temporary.

i can't believe that we are nearing the 1 month mark of being at my job. i wish that i could say that i am starting to settle in, getting more used to it, but really it is getting harder and harder. there are just so many things that are expected of me besides working my normal shifts at the hospital. I have to take these outside classes and certification courses which take up most of my days off. so all this great stuff that i am learning in the classes and at work, i have no time to review. and then the time i have to review leaves little time for anything social. and i know that this will be a temporary feeling and hopefully within the next few months i will start to feel more settled. its been all good, just very very busy. lets just say that i am SO excited for this weekend where i will have two days off where i have NOTHING to do, so much sleeping will happen.  :)

the hardest thing about being so busy is the fact that i have not been able to talk very much to my family or friends up north, fill them in on my new life as a full time nurse. since i was there for almost two years, i really had built up another life. I treated my time in northern california as such a temporary thing. I didn't unpack a lot of things because I was only living there temporarily. i didn't get involved in a lot or seek out a church because i was only going to be there temporarily. But God had different plans, which i am so thankful for, because i got to reconnect and build new friendships with so many people. And those people really mean so much to me because they were such a support, encouragement, comic relief when needed, solid shoulders to cry on, etc during such a confusing point in my life. When I got offered this job in southern california, i didn't even have time to think about what it would be like to have to leave these friends.

before i had to move, my very wonderful friend Irene teamed up with two other of my fabulous friends, Kelly and Brianne, and threw together a lovely surprise party for me. The four of us try to do dinner once every couple weeks and it was something that I always looked forward to. So we had 'plans' to do dinner on one of our regular friday nights. irene comes to pick me up and of course comes up with some legit reason why we have to swing by her apartment first. of course me, miss oblivious/gullible, is just like ok! then we walk into her apartment and i was absolutely overwhelmed, to say the least, to see all the people that were able to gather (pretty last minute I might add) to say their "see ya laters" to me. I was oh so thankful. To say that i was in tears for the first half of the party would not be that much of an exaggeration. Irene did such a great job of knowing the different friends in my life and making sure they all got an invite. Her apartment looked so cute with the decorations she had made and all the food that everyone brought. It was so good to be able to say bye to everyone at once and be able to fill them all in on the crazy roller coaster that was this job process. Seriously this night will remain one of my favorites for a long time.

here are some pics from the night. i wish i thought ahead to a big group shot before people had to go but am just thankful i got see them in person one more time before i left.

thanks so much Irene for being so wonderful to me.
Wish that I got a pic with Kelly and Brianne before they had to leave.

heck yes i saved this sign. 

aren't those balloons so fun??!

Brianne made this super cute cake and Kelly
helped set up the beautiful table, including
those cute fruit cones, thanks pinterest.

seriously wish i would have thought to start taking pictures before anyone had left, but like i said i was just so overwhelmed with joy and seeing all their wonderful faces that i wasn't really thinking. 

Good old dad, sharing words of wisdom with everyone.
Probably about the wine people are drinking :) 

and so begins the late night photo shoot...

it helps make this busy time easier when i know that i am blessed with all of these friendships who are still helping/encouraging/praying for me. its so funny to me how something in your life seems so temporary/brief to you, yet God has other ideas. He may have it last longer than you think, He may do something so significant during a time that seems so pointless to you. I am a firm believer that everything in our life has a purpose and is a part of the Lord's plan. I am so grateful that I had that time in northern california and that "temporary" period really prepared me for this busy transition into this new job.