Vacation pt 2, Disneyland Anyone?

Of course, if I'm in California, I'm going to be constantly thinking about The Place Where Dreams Come True. And believe me, I thought of that magical place constantly. At Nate's fencing competitions, on the freeway, in the hotel, at dinner, it was like an infection of the mind. (A very, very good and happy infection of course)

Sunday night we wandered down to Downtown Disney for Earl of Sandwich goodness. It brought back so many good memories of Leslie and I getting a quick lunch together in Florida.

Being so close to the parks was such torture!! We spent a few minutes at the Lego store, where mom blew quite the amount of money using my Disney employee discount, and of course, I snapped some pictures of the amazing Disney Lego creations.

So Monday morning rolls around, and I'm so excited for Disney that I woke up at 5 AM, then finally allowed myself to get out of bed to get ready. We were off a few hours later so we could make it at (almost) park opening. Honestly, I didn't take a ton of pictures, because I've been to Disneyland so incredibly much in my lifetime.

We bought park hoppers, so our day was pretty hectic. Run to this ride, run here, run to the other park, etc. But honestly, it was such a good day. Really honestly truly, a wonderful day.

And that's really the extent of the non-scenery pics I took. I just now decided I'll save Cars Land for a different post. There's lots and lots of pics!

~Courtney

Vacation pt 1, Nate The Great

Nate, my parents and I took a fun 4 day trip to LA and Anaheim California this weekend, and I took so many pictures, I decided to break my journaling into 2 posts. We went so Nate could participate in a regional fencing competition. Yeah, that's right. My brother fences, and he's really quite good for less than a year's worth of experience.

Look at this stud. He's about 5'6 now, and still growing, which is rare for the Brown family. Seriously. Look at his studliness.

Unfortunately with fencing, you take a thousand pics and they end up looking the exact same. So I successfully took 3 pictures of his bouts, and here's one for you to enjoy. He's wearing the white shoes. Look at that reach! Go Nate!!

And of course, the obligatory pic of the father holding a sabre (the thing they poke with) and 'smiling' for the camera.

He competed two different days, once in his age group, and once in the age group above him. He did really awesome for being a novice, and we found out later that he is now in the top 50 national fencers in his age group! Holy awesome little brother! Seriously, he's had about 9 months of training and he's already in the top 50. I see great things in store for this kid.

He's the shorter one 

After the first day of fencing, we ran to the Los Angeles Temple so Nate could do some baptisms for the dead for some male family members.

It was a really great experience and we had a wonderful time as a family. We got dinner at California Pizza Kitchen afterwards, and slept not so soundly in our cozy hotel room. (Nate snores like a lawnmower. It's awful.)

So that's part 1 of our Cali adventure!
~Courtney

Pondering My Future

I've decided that every month I'm going to answer the same questions for the 2 years I'm earning my R.N. I thought this would be a fun way to get me through nursing school, so here goes!


1. What have you thought about most today?
       What on Earth I'm going to do to fill all my FREE TIME
2. What did you learn about today in Class?
       Absolutely nothing!! No class!!
3. What was your most recent test on?
       Considering it was my comprehensive final, everything!
4. What is your next test on?
       My next test is the NCLEX-PN...
5. What was the best part of today?
       Eating cake with friends at Donna's retirement party.
6. What are you stressed about?
       The NCLEX
7. What/Who do you miss right now?
       I'm going to miss my friends who are moving elsewhere.
8. What did you have for dinner today?
       institute is feeding us this week. Today was breakfast!
9. If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be?
       I'm thinking Florida. Anywhere with a beach, really!
10. What field do you want to work in?
       I'm really liking the idea of pediatric med/surge!!

Let's Check Off Spring 2013

I almost can't believe it! I'm done with my LPN year!

 Look at all those beautiful blue X's through 4 months of hard work!

This past month was like a mine field of tests and papers and ceremonies.

Our kitchen calendar proves that.

I've started posting stuff around my room to get me through those rough days,

but this magnet bought for me by my mom is probably my favorite.

I think it's become my mantra.

Seriously.

So excited to continue to the RN program with these people!! 

(Top row) Trent, Karen, Adam, Andy, Madi, Jen

(Middle row) Me, Stephanie, Lindsey, Brooke, Brooke, Ashlyn, Julie, Mikka

(Bottom row) Reanne, Celessta, Jisoo, Sarah, Catherine, Nicole, Rhonda

Pinning ceremony was nice, and it was so good to see my family down in Price, 

Instead of me up in Salt Lake!

Now I get to enjoy my short summer, and focus on this intimidating application

 Here I come, NCLEX!

Don't know when exactly, 

But I'll be kicking your trash around the month of June!

~Courtney

A Week of Music

You know, I've grown up around music.I started choir in 8th grade, did Women's Choir as a Sophomore,  Jazz and A Capella as a Junior, and Madrigals as a Senior.

Then I graduated high school.

And went 3 years without choir.

I was focusing on school, pre-nursing classes, finding a balance between spending and earning money.

It was good, and I made it a point to sing around the house and in the car.

The beginning of this semester, I looked at what I was doing with my life

(nursing school and work)

and realized I needed, and had the time to add choir. So I did.

Every Monday I've spent an hour singing church songs, and it's been wonderful.

We had our one and only performance today, and it was so, so nice to sing in public!

On Monday I was sitting in the Institute library when my friend, Alex popped her head in and told me she was going to an audition for a musical showcase. She said it was an open audition and that she was super nervous. I asked if anyone could try out and she said yeah. So I, in some odd and crazy lapse of judgement, grabbed old music from my memory and went with her and auditioned. 

I sang Taylor, the Latte Boy from memory (without messing up a single lyric) 

and got 'in' to the showcase. The theatre director asked me where I had been all this year, 

and when I said that I was in nursing school he responded "but you could have been my lead in next year's musical!"

That was a nice pat on the back, for sure!

So I auditioned Monday, practiced once Tuesday, and performed Wednesday.

It was. Awesome.

It was so amazing to get up on a stage, feel that spotlight shine on me, and sing my heart out!

Yay for musical weeks!

~Courtney

Words of Encouragement

On a non-nursing related tangent, I've gotten a few letters lately with some really wonderful words of encouragement and love. Because I'm such a big fan of keeping as little paper clutter as possible, I've decided to put them on here so I have access to them forever.

Obviously this post is more for me than it is for you. This is my online journal after all :)

Sister Mantz is the Institute choir director, and I got this note from her a few weeks ago. It's been sitting on my desk, so I'm anxious to get it off my work space.

Courtney, This is the girl with the beautiful smile and equally beautiful voice. on the days you come to choir, our sound becomes rich and full in the soprano section. i hope you're willing to share this gift, oh how we need a powerful soprano section for some of our songs! i promise it will bless your life and all who hear you. 

 Quite a while ago, I went to a relief society activity with my mom when I was home over spring break. We had a dinner, and we all passed around cards with a person's name on it, and we wrote some of their talents anonymously. I didn't know a few of the women at the table, so I think they just copied what others had written, but here's the random list I got on my card.

Open to new things. Generous in sharing with others. Gift of being a good student. I can see how much you love your family. compassion. Beauty. Strength. endurance through trials. Love of learning. kindness, knowledge, endurance, joyful, talented. Kind, patient  loving, thoughtful, spiritual, helpful and dedicated.  

With this being my last week of school for my LPN year, it's nice to have a few happy words to dwell on while I head into final exam stress!

~Courtney

I'm In!!

     Here at Utah State University- Eastern, the nursing program is divided into two different programs. The first year is the LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) program, and the second year is the ADN (Associate Degree Nurse) program.
     Getting accepted into the LPN program does not guarantee acceptance into the ADN program. Some people choose to stop schooling after getting their LPN, others get their LPN, then go to different universities to finish their degree. The only other program in Utah that accepts LPN status is Weber, and their program is online. I mentioned a while ago that I wanted to move to a different school to finish my degree, but when I found out the program was online based... I changed my mind. I need to be in physical class, I know myself too well.
     So the ADN application was due a few Friday's ago, and I was stressed out, to say the least. I only applied here, I didn't even bother with Weber, so I was so worried that I wouldn't get accepted, and I wouldn't know what to do with myself for an entire year.
     The professors met together yesterday to select the ADN students. It was a point system, so my name wasn't on my application for the teachers to be swayed either way. I had worked this entire semester to be a great student so the teachers would pick me for the next year, so when I found out it was anonymous, I was worried I wouldn't be selected.
     So, day after mailing out the acceptance (and rejection) letters, I ask my roommate to go check the mail for our letters. She texts back (I was home for the weekend) saying the letters were, in fact, already at our apartment. She opens hers and texts me excitedly that she got in. I ask her to open mine, because there was no way I could wait the rest of the weekend to know my fate. A few (painfully, torturous, long ) minutes later she responds with "YOU"RE IN!"
     So, dear readers, I'm in! I will graduate from nursing school in May, 2014. One more year here in this tiny town, and i'm free to go wherever I want, and work in whatever hospital, on whatever floor I want. I am so excited! I'm so happy my life long dream is so close to happening, it gives me all these excited feelings in my stomach.

~Courtney (RN in 2014)