Another day, another late night.

Well, I was right.  7am...which turned into 8am... April hated me this morning.  Especially after once I got in bed, I discovered an episode of "Friends" was coming on.... which meant of course I HAD to watch it.  How can you not?  We'll forget the little fact that I OWN the box set......

 

Today work was flat out.  Soo busy.  And the weather????? Rainy, cold and windy!!  We have a nasty storm that has swept through causing a lot of damage, power loss, etc.  Luckily at home no power loss, and unfortunately at work, no power loss either.  Hehe.  And a massive temperature change.  Once I got out of work I headed and picked up a package my folks sent from home.  I love love love packages.  Even if they are the smallest things.. it's always exciting to me to get and open.  Perhaps it's the little kid inside me.  But I love it.  When I got this package, I was allowed to open it (Christmas presents are on their way as well and we can't open those until Christmas!).  It was ornaments and a few Christmas decorations.  The decorations, ornaments, COLD temperatures, and some very random 7pm BURST of flipping energy... that would have been much more appreciated when I was ATTEMPTING to roll out of bed this morning..... lead to the putting up of the Christmas tree (of course, after going to purchase a new one as we waited WAY too late last year and ended up with one the height of my knee cap).  I was so excited, I just couldn't wait.  I will post pictures at some stage..but since Wayne is away with work, I would rather him come home and see the tree firsthand.  And not experience our second (and brand new) Christmas tree in our house via facebook or blogger pictures.  :)  So with the wind gusting and the temperatures dropping, I put in "A Christmas Story" and went to town.  I think it looks great, and I even picked up a few new and awesome ornaments that I'm really excited about.  When "A Christmas Story went off, in went "Christmas Vacation" and then I started dinner.  Went for a light dinner since I was starting dinner at 10:30 p.m.  My back and feet hurt, but seeing the tree and knowing that I'm totally in the Christmas Spirit (and the tree isn't being put up the WEEK before Christmas this year!) makes all that seem to disappear!

 

Tomorrow work will be quite busy with normal stuff plus conducting some interviews.  Last week I had FIVE interviews scheduled on Thursday and only TWO showed.  SMH.  Really???  I really don't get it.  At least have the decency to call and cancel?  I would be willing to consider someone in the future if they at least called and cancelled.  Or is that just the rational adult in me talking? 

 

Tomorrow after work my close and awesome pal Sasha (who moved here in June/July and we have really hit it off) are watching Bridesmaids (which is appropriate since she is one of my Bridesmaids!) and having dinner at our house.  Looking forward to it.  She is so awesome and I am really thankful for her and her friendship!!!  

 

Well, I'm sorry but once again there are no refunds for lost time on my blog.  Don't you people learn?  haha.  Goodnight.

 

And, Good eye might!  (Val, that's for you!) 

I should be in bed!

It's 11:18 p.m. now and I am totally up past my bedtime!! Tisk! Tisk!

 

However, I had a long nap today after battling some stomach issues yesterday and being home sick today, so while I know 7a.m. April will be mad at wide awake 11p.m. April, really my hands are tied and I am not getting in the middle of it! Ha. Ha.

 

I went today and picked up a little thing for our wedding reception.....

Sorry it's not the greatest quality picture of a picture.  Anyways, each letter is spelled out by something from Perth.  The last one is a little dark in the picture, but it's a heart.  We are gonna put this at the gift table and then afterwards hang it in the house.. probably in the bedroom.  Just a little something special to have and keep and always remind us of the day we married.  Really happy with this.  All the other details are slowly coming in.  And Wayne has been so great at all the planning and such.  No, we aren't engaged yet, but it's in the works!  :D

 

On the way home from picking this photo up tonight, I heard a song on my ipod shuffle I hadn't heard in years.....  Music has always been a big part of my life, and it sometimes just takes my breath away how music can impact your life.  A song you hadn't heard in years can suddenly transmit you right back to a certain day/time/event.  Sometimes good, sometimes bad.. always magical though.  Instantly I was 16 and "cruising" with my best friend from high school, Amy.  Isn't it just crazy how music can do that?  

 

I have continued to be in a cleaning mood and continue to organise things and clean things.  Wayne will come home from Sydney and never leave again... he won't trust me to be home alone anymore.  I go on mini shopping sprees and buy pretty things.  Ha.  Boys don't like pretty things.  I don't get it????  lol. 

 

Anyways, hope everyone out there is doing well.  I'm back to the grind tomorrow!  Until next time!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I can't believe that it's Thanksgiving.. again... ALREADY.  Didn't we just put away all the clean dishes and pots and pans from last year, like.... last week????  Where has 2012 gone?

This is my first official holiday in Australia without homesickness.  I guess having my career in the direction I've always wanted, a relationships I've always prayed for, friends surrounding me (near and far), and my family both home and my unofficial in-laws who have never once made me feel anything less than family by blood all really help.  It's really strange to look back on times in my life where I was unhappy and feel that those unhappy feelings were what I was stuck with for the rest of my life, and not having the ability to see the bigger picture when things were going bad... to not think God was out to get me, but to just have trust and faith that he was pulling me out of horrible situations and delivering me into the life I now have. 

 

So, in no order, I will list the things I am thankful for!

 

*  My parents, who have always supported me and been there for me when the things they knew would fail or fall apart did, all while supporting me during through the decisions I made, even when they were bad decisions.  I know that as a parent you want to protect your kid from everything, and my parents were fantastic parents who protected me, but allowed me as an adult to have wings.... and a safety net.  Perhaps that is why I was more willing to take big chances over the years?  Anyways, my dad is my step dad and the greatest man I could have ever hoped to have as a father figure.  He IS my dad, despite DNA. 

 

*  My boyfriend.  I am really blessed that we started as friends and our friendship grew and blossomed way before any other feelings did.  It is really nice to be in a relationship with someone who you feel you can confide anything in, and still cut up and be a big kid.  Some days it's like having your BEST friend as a roomate as an adult.  Cut up, joke around, pull pranks, play playstation, cut up, talk about the "good ole days"... and then two seconds later have the embrace of a loving couple and the support, love, and affection that he gives me.  It's really having the best of both worlds.  I'm so happy that as I started to fall for him that he in turn was falling as well, and that we fell together.  I am happy for the support he has given me as I have moved to another world and had to relearn everything that I had learned in my first 30 years of life.  I am happy that he is always encouraging and tolerates my bullshit at times.  I am thankful that when life goes bad, he is always by my side, and when needed, he steps forward to take the hits for me.  I can never put into words what he means to me.  Yes, we've had our bad times... but we are human and that's part of life.

 

*  My job.  I love my job and am so thankful to be a the highest point in my career and in a position I have always dreamed.  I was given a rare chance.... a part time position to a nurse with NO experience with the Australia healthcare system... to full time... to full time with sponsorship... now to Nurse Coordinator and Practice Manager.  I do not think the full reality has hit me.  I approved the final draft of my business cards today.  Felt soooo weird to see those.   I am busy as hell, and tired, but sooo grateful for the opportunity.  It's just crazy to think about it, and I guess because there wasn't any training period or much warning I was getting the promotion, I think that's why it still doesn't feel real.  The paychecks are nice though!! 

 

* Friends.  If there is anything this move has done, it has proven to me who my true friends are.  I have gotten closer with some people and farther away from some.  But I no longer will allow myself to force a friendship.  It doesn't mean that I don't love those friends, it just means I don't want to be the only one working for it.  I have met some great friends here and am sooo thankful for those friends here.  Recently I have become pretty close to my friend Sasha.  She and her hubby moved here from Florida in June, and we started talking on FB prior to that.  We just clicked and hit it off right away.  We communicate quite a bit and I always enjoy our time together..which occurs on a regular basis.  The hard part about living abroad is when a friend is in need.  However, even if I can't physically be there, I do my best to make sure I am there as much as I can be. 

 

*  God.  I am thankful to God for all the above, as well as for the strength to fight a very personal battle.  A battle I also must thank my friends and family for their support.

 

* Modern technology.  I can't imagine moving to the other side of the world without the ability to communicate with my friends and family.  Well, lets be honest, I wouldn't be here without it as I probably never would have met Wayne, and certainly the back story to how I met Wayne would have never happened either. 

 

And lastly, I am thankful for the Thanksgiving weekend on tap!! Tonight was wings at a restaurant with a group of Americans.  Tomorrow is cooking with the future mom in law, in the afternoon I will be at the spa for a 90 minute session, dinner with the future in laws and boy, then Saturday is our BIG thanksgiving dinner with over 30 people!!  We went shopping on Sunday... TWO big turkeys, etc.  I have always LOVED Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to this year more than I can ever remember a prior thanksgiving!! So much to be thankful for.

 

On that note, I am thankful for our comfy bed, and comfy pillow... as I am headed to bed. 

 

"count your blessings name them one by one"

 



Why yes, it HAS been a while!

It's been a full MONTH since I have last posted.  My has life been super busy!!  I have quite a few things to report!!!!!

I won't go into the full details here.. and chances are if you are one of my friends I talk to on a regular basis, you already know the behind the scenes story..... however my boss quit in the past month.  She actually walked out one day angry.  This left me to oversee things while they sorted things out with her (unsure if she would return or not).  I guess I should also just tell you that here in Australia, the employees have all the rights.   Totally different than America.  So anyways, here I was without warning having to step up to the plate and prove myself.  After all, I have for years wanted to move into management, and this was my chance to prove to them, as well as myself, that I could do the job... and do it well.  About 2 weeks ago, my boss made it official and resigned.  I was asked to continue to "fill in" in her absence.  I had done the "smart" thing about 2 weeks prior to her walking out and starting expressing concerns that I had. 

So, anyways, one week ago I was officially promoted to Practice Manager and Nurse coordinator and given a nice little pay rise.  I am so thrilled.  Today I conducted interviews and have hired a part time nurse to add to our nursing team to allow me to focus on management more than I am able to working full time as a nurse.  Starting soon I will also not be working weekends and only Monday-Friday.  As a nurse, I can't even begin to tell you how THRILLED this makes me!!!  And the pay rise also makes me happy.  I started at this job 9 months ago.  It originally was going to be a part time, 2 day a week job.  Within a week, I was offered full time.  Within a month they agreed to sponsor me.  Now at 9 months, I have gone up nearly 27% in pay and am the boss with a Mon-Fri job.  Life is good! 

Australia has certainly been the best thing I have ever done.  I am at the highest salary I have ever had, am in the highest position I have ever held, and am happier in my career than I have EVER been.  I am also the happiest I have ever been.  Sure there are times I am a total crab (lol.. hey, I am a woman after all).  But it seems like everything in my life has just all come together at the same time.  I am at peace with a lot of things from my past, I am at peace with myself, and just feel I am the happiest I have ever been.  I have quit drinking and have decided to attempt to become healthier.  I am basically trying to be the best ME I can be.  Plain and simple. 

Well, that is all I have for now... hope everyone is doing well!!!!!!  Until next time...