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:)

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!

Nursing 101 & the most common questions answered.

Today, as I was doing homework for my graduate program, I was thinking about nursing (of course). Many, many people have asked me, "What is a DNP and why did you choose it?" I have created a draft elevator speech - written as if I have graduated and am currently practicing -  of what I will do and how that is beneficial to you and our communities.

I am a doctorally-prepared nurse practitioner. We nurse practitioners are a solution for our country's growing healthcare access problems. I provide care comparable in quality to a pediatrician for a fraction of the cost. I use my background in nursing to give care focused on the individual needs of each patient, and my passion is helping kids live a happy and healthy life. 

What do you think? I am definitely open to suggestions and feedback - what do you know, think, love or dislike about nurse practitioners?

I have given a lot of advice to people who want to find out more information about nursing - details of the profession and why I think it is so great. I want to write a post answering some of the questions with the hope that I may help someone out there to collect information on whether or not nursing is the profession for them - or to give general information for anyone that is interested in learning more about what I do or nurses you love. To my nursing friends - feel free to add of correct anything I say in a comment! This is by no means a comprehensive account of the following questions :)

Common questions:

Explain the different types of nurses... I always get confused with the different letters!

This is understandable. There are a ton of different titles out there and they all mean something different in the world of nursing. Here is my list of what they mean (though not exhaustive).

CNA - Certified nursing assistant. Otherwise known as a nurse's aide. This is a position that normally takes on 3-5x the amount of patient load of a nurse (in a hospital setting) and they can work in hospitals, rehab facilities, long-term care facilities and home health settings. It takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to get a CNA license (different by state) and requires a practical and written test in most states. I was a CNA for three years, as was my husband. Being a CNA is an incredibly rewarding, although backbreaking, job. The main responsibilities of a CNA are to take vital signs, assist patients with activities of daily living (toileting, hygiene, transport, etc.) and to assist the nurse of that patient. It is a fantastic choice of job for anyone who wants to make sure that nursing is what they really want to do with their life. 

LPN - Licensed practical nurse. This position is normally gained after one year of schooling and passing a national test called NCLEX-PN. Although the standards and scope of an LPN varies with each state, the LPN is generally under the direction of an RN and in some cases may administer IV medications along with other types (oral, topical, etc). 

RN - Registered nurse. A RN can be trained with either an Associate's degree (ASN - 2 yrs) or a Bachelor's degree (BSN - 4 yrs). With either degree, you take the same test to get licensure, the NCLEX-RN. Most companies are now starting to prefer a BSN upon hire, or requiring someone with an associate's degree to attain their bachelor's to maintain employment. A BSN is generally required to be in any sort of nursing management position or to continue schooling for a nursing graduate degree. There is no difference, however, in role and responsibilities between ASN and BSN prepared nurses, and usually no pay difference either. 

APRN - Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. This is what nurses get when they go to grad school (like me!). There are four categories: Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Certified Nurse Midwife. Some degrees are Master's degrees, but most positions are Doctorate degrees these days (and the rest are moving toward that). In most states, Nurse Practitioners can open a practice on their own, can prescribe medications and can do simple medical treatments and procedures. APRNs, in particular nurse practitioners, are different from Physician's Assistants in that NPs do not need to be working with a physician to practice, like a PA does. There's a lot more to the role - but these are the basics. Ask me if you want to know more!!

Why nursing?

This is a question that can be answered a million different ways. Nurses provide such an incredible emotional, physical, mental and spiritual support to patients. It is very difficult to describe how much each patient's successes, disappointments and general progress weighs on the heart of their nurse. Now, not all nurses care to that extent - but the really good ones are in this profession because they love to care. I love to care, so I hope I can be a great nurse! Nursing is also a wonderful profession in that it is extremely flexible... I know that I can hold a job while I am a mother without taking significant time away from my children. Being a mom is the most important goal to me and I am so excited that I have found a profession that I love - where I can further contribute to society and improve healthcare for children - that will allow me to still put my own family first. 

Why didn't you just go to medical school?

It is true that by the time I finish my 3-year doctorate degree, I will have had about the same clinical training as an MD gets in school. I chose to become a Nurse Practitioner because I love the "nursing model" of practice - I listen first and address the patient holistically. I love that the focus of my practice is based around the patient's individual wants and needs, not to cure a clinical diagnosis. I respect physicians very much and their point of view and model of practice is needed in conjunction with the nursing background to advance our healthcare for the better. While a Nurse Practitioner can serve a purpose the same or very close to that of a physician, the route to get there is significantly different. 

Why have you gone back to graduate school so soon after finishing your Baccalaureate nursing degree?

This is merely a personal decision, and I have been called "crazy" many times for choosing this path. I became interested in the nursing profession because of the example of an extraordinary nurse practitioner that cared for my younger sister when she was in treatment for her Leukemia a number of years ago. After examining my passions and goals in college, I knew that I wanted to make the same impact in the lives of other children as that special nurse practitioner made in my sister's life. I applied to graduate school in my last year of nursing school knowing that if I was accepted, I wanted to advance my degree as soon as possible. It is the norm for most people to practice for a few years (at least) as an RN before going to grad school, but apparently it's possible to go straight through. And I've been so lucky to have a fantastic program director at UW that has expressed so much support and confidence in my ability to be a successful nurse practitioner even though I have a shorter nursing background than most of my other colleagues. I also want to get done with school as soon as I can! :)

Okay so this post is probably long enough now! I have a lot to say on the subject of nursing. I hope that if you have any questions or comments on the subject, you will let me know! I am so happy to discuss the topic with anyone.

Happy Monday!

Extracurricular activities

I have spent most of my week doing homework - a little cleaning and a little bit (or a lot) of Netflix surfing too, I admit. However, I was able to have a fun evening with my mom and I'm excited to take a break this weekend from all this studying!

My mom serves as the Young Women's President of her ward (if you are not LDS - that means she is in charge of all the teenage girls!). She is fun, caring, selfless, smart, organized, and fabulous - those girls are so lucky to have her. 

My mom and me at Young Women "Girl's Camp" this summer. 

Perks for me come when she calls me up and says, "Hey, we're going to make our own maxi skirts for an activity! Want to come?!"

I can't turn that down, now, can I?

So - now I have a maxi skirt that I made! We had a lot of help from my mom's friend and YW counselor Abby and it was so fun to make! It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, and now I am itching to make more. By the way, Abby has an awesome blog here about sewing - she is a crafty magician with insanely adorable kids!! I had a great time learning how to make the skirt with my mom and the other girls there. Thankfully I had grandmas to teach me basic sewing skills growing up because my mom does not know very much in that department. And there is seriously nothing comfier than a maxi skirt... bonus points if it's super cute!

Completely unrelated to maxi skirts, but related to church... I am so excited for this weekend!! It's General Conference, where we get to hear talks given by the Prophet, his apostles and others chosen to speak to the entire church. I love that we have the opportunity to hear from our present-day leaders every 6 months. If you would like to learn more about what General Conference is, go here! Anyone can watch it online, and it's a really good way to learn about what we believe. 

I might get a chance to make these this weekend. They are calling my name!! And Matt's name too... he doesn't like chocolate so I have to be really creative about making goodies that he'll actually eat. Weird, I know. But these are perfect!

Also, yesterday I watched this video of a Pentatonix cover of "Royals" by Lorde. Prepare to be mesmerized. Every time I watch one of their videos I become obsessed and I never want to hear originals of songs again. They make "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us" sound like completely new songs. AWESOMEEEE. 

Well, that's what I've been doing (or will do) with my spare time and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I'm going to enjoy having my sweet husband home for two days straight! Till next post :)

School, work, and dreaming of sunshine.

Sorry that it's taken me SO long to write this post! We haven't had internet at our house until (hopefully) today. It's been a little difficult living in a home without internet, and I've been trying to get by with just school and visits to the library and my parent's house. 

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to Coeur D'Alene:

It was so incredibly beautiful there... Matt and I have a dream of owning a cabin on the lake someday :)

Here's a catch up of the last few weeks: Matt started his job at Pro Club on Tuesday. He has long hours and a tired brain from all the information he's soaking up in his orientation but he absolutely loves it. I am so excited for him!

I had the two-day orientation at UW for my doctorate program last week, and my first day of class this Thursday. I am still getting used to the bumper-to-bumper traffic commute into Seattle but I am so happy to be starting school once again. I am one of seven Pediatric Nurse Practitioner students, and we are part of a cohort of 68 Doctorate of Nursing Practice students (including other disciplines such as Adult/Geriatric, Maternity, Psych and Family). It is so wonderful to be advancing my education in the nursing field and to be able to study at the #1 nursing graduate school in the nation. I am surrounded by classmates and professors with years of experience in many different settings, so I have much to learn. The program is a "hybrid" program, meaning half of it is online. This is great because is requires me to go to campus for class only once every other week - which offers me a lot of flexibility. 

That flexibility is great because I am on the verge of getting a job (I hope)!! I have had two interviews and I have another scheduled on Monday. The jobs are all wonderful opportunities and I will be working full-time (4 ten hour shifts/week) in addition to full-time school. Stay tuned to hear how all of it turns out! :)

Sorry I don't have many pictures to post today. I will hopefully get to post how the newly decorated inside of the farmhouse looks soon :)

Numero Uno

Why hello there, Internet! I have put off starting my little family blog until now but our life has changed so rapidly over the past year and a half of our marriage that I feel it is time to regularly post some updates!

Let me do a quick catch up for all of you who are new or haven't seen us in a while. Matt and I were married on March 10, 2012 in the Seattle, Washington temple. It was a glorious, rainy, incandescently happy day.

We lived in Salt Lake City for about a year while we both finished up our bachelors degrees - Matt at Brigham Young University and me at the University of Utah. I took the NCLEX and (ta-daaa!) became a registered nurse. My passion is in pediatric oncology. I know that sounds crazy, right? Maybe another time I will delve deep into why I do what I do, but the short answer is that my younger sister had Leukemia when she was a toddler. That experience changed my life and led me to discover nursing as a calling I have in life. Matt has his degree in Exercise Science and is a personal trainer. He is a fitness nut and he knows how to push himself to work harder than anyone I've ever seen. He is also the best handyman, spider killer and beard-grower. 

This summer has been a big one. We moved to Sammamish, WA (where I grew up) so that I can start my graduate program at the University of Washington this fall. I will be studying to get my Doctorate of Nursing Practice in pediatrics to become a nurse practitioner, which is my dream. Matt is a Cali boy so I am constantly trying to convince him that Washington is the best place to be. Ever. We are here for  at least three years so that I can finish my program :) I have been a Husky at heart for most of my life and I can't wait to start school again in two weeks. I'm just a little bit of a nerd. 

Our latest news is that we have recently moved to a house on a farm in Redmond, WA. We live on 80 acres of green veggie plants and trees and get a fabulous view of Mt. Rainier out of our bedroom window. We have spent the last two weeks cleaning, repairing, mowing, painting and about any other verb you could think of to make a house better. We have received A TON of donations: bed, couch, dining table set, fridge, hutch, paint. If you are reading this and you gave us something... thank you!! You've truly helped us make our house a home. We are so blessed to live here and to make it our very own place here in the northwest.

More pictures of our house to come... I promise :)

So there you have it - who we are, what we do and where we are. I love to take pictures (however amateur they look) and I hope to be posting often. I am excited to begin recording our crazy and joyous life! If any of you have questions for me, please let me know. Till next post!