Lost in another world...

One of my favorite things to do is to read. I have loved reading my whole life. 

I would have to say that the first time I've ever gotten lost in another world of reading was when I started the Harry Potter series for the first time at the age of 8. I have read that entire series many, many more times (about seven, I think). 

I have fond memories of being unable to put down the intellectual books in the Artemis Fowl series, or the witty novels of the Series of Unfortunate Events. I guess I have a thing for series. 

When I started college, my hunger for books faltered because, as a lot of you may know, you have so. much. reading. to do for classes. Reading anything else for pleasure seems like I am being a slacker, and I could be reading my school books instead. 

My sister, my dad and I all share this passion. It is really fun that we can all speak in what seems like a totally different language when talking about books we're reading. Matt, however, does not share this hobby with me... that's for sure! He doesn't like reading at all. My insatiable desire to be reading is pretty foreign to him but I think it is something that makes him love me more, as it is truly who I am. 

(I love how being in love can do that to us... we really love people for all the little quirks and hobbies they have, even if we don't "get them.")

Anyways, I've been on a particularly obsessive reading kick lately. Somehow, in the midst of school and work, I have found the ability to steal a few hours here and there to devour a new plot. The books I've read lately include: 

A Discovery of Witches

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

The Book Thief

The Divergent Series: Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant

and I've just barely finished The Husband's Secret. 

I think they are all great reads, but I have to talk a little bit about the Divergent series. 

Oh. My. Goodness. Saying I was "in another world" is really a gross understatement. I legitimately dreamed I was in this book every night for the whole week it took me to finish the series. I kept thinking that my husband reminded me so much of one of the main characters, Four. I told him that like 100 times and I'm sure he was getting creeped out.  I read through class last week because that's all I could think about. And without spoiling the end, I sobbed like a baby as I finished the series. The end ........ ugh. It is so sad but so poetically perfect. In short, I highly recommend it. Fun, fast read. And now I am super excited for the movie to come out in a few weeks. That's how I get Matt involved! ;)

Have a great week... and share with me some of your current favorite books! I'm flying through my list like wildfire right now:)

Speaking up

Today I had class at UW. We meet every other week at the beautiful Seattle campus and our class days are long. Classes this quarter is not too lengthy, however, which is nice. We're there about 7-8 hours for two classes. 

Confession: I have a fears. One prominent fear is speaking up, mostly in front of a lot of people. In high school, I put myself in front of other people because I love to lead... behind the scenes. I learned early on to be a leader you still had to put up with some public speaking and some embarrassment and some "being different."

This is when I was a counselor at a WA state leadership camp the summer after my senior year in high school. It was a few weeks definitely full of stand-up-in-front-of-a-bunch-of-people-and-make-a-fool-of-yourself, but it was one of the best experiences of my life.

To this day I rarely, if EVER, ask a question in a college class. At BYU, most classes start out with a prayer beforehand and even that gave me intense anxiety. I would never, ever volunteer. Praying... something I do multiple times a day and something that is a normal part of every function in my church. When a teacher says, "We are going to call on random students to answer questions and participate," it makes me want to get up and run out of the classroom. I've realized a few reasons why this real-life scenario actually scares me:

1. I'm afraid that I will ask/say something that was just talked about 5 minutes ago when I wasn't paying attention 

2. I'm afraid that what I will ask/say will sound stupid

3. Every time I speak in front of people my face turns really really red and I start sweating and my heart beats so loudly that I can't hear anything else

To add to my fears, in my current DNP program I am the youngest one. I am the least experienced one. I get to learn from an incredible group of colleagues, peers and professors that have what seems like a million times more nursing, professional, and "real life" experience than I do. It is really intimidating. I have been reassured by my fantastic program director many times that I can and will succeed in this program even with my limited background (and I really do believe her!) and the process of feeling comfortable putting my two baby cents in is coming along well. Slowly, but it'll get there. 

So today, I have a small triumph to share with you. I spoke up! Not in front of the class, but in a small group. Hey, it's progress right? I took charge of my group of eight or so students as we planned our final project that is due in three weeks. It took a few tries for me to voice my ideas without being intimidated by objections and critical comments by my group members. But I stuck with it and voiced a vision for our project that everyone actually liked, and then I proceeded to organize who would do each part of the project with the group. I felt like a ringleader for the first time in years. I used to feel that way all the time. It felt awesome to be listened to and valued among amazing nurses that I respect so much. It felt exhilarating to know that what I had to say was worth something, my ideas were good and I knew what the heck I was talking about. And my group seemed surprisingly very happy to be a little bit more organized, cohesive and to have someone taking the extra responsibility of "being in charge." 

Being a leader is a very important part of who I am. I reference high school a lot in my posts (and in real life) because I feel like that is when I developed a very strong sense of who I really am. I was very active in leadership in high school and that made me happy. Those skills and interests became dormant when I suddenly was just a face in a student body of 33,000 at only 18 years old. I am giddy after taking such a small but rewarding risk today and I am excited that as I get older, my confidence in my knowledge and abilities is resurfacing. I hope you can do something that makes you a little bit nervous and overcome a fear today - however small it is.

Have a happy weekend! 

Thoughts on: The Sexy Lie

Please watch this video.

"We raise our little boys to view their bodies as tools to master their environments. We raise our little girls to view their bodies as projects to constantly be improved. What if women started to view their bodies as tools to master their environment? As tools to get you from one place to the next? As these amazing vehicles for moving through the world in a new way?"

I watched this incredible TEDx talk yesterday given by Dr. Caroline Hedman, titled "The Sexy Lie." I love it. I love that she is calling out our society, the women in it and the men in it for the damage we do to women by sexually objectifying them. I love that she supports her claims with her own research. I love that she gives us ways to act and help the problem. And I really, really wish I had heard and understood her message as a young girl.

This is about to get deep, y'all. I grew up in a healthy, loving home with two parents that were supportive and provided structure and just about anything I could want or need. They are really fantastic parents. I was actively religious and very involved in sports, music, academics, service and leadership throughout my childhood and adolescence. I am a people pleaser, and one of my best but most damaging characteristics is that I forgive very easily. In our world, with the signals I got from society, that helped me turn into a doormat. I was the girl that Dr. Hedman describes in this video, who regarded male attention as the holy grail for my self worth. And some dumb boys used me and abused me and hurt me emotionally for years to come, because neither they nor I understood just how damaging sexual objectification can be to a young girl's spirit. 

One time, I remember a boy asking me to wear very short shorts to a school function because he liked how I looked in them. I remember feeling shame for giving in to his requests but I did it anyway, because I regarded his attention for my body as valuable. I had trained myself to view this superficial form of attention as the basis for my self-worth. I was the student body president at the time. You would think that I would have had a little more pride in my abilities and respect for myself to subject to wearing revealing clothes because I liked the attention from a boy, but I didn't.

I am still working today on repairing the damage that was done to me through my very malleable teenage years. I am married to a wonderful man who loves me for my big heart and my mind... and tells me that often. I have a real and much improved relationship with God where I derive my own divine sense of self worth. I have an incredible family who loves me and I can never repay them for how they have helped me become the best I can be. I am ambitious, intelligent and I accomplish my goals. I spend my time at work, as a nurse for children. Oh how I love those children. I am so much more than an object. And so is everybody else. 

I just want to remind those I know and love that nobody is immune to The Lie. Boy or girl. Old or young. Successful or struggling. Happy or depressed. Spiritual or not. The woman (I say woman because this is where the overwhelming problem lies), teenager, tween, or girl in your life is struggling to create her own sense of self worth. Or she is struggling to repair the damage that has been done already. I hope that we can continue to teach our girls that their bodies are amazing for what they can DO, not what they look like or how they can be acted upon. 

Have a great Friday and weekend. Thanks for reading. 

2013 in review!

Hello, blogosphere! I have been MIA for a while, mostly due to family events, work and catching up on sleep whenever I can! But here I am, and 2013 is already over. I can't believe it!

New Year's has never been a favorite holiday of mine, mostly because I have a hard time staying awake past 10:30 on most nights. I like setting goals on a normal basis, so new year's resolutions don't have too much weight with me. But I love the fact that the new year prompts me to reflect on my past year in gratitude and to identify lessons along the way. Also, Matt proposed to me on New Year's Eve two years ago, so that makes it a lot more special :)

Matt and I have been so blessed this year. 

Here is our 2013 in review... mostly in pictures because those are the best! 

Matt thrived and I survived in the brutal SLC winter! It is so beautiful, but makes me grateful again for my rainy Seattle winters.

We sent off our favorite sister missionary to Toronto, CA.

Matt and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with some snowboarding and a weekend away. 

I got into UW, the grad school of my dreams! Matt graduated from BYU with his Bachelor's in Exercise Science. Woo hoo!!

We "partied hard" with friends and did lots of camping during our last month living in Utah. I graduated with my Bachelor's in Nursing from the U of U. 

We camped some more at Matt's family property and left the first place we called home together for good. We moved to Seattle to begin our job and house hunt!

We made a quick trip back to Utah for my grandfather's funeral. We were lucky enough to also spend a lot of time with Matt's family! We miss them!!

Our little Lizzie got baptized, marking the end of an era in the Hutchings family! She's getting so old! *tear*

September was a busy month... we moved into an old, dilapidated farm house. We fixed it up and called it home, enchanted by the beauty of the fields and coyotes that came with it. I started my first quarter at the UW and we got to go to Coeur D'Alene and watch Andy play football. 

We both (finally) had jobs in October! Matt started working as a Personal Trainer at the Pro Sports Club and I started working as an RN at Pediatric Associates. We both love our jobs and are so blessed to have work. My best friend Lauren also got married (back in September) but I got to finally see her at her open house here in Seattle!!!

We spent a fantastic Thanksgiving with my family and counted our blessings many times. Also, kept up the tradition of the Turkey Trot! (we also moved out of aforementioned farmhouse, into a townhome in Bothell. We love our new place!)

We went to Matt's swanky work Christmas party where we both won some prizes - yay for Roulette! We got to spend more time with my fam for Christmas and my sister Mallory got ENGAGED! We are so excited for Tyler and Mall and can't wait to welcome him into our family officially!

Have a happy new year and a fun, safe night! Bring on 2014!!

Favorites floating around the web

Over the past week, I have written two papers, created a final presentation, studied for a final test and finished a few other assignments - all as my quarter draws to a close.

What that means, naturally, is that I have found plenty of things on the internet to distract me.

Some 2013 music mash-ups:

Some fantastic videos to put us in the Christmas spirit:

Some videos that bring me to tears:

(I didn't know him. That doesn't change the fact that this is very touching. My mother in law once got a kiss on the cheek from Paul Walker, and she said he was a very nice man. That is a sad loss, there are not enough nice men in this world.)

And some great TED talks:

Hope I have successfully wasted some of your time. I am ready for my much-needed break this holiday season... bring on finals!

This I believe.

For an assignment in one of my classes, we wrote an essay and recorded it about a belief of ours. The essays were modeled after the NPR series here. 

Here is my essay, orated by yours truly. It is titled:

I believe that the most difficult challenges teach the best lessons.

Click here to give it a listen. 

It has something to do with this special girl.

Have a great weekend!

Movin' with my Fitbit

Okay so I've not been very active on social media lately, what with moving and school and work and all that stuff...

But we're all moved now! Thank heavens that whole process is over and done with for a while. We really like our new place, even though it's added about 15-20 minutes on to our commutes. It's a little sad to not live on a cool farm anymore. But to be honest, once it started getting cold outside the novelty of the farmhouse wore out pretty quick with no heat inside! And now we've got some landlords to fix stuff for us! It's great. I like the area of Kenmore a lot. There are many shops, libraries and Starbucks' around so that I am a happy little camper. The King County Metro bus system from Kenmore also got me to school on time, and I didn't have to do any transfers. Great.
Side note: it was a big deal for me to start taking the bus to school about 6 weeks ago. I'm kind of afraid of public transportation because I've had bad experiences of bus schedule incompetence and weirdo guys talking to me. But practice and an exasperation with traffic/parking prices at UW has made me an adopted public busing expert. Kind of. 

So anyways, some REALLY big news is that my sister is here in Seattle!! It's a happy and a sad thing. Great because we are so excited to see her, but she is here to try and figure out some really bad headaches she's been having. So I really hope she and her doctors can figure out how to help her feel better! Please keep her in your prayers. Love you, Mall. (Even if everyone else writes your name like Mal, I've been writing it Mall for your whole life so that's what I'm going to keep doing.)

Now onto the FITBIT FORCE!!

Matt bought this beauty for me about a month ago, and it finally got here! I got mine a week before he got his (yesterday). I started using it last Thursday and I would definitely say I love it. 

My job has me sitting on my butt every day, all day. I think that's a problem for a lot of people with full time jobs or in full time school (or both). Watching my step count on my fitbit has helped me focus on moving more and has motivated me to get in my daily morning workout before I go to work. When I work out, I average between 7,000-9,000 steps a day. The day I didn't? 3,500. That's a huge difference. So sedentary.

My fitbit measures steps, "calories" burned (not sure how accurate this actually is), elevation in staircases climbed, active minutes. It tracks my sleep and lets me know how restless I was during the night. It has silent, vibrating alarms - one of my favorite features. It syncs almost immediately when I open the app I downloaded to my phone. It also has a clock on the unit (like the picture above) which I like, so it's functions as a watch as well.

This is the app on my iPhone.

You can add in a food diary (which I haven't tried yet), and track amount of water drank. You self-enter weight to track that. Oh yeah, and link up with friends. Right now, Matt is my only friend on Fitbit! I need some more :)

Here's the graph of steps that pops up when I turn my phone sideways. Obviously this was a day I went to the gym. (I told you I sit on my butt all day at work!)

This is what the daily sleep graph looks like. So cool. This is one of my more restless nights.... almost every night is just plain blue. The website told me I have 99% sleep efficiency. I just wish I got MORE of it!!!

And here is a peek at the website dashboard:

I really think it is a great tool to stay aware of activity. It's very comfortable - I don't even feel like I'm wearing anything on my wrist. I got the "slate blue" color and Matt got the black. Those are the only two colors available for the force but I wish there were more! 

All in all, a really cool thing. I highly recommend it!!

Hope you all have a great week/weekend and Thanksgiving!

Happily EMPLOYED.

Yes, if you're friends with me on facebook (which is how most of you get to this blog), you probably know that this week I got a job. A JOB! After 4 months of searching, I have finally landed an RN job here in the Seattle area. I am beyond happy!

I get to work as a float nurse with a company called Pediatric Associates. They are the pediatric clinic that I went to growing up (and my younger siblings still go to). We love that place! They have seven clinics all over Bellevue, Redmond and Sammamish. I get to work 4 days a week and I am so excited that I get to work with kids. In my desperate job hunt, I've been searching for any RN job - so there was a very real possibility that I would be working in adult medicine. Not my thing. Go pediatrics!

Anyways, as far as "new grad" nursing jobs go, this is a pretty nice setup. I only work one weekend shift per month (that I choose), I work one holiday a year (that I choose), and no night shifts! Yay!!!! I was dreading getting a job at a hospital where I'd be the verrrrry bottom of the seniority chain and I'd be working three nights a week, every weekend and Thanksgiving and Christmas at the very least. 

Matt in his new work uniform. SO CUTE!

God's hand is in our lives. I am blessed to have such incredibly supportive friends and family, not to mention Matt, who all stood by my side through months of dead-end applications and frustration. You are all wonderful! And I know I will have many, many more lessons from upstairs on patience throughout my life... I don't think I was very pleasant while enduring this one. 

A beautiful rainbow over the farm yesterday. 

 Another note: this week I helped Andy ask his girlfriend to their homecoming dance by filling her car with balloons and writing a cute note and such... is this a dead tradition?! I have the feeling that not very many teenagers take the time/money/effort to "ask" people to dances in a clever and creative way. I think it is certainly more prevalent in the LDS culture, but I wish it wouldn't die out! I think it is so cool in that it makes whomever is being asked feel very special. It also takes a considerable amount of thought and planning - which are great for teenagers to practice, if you ask me! So I suppose I don't care if it's not a normal thing to do... as long as Andy is in high school and has bossy older sisters like Mallory and myself, he will definitely be getting direction from us on how to ask a girl to a dance properly and make her feel special. What do you think about this "tradition"?

Helping Andy get balloons for his homecoming plan

I hope you all have a happy Wednesday!! 'Till next post :)