I am grateful for exams

Life is so busy and we wouldn't have it any other way! There is so much to be grateful for, and so many reasons to smile...

1.This week I will sit my final exams for this semester, and I can't wait! I am so pleased to get another semester behind me. After next week, I can say I ONLY HAVE ONE SEMESTER LEFT! Despite the high pressure of needing 100% to pass the clinical numeracy exam, I see the positives in that 100% means I will be competent in avoiding a medication error. I want to be safe and competent in my practice. I am confident in my knowledge for other exams too. Positive affirmations abound during exam week! I think I can, I think I can!!!!

This is my dining table at the moment, it is study and cramming HQ!!!

2) Family camping trip coming up, in our gorgeous new Jayco Expanda Van. Precious family time awaits.

3) Semester break means I will have time to work on my crochet, knitting and sewing projects! It will be like a crafty FRENZY! I want to try to crochet a baggie beanie for one of my oldest friends who is battling cancer. She is only 33 and has been fighting breast cancer since the age of 25. The battle ensues, but I hope to put some handmade energy into some special things to help her along. I also want to make more bedsocks for each of us as last years ones just won't cut it!

Thank you maxabellaloves for encouraging us to look for the colours in the rainbows. I am off now to sit in the backyard sun, and cram some more study in while the little ones dig for treasure in the sandpit.

Ciao Bella's! xo

Our precious bundle of fluff...

* So I have had my first attempt at joining in on the Maxabella Loves by linking this post... I hope I have done this correctly, and please let me know if there is some blog- link-ettiquette that I have missed, I really have no idea what I am doing hahaha! 
I am greatful for new beginnings and life lessons.
 We love animals, and we have quite the menagerie living with us. Several months ago, we lost our beloved cat to her 2nd paralysis tick in a month. She barely survived the 1st tick, (and my husband was just getting over the bill from that episode!) We use a vet-recommended tick treatment, but this tick season was sooooo bad because of the very wet summer... and apparently cats can be notoriously good at removing/reducing tick treatments with their incessant self-grooming. We had gone away for a few days camping, and friends from the nearby police station were calling by to feed her daily, only one morning she was found all-but-dead, completley paralysed, tongue protruding, and showing signs of respiratory distress. This makes me so sad. She was all alone, for however many hours, even if we were home, I am can't be sure we would have noticed in time, as she would be absent for hours, curled up in the police station back rooms where she was always welcomed and fed. Our friend rushed her to the vets and she was put down. We didn't tell our children until we came home, and we said our goodbyes together.

My daughter was devastated! She begged us to adopt a new cat, but we let it go.... until we saw this little face!

MEET CHARLOTTE!!!

Everyone is in love with her, she owns the house, uses her litter, eats so much, plays for hours and climbs everything!

Charlotte was raised around little children, and when one of my 3 little ones pick her up, she goes soft and limp and snuggly which is just lovely! Happy days!

I think she is darling.



Stress and Joy

Uuugh! So apparently sitting and knitting in front of Dancing With The Stars is not conducive to completing DKA assignment, which happens to be due tomorrow.
So computer is now on... and I find myself on blogger.... I come here most days to read my faves, but I haven't contributed anything lately as life has been busy, and I spend way to much time at the computer as it is...

The beautiful CAZ really hit a nerve with me with her post, except my 'thing' is UNI work/study/assignments. My children miss me, I know it. They ask questions like "Mummy, when you finish the Uni, will you be like a normal Mummy?" (excuse self to stick head in the washing pile and wipe tears). My husband resents the strong pull of study, he has a day off and I see an opportunity to send him out the door on an adventure with the kids to give me a few hours of uninterupted time to research and write my latest paper...or I sneak into bed at 2am after a marathon study sesh hoping he doesn't wake up and realise how late it is and remind me of it if I complain of fatigue to him tomorrow... it is a juggle, but when I drop a ball it has consequences on the people I love the most. I feel the most incredible guilt... and mostly because I LOVE what I am doing and learning and working towards. Ironic much?

Nurse, registered nurse, Sister, RN... 4 years behind me, 6 months to go and that is what I will be!

Hectic. I have almost completed the 1st semester for my final year! I should be an old hand at this by now, I have been studying my Bachelor of Nursing since June 2007, that's almost 4 years! But it does not get any easier. I started my Uni journey as a 29 year old mother of two, my youngest was just 5 monthes old! I would dash to daycare between lectures and tutorials to breastfeed him, and somehow it all just worked. Then in 2008, we discovered that we were going to be blessed with baby number three! I decided not to defer, so instead I dropped the clinical units for one year and carried on at a half workload of external units during 2009. Baby number three decided to shake things up a little and arrived in week 3 of the semester, at 6 weeks early!!! So, suffice to say, I have been a busy Mumma the whole of my Uni life, and I have spent most of this degree juggling children, breastfeeding, naps, and a shift working husband quite successfully! Surprisingly enough, I mostly feel like an at home Mumma, as I have usually only had to attend campus 2 days a week during semester, then I do my prac blocks. I feel so lucky.

But this is final year. This is when they cram having to attend campus each day (3 hour round trip in the car) for 4 weeks, then 6 weeks of UNPAID full time work on prac (yes, the childcare bills will be haunting me!)... we also have essays and papers, and assignments to churn out and exams to prepare for. And I gotta do it all over again next semester! My baby is now 2.... enough said! My middle boy is now 4, and our big girl is in year 1. This is the dining chair beside me holding the text I am reading or needing this week...

The contents of the children's lunch boxes have become much less naked and much MUCH more packaged, the homework is not being attended to every evening, the dog is lacking in walkies, and my kids are looking deep into my eyes looking for the relaxed Mumma they much prefer. So here I am, 4 years into my journey, and I am asking myself "Why did I do this?" but I remember often, because something little happens, and I feel the excitement stir.

So, VERY long story short..... I kept turning to my favourite  Mummyblogs for inspiration, Thankyou to my wonderful favourites! I just couldn't beleive it when I received a little message from the very inspirational Naomi from Seven Cherubs telling me I had WON her AMAZING giveaway! I am not sure if she would understand HOW much she has cheered me these last 2 monthes at Uni... the KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON tea towel is hanging over my study area... oh yeah baby!

The little pear notes make me smile every time I use them, I make banana bread just to use the gorgeous little Kawaii measuring spoons... ohh love! But those Sunny Mummy organisers, what the hell did I do before those! Miss 7, the hubby, and I refer to them always to know who has to be where and when, so great when hubby works 7 days a week on shifts! From the bottom of my heart, thankyou to my bloggie girlfriends, who I LOVE to visit most days, who make me smile, and inspire me to be better everyday!