Nights....

Many of you know, I started a new job about 3 weeks ago on the pediatric floor at the hospital that I've been working with previously. It been quite an adjustment being on my feet for about 12 hours, taking the bus home from work (my loving husband usually can take me to work), remembering IV fluid calculations and waking up my dormant nursing assessment skills. The biggest change has been relearning how to work nights shifts and still managing to lead a somewhat "normal" social/functional schedule on my days off. Even though it's a BEAUTIFUL thing to work 3 12s in a row and then have 5 or 6 days off, I feel very much like a sloth during half of those days off and my body doesn't know if it's time for morning coffee or an evening glass of red wine.

 I find myself thinking, should I nap now? Or save my slumber for tonight with my husband? Do I dare caffinate myself in the morning when I have to work that night? Can I go for a run, or will that wake me up too much?  What day is it? Is that a sunrise or a sunset?  I don't know.  I'm sure i'll get more used to working night shifts, but I don't know if it'll ever get "easier".  And I've decided that that's ok. For now. =)

Mad props to my hubby for putting up with delerious, tearful, cranky me when it's 7pm and I want to go to bed.

Here's a glimpse of my patient load thus far: 18yo suicidal ingestion, 10 day old w fevers, 7mo seizures, 16yo head lesion, 2yo appendectomy, 5 yo flu. - 'tis the season for flu! And I've had patients from Mexico, Russia, Nepal, Honduras - not quite my international delight like at my previous clinic, but it'll somewhat satisfies my craving for diversity.

At times, while all the kiddos are tucked in and medicated for the night - I've got an opportunity to get to know some coworkers, and chit chat over our caffeine of choice. Then we get an admission and chit chat's over...

It's a good time, and I'm so grateful I'm physically able to work and that God has blessed me with an employer who gives me a paycheck!  As newlyweds, we're trying to whittle down debt and be wise stewards with what we've been given - it's hard, but worth it!


And ps.  I've definitely fallen asleep on the bus heading home. yup.

making memories....

Sitting in our grandma lounging recliner, recapping this weekend with Nathaniel and uploading some pics: it was a great weekend! Jordan came in to visit and we shared some good drinks, good laughs, and some good shopping, all while making great memories.   We tried a few new recipes, made a mess of the house and it was worth it.

Here's a few fun pics of the happenings (and the food!)  and please pardon the weird image layout and white frame... I'll figure out the blogging thing eventually.

frosting for the carrot zucchini bars... YUM

a break from black friday shopping

fuel



Thankful

yes we look like we drink a lot. I do have a yummy recipe for spiked egg nog and apple cider sangria, however I promise we're not alcoholics....

what a cutie

fun lil' appetizers




favorite way to wake up

making christmas ornaments



a BEAUTIFUL sunset!

a welcoming front door wreath

love our home.



Christmas tree shopping



sisters.... don't ask.



Love this guy.

before and after

 

BEFORE

nasty white walls, crappy baseboards, BORING.....

 

 

 

Don't mind the clutter....

 

During

 

just kidding.   Kinda.

 

AFTER

stunning blue and white walls divided by a cherry stained chair rail and lovely baseboards provided by Nathaniel Johnson himself.... 

 

It's got kinda a Hawaiin feel to it almost... Looking a big ol' Hibiscus or something for above the towel rack.

                                     In person, the blue is quite a bit brighter. In fact, it glows. 

 

 

R & R

So what'd I do in my two weeks off? Here's a smattering of what i've done with my time off of work (in no particular order of excitement):

~Attempted to organize the storage room, but ended up just sorting into piles which are still sitting there
~Painted the bathroom BRIGHT blue! (pics to come... Nathaniel's putting finishing touches on it)
~Started making/ordering some Christmas presents!
~Pet the cat
~ Read an entire book (rare for me! usually i only make it 2/3 of the way)
~ Hiked Red Rocks
~ Took my bread-winning husband to work almost everyday (and then went back to bed for an hour or so)
~ A few coffee dates with friends
~ Washed windows
~ Had a productive Ikea trip (and put together some new buys

Wow, looking back - I probably could have done a bit more and incorporated a few fancy dinner parties, maybe a trip to Rome and a ski trip or two.  OH well, it's OK. I got fancy with home organization and cought up on some sleep. And I'm ok with that. =)

I'll start planning now a more intruguing va-cay for next time (whenever that may be....)

God bless a lil' R & R

A farewell

So, the time has come. We're selling the jeep.

It's a gas hog. It's got an engine tap. It doesn't hold much cargo  (plywood or people). It makes me give the bank money every month. sigh.

but i love it.  I'll miss it.  Heck, I rode away in it after we said "I do".   There've been a few off- roading memories that will definitely live on - there's nothing like taking the soft top off, rolling down the windows and cruising the Colorado mountainss - whether it be in solitude, with my girls, or with my love. 

Peace out my yellow friend. Maybe one day, I'll have another like you!

~Katelyn

tell me it's just a car, right?

bittersweet

After a 7 month journey of endless applications and resumes, many tears of frustration, few interviews, and even fewer glimmers of hope, I have received an official offer for a job at the Denver Health Pediatric floor and PICU.  

Years ago, when I chose nursing as my profession, I loved the flexibility in hours, the ability to someday have a resume littered with experiences in the OR, the ER, inpatient peds, outpatient family practice, teaching, research, home health, travel etc... I've always had in mind, "well, at least I'll be able to find a job easily".  The past 7 months have been challenged ALL of that!

It's been a challenge, and I feel like I should have been learning stuff like patience, or resillience; maybe God was teaching me contentment with where I was. I don't know, although I probably should have been looking UP more than I have been looking inward. And I do know I've been ready for something different for awhile and I'm so relieved/excited/nervous/(insert emotion here) change is on the horizon.

Don't get me wrong, I'll miss my clinic. We have a crew of hardworking individuals who always manage to pull through for our patients, no matter how frustrating the situation may be. We've got an amazing unique patient population of refugees who are trying their darndest to learn English and navigate the health care system, all while looking for work and raising 12 kids (birth control's a crazy topic for many of them!).   I will miss the colors, smells and sounds of our waiting room. At any given time, I'd hear Amharic, Karen, Burmese, Nepali, Arabic, Swahili, Spanish being spoken. It was music to my ears. 

During the past two years, my eyes and ears have been more opened to the needs of my community around me. Many of these refugees live less than 10 minutes from me, yet when I drive in their neighborhood, it's like I've traveed thousands of miles away.  I'd like to always be a part of serving our diverse Denver neighbors, but I know my service will look different as time changes and seasons of life change. 

Just this morning, I helped load up a moving truck of our church's adopted family from Eritrea. Dad's found a job about an hour and half away and the family couldn't be more excited! good for them! But i'll miss their sweet faces and the spicy smell of their home will linger in my mind.  (in a good way...!)

What's next? I don't know for sure. We'll start with 2 weeks off to organize the house and my life, goof off, pray, read, and re-prioritize. Then it's off to weird hospital hours, sick kids and scared families, new coworkers, and whatever else God has in store for me!

Yay for new adventures, eh? =)

Birthday Boots and more!

This week, Nathaniel and I celebrated both of our 27th birthdays! Mine was last Sat on the 22nd and Nathaniel's on the 27th (making it his GOLDEN bday!)

We kicked off our birthday celebration with a gorgeous fall hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, about 1.5 hrs away from us. The aspens have turned and the weather was perfect. We packed some cold pizza and grapes and ate a lunch atop an old ski lift trail and watched some clouds drift by and glanced around for bears. Didn't see any. darn.

After a fun refreshing hike, we chilled with some nachos and drinks at the ever famous Stanley hotel which was jam-packed with tourists, wedding guests, and people taking pics in front of the "We landed on the moon" poster from Dumb and Dumber. it was great for people watching  =)

We spend my birthday evening with a stroll around downtown Denver, a carmel apple dessert and opening up my BIRTHDAY BOOTS!! I was so excited my hubby got me cowboy boots from Bass Pro Shop, so you know they're pretty legit. I know these boots will become a staple in my wardrobe. My last pair of boots lasted me over 5 years and I wore them with sweatpants, skinny jeans and even my wedding dress. I loved them so, but they only made it until the wedding day. And then I lost them. It was like shedding a part of my singleness after I said "I do".  I still get sad when I cant find any shoes to compliment my favorite fall dress.  but not anymore! New BOOTS are here! Thanks Nathaniel!



Nathaniel also got his studly birthday present from Bass Pro shop as well - a Carhart coat! He cant wait until it's cold enough to wear it.  I think he wears it around the house when I'm not home... 

We finalized our birthday celebration with a fun dinner with some of my new in-laws! luckily the crockpot BBQ pork turned out yummy and the roasted potatoes didn't burn to a crisp. phew. It was a full blown pinterest inspired meal, with the best part being the cookie inside a cookie dessert. mmmmm. Thanks Pinterst.

So thank you to all our friends and family who made it a great week! We love you all and miss those that aren't here! Shout-out to the whole midwest, and some on the east coast! Here's to a great 27th year Nathaniel! Cheers!

milk vs spinach

The one part about my job that I love is my one on one patient visits. Whether it's introducing a woman to her baby's heartbeat for the first time at 10 weeks, or counseling new parents that, yes a lil' jaundice and weight loss is normal in their 3 day old, or when I sit down with patient with newly diagnosed diabetes or perhaps, pre-diabetes.

Just the other day, it was my sheer and honest pleasure to tell a 50 something year old woman with CRA-ZAY out of control diabetes and super non compliant that "sorry, a watermelon-only diet is actually NOT good for your diabetes......", and "yah, maybe you should stop drinking 4 cans of pop a day..."

 I also recently had a blind, elderly Ethiopian chef tell me that he is BLESSED he has diabetes. WHAT?! He continued to say plainly, that he is grateful that it's not HIV, or it's not cancer. It's something he can live with and manage and he is thankful to God that he's still alive to tell other people about his journey with diabetes. (ummmm perfect patient). He continued to express his genuine gratitude for the physicians and nurses who saved his life (he called them saviors) by telling him how nutrition, exercise and stress all impacted his health.  Wow... this sweet gentleman renewed my spirits and gave me more motivation to do what I do daily - counsel patients on basic nutrition and exercise principles and to help them set small goals to be healthier.

Not quite sure when my general interest in nutrition started.... It definitely was not when I was a kid, when I hated all veggies except for corn and potatoes. I think I even called my mom the night I ate some carrots and/or a salad for the first time in the cafeteria my JUNIOR year of college. She was proud, but probably thought I was pretty pathetic.....

I know I got a big whiff of nutrition, health snobs, and diet fads galore when I moved to Denver 2 years ago.  At times, the health conscious population could be kinda annoying and I felt I had to sneak around when I wanted a cookie or explain myself if I felt the desire to order a diet coke and fries when I was with my friends.  It's also slightly refreshing and nice to be around people so aware of food! I did an experiment one month where I went on a nutritional cleanse with no processed foods (like none), no chocolate, coffee, or meat. It was so darn hard, but it was so darn awesome. I learned a lot about different types of produce that I never would have tried. I reset my taste buds to decrease my affinity for sweets. I discovered how my body functioned and felt when I was chalked full of spinach, kale and berries.  It was cool! But honestly, I was so relieved to eat cheese again. ahhhhhh gouda.

Since the nutritional cleanse, I've definitely fallen off the "no processed" train onto the yogurt lovin', qdoba eatin' track. Not that I'm a complete mess, but I've got some room for improvement.

Tonight I watched a documentary you may have heard of "Forks over knives". Basically, two physicians review their extensive and solid research that tells us a plant based diet can prevent and even reverse many chronic illnesses that plague our society today. They argue that animal protein found in meats and dairy can actually promote cancer growth. well crap. I love cheese and yogurt.

I do think that it is absolutely fascinating that God has designed our bodies in such a way that physically respond to the nutritious garden he has so creatively made for us! He has created an environment in which we can thrive from veggies, grains, beans and fruit! However, I think He has also created food to be a social and fun outlet as well. It's a balance that I'm still looking for.

 Ideally, I'd love to be a plant only eater and help my body thrive in the matter that God intended (thinking way back to Adam and Eve...) However, with 40 hr work weeks, a bacon and milk lovin' husband, and a passion for honey flavored Noosa yogurt, I've got some challenges. 

I'm going to go pinterest some vegetarian recipes.

a thursday...

Is this what being married's about?  blogging about daily adventures and talking to the cat while your husband plays with ducts (and maybe ducks) while installing an air conditioner? 'Cause pretty sure that's what's going on right now....

It feels a bit surreal to be married. Awesome definitely, but absolutely surreal.  Nathaniel continues to impress me with his character and husband-likeness and I'm continually trying to figure out how to be a wife. The other day I found myself stuffing dried up apples and fake twigs in a glass vase in an effort to decorate our living room for fall. It felt very wifey but pretty sure Nathaniel could not care how autumn-esque our home is.  I secretly like it the look of twig stuffed decorations and fall candles and I may find myself decorating for the seasons now... watch out.

A friend asked me the other day about our cooking schedule, and well, i found myself explaining how I'm trying to find a balance of cooking up a yummy, pseudo healthy, balanced meal that I can be proud of and not losing my sanity by peeling a million veggies, finding appropriate seasonings and baking salmon every night, ya know? Frankly, when I come home from work every night, I'm hungry and I'm tired. I still want to have SOME energy left to enjoy the evening with my hubby and not monopolize it with dinnertime.  I'm realizing this takes planning and a bit of prep to come to a healthy balance.  Tonight, I said screw it - let's go to buffalo wild wings. Last night we had fish and quinoa though, so it's all good. =)

One more quick side note before I leave: Our guest room is now up and running - complete with clean sheets, an adorable bedside table and a Gideon Bible in the dresser for your reading and salvation pleasure. Please come visit. Call first, but yes - you're most likely welcome.

new beginnings

Well, it seems I've got the blogging bug. it seems like everyone's doing it - posting cute pictures of babies (don't worry - not yet), displaying healthy "gluten free, fat free, allergy free, calorie free" recipes, relaying exciting weekend that make everyone wish they had the other person's life and chronicling day to day activities that make the world go round! 

 I always thought blogs can be weird - I never thought i had that much of an exciting life that I needed to share it with the interwebs, but I'm excited to share what's going on with family and friends. SO you may read some things that I think are exciting (getting married is cool yah?), there may be some mundane posts on laundry, and I may find the need to post awesome recipes and healthy exercises - bear with me(or is it bare?)!  I am smack dab in the middle of a season of change - learning how to be the best wife for my new husband, tackling home ownership, investing in a new church, working at a ho-hum (most days) nurse job, and living in and loving on Denver, CO - all with the ultimate goal of God being glorified.

me and my husband to be (he's usually smiling...)

Join with me as I explore the blogging realm. I hope friends and family can stay updated on the Johnson family life and walk with us as we wonder if marriage really is "Happily Ever After"....