If someone chooses to sleep in on Sunday morning and not make it to Relief Society... it's okay. I was there once too, and I almost always forget that I had to learn these things too... and until I was ready to do it on my own, there was no way that I was going to do it.
I am really going to miss serving when this school year is finally over. I have been so overly stressed, and feeling overworked... but more importantly I have been overly blessed and learn something every day. I have learned that I can love people I don't even know, and be concerned for them and want them to truly succeed. We are all continually a work in progress and the most important thing to do is just to love people for who they are.

On a side note: test number 2 tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

I had the BEST Valentine....


And he had the all time WORST Valentine....

He will hate me if he knows I put this up :)

Big thanks to Cheston for putting up with me and still being a good Valentine even when I was the biggest grump- TO HIM!! He is is the the absolute VERY best :)

Unfortunately I only took one picture of Valentine's day.... but I have something special in store for this guy this week, and with a little cooperation- pictures will be on their way...

only 2.5 semesters left and the happy Natalie will be return and be a permanent resident.