Becky, Tammy & Stephanie

I recently finished precepting my first pediatric nurse practitioner student, and her name is Stephanie. She graduated last week, so this is an exciting time for her! I have had several students follow me for a few hours or a few shifts, but Stephanie was the first to stick with me for 2 whole semesters as we prepared for her entry into the real world as a nurse practitioner. She was a natural, and I know she is going to love NP life. 

Walking with a student (and now friend!) through this journey made me think of Tammy, who was my first nurse I precepted as a RN. Tammy was my guinea pig. She stuck with me through thick and thin and somehow we made it through her orientation together. Tammy's caring personality and attention to detail made it very easy to guide her through her training. 

It takes tremendous responsibility to be a preceptor. You become a role model to help shape how an individual enters the nursing world. None of the above would have been possible without Becky, who taught me everything there is to know about being a nurse and helped me survive each shift without tears (mostly). I despised clinical in nursing school and had worries that I wouldn't like this career. Thankfully, real life is better than student life.
I worked Becky's schedule for 5 months and she stood beside me as I learned the ins and outs of how to be a registered nurse. We worked with some of the sickest kids you will find in the hospital, and somehow found solace and camaraderie through all the seriousness that surrounded us. But that is a whole other story in itself.

That was 7.5 years ago. My little brother was graduating high school the year I started my job. He has since finished college, has worked at his own grown up job for a year, and is flying through medical school.

It's fun sometimes to relive these memories and see how far we all have come.

Have a happy Sunday<3
xoxo
Connie

Three Happy Years

We have been celebrating our three year dating anniversary for about a month now. Three dates, three plus new dining experiences. It all started with beautiful flowers delivered to my office from my fiance who was sick with pneumonia. Even when he is sick, he is so thoughtful :) When his appetite returned, we began our celebrations.

1. Boulevardier-French-ish cuisine at its best. Brunch was yummy, and we'll definitely be back to try dinner.

2. Ida Claire~Southern fusion with a flair. This was definitely a unique dish--Sweet potato chips, duck confit, goat cheese, duck fat gravy, and a sunny side up duck egg. You can bet we'll be back for seconds!

The chocolate cake with BACON was a rash decision. I can live without bacon fat with my dessert :)

3. Neighborhood services-Fun atmosphere for a date or night with friends. Definitely hip ;)

4. Magic Cup- You're looking at Kimchi fries right there. We also had the yummiest fruit boba drinks that we'll definitely have again soon.

What wedding diet? Clearly, I'm the worst dieter in the universe.

Happy 3 years <3

xoxo, Connie

Summer Dates

Back on Memorial Day, Yung and I attended our one and only wedding cake tasting and also went out on a date that night. We had the best time eating at Trinity Groves and walking across the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge. How was that two months ago? Summer, please don't leave me yet! I put together a a short summer bucket list...some of which we have already completed and will probably do again. Who couldn't use another snow cone?

Summer 2016 Bucket List 

1. Go get a snow cone. Or two or three or four. We went and got a snow cone last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed people watching and eavesdropping on others' conversations. Serious entertainment right there.
2. Go get frozen yogurt. Because it's fun and I like to eat mine with fruity pebbles and mochi.
3. Watch dollar movies. We discovered a dollar theater not too far from Yung's house, so major score for that one. Who wants to go watch Bad Moms with me?
4. Go kayaking. Because we love being outdoors and we haven't been in a long time. We want so badly to bring Colorado to us here in Texas. 
5. Catch more Pokemon. Because it's a little silly and a ton of fun. I actually haven't downloaded the game yet on my phone, but yours truly's fiance has, and I think it is funny :) My little brother used to collect Pokemon cards and we've gone to see the movies together so seeing this evolve into a virtual game is pretty neat.
6. Stand in line at Carlo's Bakery. Because back when I used to have cable, I used to watch Cake Boss, and the last time I was in the neighborhood, I didn't have time to wait in line to get a treat.

Cheers to summertime!

xx Connie

#TheSultanAndHisBride

Mid-June, we treated ourselves to a relaxing stay at the Omni while we attended Feven and Sultan’s wedding. Feven and I met 9 years ago in nursing school and throughout the years, we have bonded through supporting each other in our life, careers, and relationships. She has been my gym buddy for the last year or so, which has been awesome. We got engaged within a week of one another last October, so it has been fun to walk together on the wedding planning journey. 

It was amazing to witness a wedding celebration with such a rich infusion of culture and traditions. Yung and I both felt an incredible sense of community throughout the 2 day event. Everyone came together to celebrate the bride and groom who truly looked like royalty.

It has been a treat to get to know Feven’s sisters and her friends that I have heard her talk so much about. One commonality I have noticed is how inviting and welcoming everyone is. Seriously a beautiful testament to how they were raised.

Isn't everyone just gorgeous?????!

Weddings are always a great place to see friends you haven't seen in YEARS! Hi Lauren!

Two very important things I do not want to forget from my experience:

1. When attending an Eritrian event, you must train your mind to be on a different clock. Kind of like being on Island Time when you go to Hawaii (not that I've ever been..but I've heard :) ) If the invitation states a 6pm start time, that may meant 8pm, but it might really mean 9:30pm.  I learned this the hard way in the beginning, but I think we did pretty well at doing our best to be "late" over the weekend. I like living life without a clock. We would probably all get fewer headaches and be more stress free if we adopted this regimen. Just bring a book with you where ever you go and you are set! 

2. The food was one of our favorite parts of the wedding, and I am happy to announce that I now love injera. Injera is a cross between a pancake and a crepe. It is really like a tan or brown colored, thin, squishy, sour pancake, with lots of craters that makes it look like the surface of the moon when it isn't feeling well. I first tasted it at Feven’s house many years ago, and ate it just to be polite. Clearly, I was not an immediate injera lover, but something happened over the weekend and I am now raving fan. All of the wedding food was traditional, and we enjoyed every bite. So many different flavors and curries and deliciousness. My favorite was a sour tasting injera salad that I would not mind purchasing by the pound.

We couldn't finish the first evening without a 2am photo of us and me in my first Rent The Runway dress!!!! It was a bit long, but otherwise, great renting experience! Use this link to rent a dress with a discount!

The second evening was more cultural, and Feven looked like a queen! Different decor and clothing, but I was excited to be eating the same food! 

Serious props and kudos to everyone that helped put the weekend together. They ended up hosting 800+ guests and pulled it off seamlessly.
Cheers to the newlyweds <3 <3 <3 Wishing ya'll a lifetime of hugs and happy times. 
xx Connie

Oh, What It Took

Since I posted about our girls night, the four of us have gotten together a total of two times. Once after I got engaged and once more a few weeks ago. Although I may see or talk to the girls on separate occasions, it took us almost 5 months this time around to schedule a date.

Between the four of us, we have 4 significant others, 3 children, 8 pets, and ~8 jobs. Being a momma is a job and some of us have another job outside our nursing job. Two of us work normal day time hours and two work night shift. We also live on opposite ends of the metroplex, which I believe is the greatest challenge.

But what ever it takes. I look forward to our bi-annual dinners and will see you at the next one!

Cheers & love as always,

Connie

Louisiana Livin'

Weeks in Louisiana are the best because I can live mostly schedule free, I do not feel guilty for eating 2 lunches and 3 dinners, and I am surrounded by familiarity, crawfish, and love. Professor gets extra massages, which he completely takes advantage of. I make Aaron play duets on the piano with me. I catch up with friends and also make pit stops in Houston (Whitwatt and little Ty!) to cuddle new babies and get to visit all the Buc-ees I pass along the way.  It’s pretty much the best.

Aaron needs all the assessment skills he can get, and Professor was being very patient. Auscultating, percussing, and range of motion on the pup were all within normal limits ;)

We have made many memories in this dining room. Happy early birthday to my little brother, and Happy late Father’s Day, Dad! Aaron will turn 25 whole years old on Friday <3

Happy summer to everyone!

Xoxo Connie 

All the Purple Ladies

In exactly 15 days, my friend Feven is marrying the man of her dreams.  I cannot wait to celebrate her and Sultan and attend my first Eritrean wedding.

Last month, we met in Austin for Feven's bachelorette party. Here are 10 things I learned from our weekend in the Hill Country:

1. It is possible for the bride to fall asleep in the car in 15 seconds flat. This happened twice in a three hour period.
2. Mafia. Enough said.
3. The more reserved and proper you are in real life, the better you will be at pole dancing.
4. Steve-Bob-Estoban was a faithful companion.
5. Purple hair that travels in groups will allow you to bypass long lines.
6. 6th street at 1:30am is different from 6th street at 10pm.
7. Waiting 2+ hours at brunch for food to be served earned us $100.
8. When a scary bride (not Feven) tells you to dance with her on stage, you do what she tells you to do.
9. Who doesn't love a little a cappella Beyonce? 'Everything you own in a box to the left...'
10. Feven has the best sisters and friends. They did a wonderful job planning her weekend. Thanks for the laughs and for the new memories.

 Our super cute porch of the house we stayed at. Right outside of downtown Austin.

 We didn't get to eat here because it was 1am, and I felt like I was walking in a cloud because my bedtime is 9pm, but I would like to go back and try it one day.

Super fun theme. We attracted a little bit of attention that evening!

Can't wait for the wedding <3 <3 <3

xx Connie