2018 Goals

Well 2018 is already almost 1/12 over, time for some goals!

I have been feeling very busy with work and school and family life. It's been feeling like more of a chore to blog lately, but I have a minute now with August sleeping and dinner in the crock pot, so here we go:

- Finish my RN to BSN. This should be attainable as I only have one semester left and I'm already underway. This last class is a synthesis class and I could have either spent 15 weeks writing a paper, which I thought sounded pretty useless. Or I had the option to be in the ER for a semester. So I picked that option. After 3 years of being a nurse I still feel uncomfortable in emergency situations, and so I thought the experience would be useful for me. I already spent one day in the ER and saw lots of flu, but also saw a brain bleed, and a guy with a nail in his finger. This semester is turning out to take up a lot of time though. I have to do 126 hours of on-site experience and there are also 9 self-quiz packets on various topics: ventilators, trauma, hemodyncamics, advanced hemodynamics.... each packet is a 50-75 page PDF with 30 questions at the end and they are just so hard. And there are also 8 other fill-in-the-blank quizzes over the semester. So I am feeling stressed. But I think it will be worth it in the end and will make me a better nurse.

- Do the Bible in one year devotion. My friend Liz sent me the app and so far I'm on track. It's awesome because my phone can just read it to me while I prep dinner or wash dishes or what not. Unlike last year where there were just readings, this one also has a devotion part where it expounds on the daily reading and it makes a big difference I've noticed already. I'm also halfway through the Romans study in my Bible Study Fellowship group.

- Make a decision to move or buy another rental property. We are in the middle of lots of talking about this. Talking with a builder, looking at rental potentials. We are really in a nice spot now where our mortgage is very affordable so it seems daunting to have that possibly doubled.

- I'd love to make it through this stack of books that has been on my nightstand for years now, seriously, one of those is for engaged couples and we are in year 3 of marriage already. Now, don't get me wrong I love to read, just finished a novel in 2 days, but these non-fiction books take thought, and you can't just breeze through heavy topics all in one sitting. So they take forever. But I'd like to read them.

Otherwise I'm pretty open to what 2018 has in store. We hope it will bring an addition to our family, but that appears, like all things, to be on God's timing. I don't see any international trips in my future for 2018, but I am looking forward to a trip to DC in May for a friend's wedding, and a family reunion for my side of the family in Colorado in the summer. Doug's daydreaming about a Key West trip, so we'll see. Would also love to make an out East or Maine or Nova Scotia fall colors trip happen if at all possible.

Same as last year I want to be more intentional with my relationships. God, Doug, August, family, friends. I was just rocking August to sleep and singing Baby of Mine and of course the tears are coming down, one day he'll be too big to rock and one day he'll be gone to his own house and family. But today he is my baby and I love holding him close.

Hoping for good things in 2018 and for a closer walk with Jesus!