Storming Heaven

Friends, I have many posts forthcoming, with news to share, babies to show, and stories to tell.  But tonight I just have a request.

I've been sitting here, way past my bedtime, trying to figure out how you're supposed to go to sleep when your friend is dying.  Because that's the situation many dear friends and I are facing.

Mike and his beloved dachshund, Luigi 

My dear friend Mike Harry has cancer.  He's had cancer on and off for a long time--over a decade--and suddenly, somehow it feels like it snuck up on us.  I think it hit us all like a ton of bricks last weekend when we got the word from his mom that chemo just isn't working anymore and the doctors have done all they can do.  Mike is one of the best people I know.  Despite EVERYTHING, he always has a smile on his face.  He's been through brain tumors (yes, with an S--more than one), esophageal cancer, cancer cells around his heart and in his lymph nodes, and much, much more, and yet he never fails to try to brighten the day of everyone he encounters.  The first time I met Mike, I was interviewing him for a job, and I thought to myself, either this guy is faking it, or he is extraordinary.  And the truth is, he is extraordinary.  He really is something special--I have never met anyone else like him.  Nearly everyone who knows him would tell you of his bone-crushing hugs--the patented Mike Harry move.  I have experienced many of these myself.  Whenever you greeted Mike, he would immediately get a huge grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye and proceed to lift you off the ground, pop every vertebrae in your back, and put you down with a laugh.  I tell you what, after a Mike Harry hug, you KNOW you are loved.  No doubt about it.

My whole family got to experience Mike once, around Thanksgiving, when he was going through a really tough time.  And even though he was struggling that weekend, my family loved him so much they still ask me about him from time to time.  I wish I had better news.

Mike's been through so much, but he's still so full of faith and hope and optimism.  I wish you all knew him and you could see it.  It is beautiful.  And for those of us who love him, it is also heartbreaking.  Devastating.  He is 30 years old.  People are not supposed to have to deal with stuff like this when they are just 30 years old.  He's been married for 2 1/2 years, and his wife is remarkable.  When they refer to someone as a rock, Rhiannon is it.

Mike and Rhiannon Harry

So my request tonight is simple.  Please storm the heavens for this truly incredible man and his amazing wife.  Obviously we are all begging God for a miracle where science has failed, but barring that, please pray for strength and comfort and peace and hope and HEALING for this one-in-a-billion guy.  Pray that he will not suffer or be in pain.  Mike knows--we all know--whatever happens, the BEST is yet to come.  Please pray for Mike.

Thanks, friends.  I love you.

Overwhelmed, Much?

Holy moly, am I EVER overwhelmed!

I know big life changes are always full of hard and overwhelming decisions, but SHEESH!  It's so hard because every single school is on a totally different timeline, they all require confirmation before I've heard from the next one, etc., etc.  I have a hard time making decisions until I have all the information, so this is majorly overwhelming to me.

I sent my deposit in to Maine in December because I had NO idea if I would get accepted anywhere else, and I figured even if I had to forfeit it, at least I knew for sure I had a spot somewhere.  I still haven't heard anything from NY, but supposedly I should hear by Feb. 15.  However, VCU's deposit (which is 2.5x more than Maine's was) is due Feb. 15.  So then there's Duke...

Duke is the only program I applied to that doesn't start until August.  This is a major check in the "con" category on my pro's and con's list, just because I would like to get started soon, and the other programs start in May.  However, the closer my sister gets to having my sweet little nephew, the more I think that starting a few months later might actually be a "pro."  A few more months to hang out with the little guy would not break my heart.  Duke is more expensive than the others, but it's also ranked a lot higher (#7 in the country for nursing), and it's the only school I've applied to that offers complete tuition reimbursement if you work in their hospital for 3 years post-graduation.  They also offer quite a few more scholarship opportunities than the others.

Anyway, I was originally told I wouldn't even hear if I got an interview with Duke until the end of February, so I had kind of just ruled it out and decided I would go to VCU.  Then today I got the email (a full month earlier than expected) that I have been invited to come to North Carolina to interview (by the way, THIS IS SO EXCITING!).  So now I have this total conundrum.  The interviews are at the end of February/early March, so I won't know until probably mid-March if I'm accepted or not.

HOLY MOLY.

So if you have any advice or prayers to spare, I could use them.  I know that none of these decisions will be the wrong decision.  It's just a lot to figure out right now.  In the meantime, does anyone know anything about Raleigh/Durham, NC, or Richmond, VA?

Exciting News, Part 2.

I have had a crazy week at work (yes, I realize it's only Wednesday), so a bit of good news in the midst of it was definitely welcome!

I got accepted to VCU yesterday!!!!!! I'm suuuuuuuuuuper excited about it because this is a really fantastic program. Yayyyyyyyy! So here's the update so far:

*University of Southern Maine--accepted and confirmed.
*Virginia Commonwealth University--accepted.
*Binghamton University (NY)--waiting. Should know by Feb. 15.
*Duke University (NC)--waiting. Should know more by the end of Feb.

I have to confirm my acceptance (i.e., pay the deposit) at VCU by 2/15, so unless something crazy happens in the next week or two, whether I've heard from the other two or not, I'm thinking I'm probably moving to Richmond, VA. CRAZY. I will keep you posted (and am still definitely considering the other two), but looks like I may become a Southern belle. :)

My best friends are amazing.  When I told them about Maine, their first words were, "Girls' Weekend in Maine?"  When I talked to them yesterday, it was, "So, Girls' Weekend in DC?"  Love these girls!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am soooooooo excited that it is 2013!!!  They say 13 is a lucky number, and I'm definitely hoping this year it proves to be lucky for me.

By the end of January I should have answers from 3 out of 4 schools I applied to for Nursing School.  By the end of February I should know more about the 4th.  In February my sister will have her baby and I will get to be an Auntie!!!!  Sometime between April and August I'll be moving to the East Coast for Nursing School.  This is already a crazy year, and it's only Day 1!

Working in a school, things were pretty intense that last week before Christmas break after the Newtown shooting, and it will be interesting to see how things go when we get back to school next week.  I am a pretty sensitive, sentimental person, and that whole thing hit me pretty hard.  I have to admit those events tempered my holiday season in many ways, and have also flavored the things I'm thinking about entering into this New Year.  

So this year, I choose to be more patient and kind.  To be courageous.  To listen to my heart, to pray more, and to listen to the still, small voice as I make big life changes and decisions.  To stay in touch with the people I love and to let them know I love and appreciate them as often as possible.  To work hard and play harder.  To do fun things.  To listen and learn and stay caught up.  To make plans with friends and to accept invitations whenever possible.  To be healthy and active.  To sparkle more. 

Cheers to an amazing 2013!  Happy New Year!

2012: Year in Review

2012 was a pretty eventful year!  Just as a reminder for myself, in the future, here are a few of the highs and lows of 2012:

January: Started the New Year in Vernal with my awesome parents; had dinner with my mom and Audri on my way out of SLC; first started talking with Clay; helped with my 5th Young Adult Retreat.

February: Testified before a State Senate Committee about education funding; was officially recognized at the Oregon City School Board meeting by my awesome principal; went on a couple dates with Reg.

March: Went on my first date with Clay; was invited to be the Women's Session Speaker at RISE UP! Rally in Portland; started dating Clay; Grandma Margie passed away.

April: Made an unexpected trip to Montana (20+ hours in the car with Amy and Ster and two dogs in four days), stayed with our hilarious Grandma Laverne, met some cousins for the first time, and played and sang at the funeral; spent Easter at Debbie and Dave's in Seattle with Amy, Sterling, and Clay; through the generosity of my incredible friends, I got to fly to SLC to spend a fabulous (albeit quick) weekend with my girlfriends to attend Val's baby shower for baby Alissa.

May: Decided to move from my apartment closer to Amy and Ster and found a new apartment; coordinated amazing "Finding Kind" event; finished out another school year at work.

June: Got strep throat for the first time since 7th grade; celebrated Ster's birthday; moved to my new apartment (with Amy and Ster's help); Celeste moved away; spent some time helping a friend; my mom visited and we bought my new couches; found out I will become an auntie next year!!!!!!!

July: Met Jill and Jeremy's baby for the first time on the 4th of July; broke up with Clay; went to "Jersey Boys" with Amy and Sterling and Caitlin for my birthday; went camping with Amy and Ster in Central Oregon (I LOVE CAMPING!!); went to Mark and Morgan's wedding in Seattle; had another (out-of-the-blue) date with Reg.

August: Rode my bike 45 miles in one day to complete the Portland Bridge Pedal and rode over all 10 of Portland's major bridges; coordinated and carried out a successful week-long summer camp for 100 at-risk kids with 30 camp staff/volunteers; work frustration led to making some major life decisions; made a last-minute trip to Las Vegas to spend 4 1/2 days with my best friend April and her amazing family (including meeting sweet baby Luke!).

September: Came home from Vegas; officially decided to apply to nursing school; took part in my first "race" when Amy, Ster and I did the Color Run (so fun!); started my Human Development and Stats prereq classes at PCC.

October: Studied.  And worked.  And studied.  And worked.  Applied to the University of Southern Maine, celebrated Amy's birthday; spent a weekend in Seattle for Chelsea's baby shower.  And studied and worked some more.

November: Applied to Virginia Commonwealth University and Binghamton University; spent Thanksgiving in Seattle with Kim and Aunt Marie Ann, Michaela and her boyfriend, Eric, Chad and Jayme, and Debbie and Dave (plus FOUR dogs, and Allee got a black eye).

December: Applied to Duke University; spent four glorious days basking in the sun in Phoenix, Arizona, with my best friend from college, Debi, and her beautiful, amazing family (including meeting sweet baby Alexandre!); dealt with the news of two shootings (one in a local mall and one in a school in CT) that hit me really hard; somehow pulled A's in both my classes; got accepted to USM; worked with a lot of crazy, interesting, difficult kiddos; my folks visited for a week and a half; and we rang in 2013 with champagne, shrimp, and Settlers of Catan.  :)

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Wow, apparently I actually did quite a bit of traveling, saw a lot of friends and family, and had a pretty eventful (often wonderful but sometimes VERY difficult) year!  But I'm glad to say goodbye to 2012, because I know 2013 has a lot of amazing things in store already.

My Stats "Miracle"

I said it would be a Christmas miracle, and while I don't want to throw that term around lightly these days, I do want to say that a minor miracle HAS occurred--I GOT AN "A" IN STATS.  Seriously, I have no idea how, but it's on my official transcript so I am not complaining!!!  This is AWESOME news, because this will only help all my pending applications.  Hooray!

When I was talking to my mom the other night (I called them as soon as I saw the grades posted), she said, "Isn't it awesome that your perfectly executed plan is falling right into place?"  And I said, "Mom, I think that's how it works when it's the right thing.  When you're doing what you're supposed to do, it DOES fall into place and it IS easy."  And I think that's the truth.

So, apparently praying my guts out about what is "right" for me seems to have worked, because so far things are falling nicely into place, and it's kind of amazing.  In a season when Christmas miracles are seeming a little bit hard to find, I will cling to any I can find, even if they are just as little as an A in Stats.  Here's hoping we all find a few more miracles, big and small, over this next week.  I think our country needs them.

BIG, EXCITING NEWS!!!

So, I promised big news today, and here it is: I GOT INTO NURSING SCHOOL.

I got a letter last week from a student in the Admissions Office at the University of Southern Maine saying, "Congratulations on your acceptance and welcome to USM" and proceeded to tell me why she loves it there and why I should choose to go there...except I was really confused, because I hadn't actually been told I WAS accepted.  I decided to just wait a few days and see what happened.

Waiting paid off, and Monday night when I got home I had a letter from USM officially congratulating me and telling me I have been accepted into their Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program starting Summer 2013.  HOLY. MOLY.

This doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to GO there, but it does mean, no matter what, I'm going SOMEWHERE, and you guys, THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!!!!!  I won't hear back from Binghamton or VCU until the end of January, and I won't hear back from Duke until February, so I'm not making any decisions just yet, but even if I don't get accepted anywhere else, I'm accepted there so I'll be going to Nursing School in 2013!

IF I end up going to USM, the program starts mid-May, which means IN LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS I COULD BE MOVING TO THE EAST COAST. HOLY MOLY!!!!!!  Their program is 15 months, which means I would be done by August 2014.  I have not allowed myself to be excited about any of this until today, so I am freaking out a little.  Of course this awesome turn of events is tempered by the fact that it means I'll have to move away from my sister and brother-in-law and sweet little newborn nephew (coming in February) when he's only a few months old, but as my sister reminded me, he'll be too young to remember anyway, and nothing says I have to stay on the East Coast forever.  ;)

So as it stands, here's the update:

• University of Southern Maine--ACCEPTED!!  Starts mid-May.
• Virginia Commonwealth University--application being reviewed, should hear by the end of January.  Starts mid-May.
• Binghamton University (in NY)--application being reviewed, should hear by the end of January. Starts mid-May.
• Duke University (in NC)--application being reviewed, should hear something by mid-February.  Starts mid-August (which is why I said "could" be moving in 5 months--it might be slightly longer depending on what I decide).

I go back and forth on what my top choice is, but right now I'm just pretty excited that there is a light at the end of this tunnel, I have some direction, and I know for sure what the next step is--that's been awhile for me.  And as much as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE living in the same town as my sister (and now that I live just a few minutes away, it's been even better), I've known for awhile that God was calling me to a new adventure and that Portland was probably not it, at least for now.  So I'm excited (and totally freaking out nervous) about the possibilities that lie ahead.  But no matter what, HUGE changes coming in the next few months!  :)

So that's my big news.  There are a TON of logistics to work out over the next few months and more big decisions to make, but I feel really confident that this is the right path and I have a lot of peace about all of it (even though I'm freaking out).  Thanks for being excited for me and thanks, everyone, for your encouragement and for being so supportive!  You have NO idea how much it means to me and how much I need it.  Cheers to new adventures on the horizon!