Update...and P.S. I Love My Job!

Wow, this is the longest I have gone without posting since I started my blog. I have had an incredibly busy few weeks, and have hardly even sat down at the computer.

I was thinking about how I always talk about my busy weeks and how possibly at times you wonder what it is that is keeping me so busy. So, I decided to give a brief overview of what I did this week, mostly for my benefit, since I am using this as my journal lately (so you are welcome to stop reading at this point if that would  be boring for you ;).

Monday:

• I worked at UV Hosptial in the office in the morning. I wanted to touch base with one of my orienters who was almost done and see how she was feeling. I also needed to set up orientation schedules for three nurses aides that are coming to orient next week. In the midst of this, I helped on the floor as they got a really sick baby that ended up on a ventilator. I actually really like helping in situations like that. I like to see how the whole team works together to help stablize a critical child, and I like helping to keep the family updated and comforted. That situation went particularly well.
• I went to AF Hosptial in the afternooon to check on another orienter that was almost done.
• In the evening I went to my parents for our monthly combined FHE. That was really nice to relax, see my cute kids and talk to my parents.

Tuesday:

• I got up at 4:15 and got ready to leave at 5:15 to go to the temple with the Stake YW Presidency. Even though it was incredible early, I love the temple at that time. It was so peaceful and quiet. I had the chance to read the scriptures for a few minutes before we started. It was nice to be there with my presidency as well.
• I was going to go home and take a quick nap, but I decided as long as I was out, I might as well stop at AF Hospital again because I had a few things to finish there. I was getting orientation quizzes ready for orienters and correcting turned in quizzes so that I could review them with the orienters when I meet with them at the end of orientation. I got involved in that and ended up being there for three hours.
• I ran home and changed my clothes then went back down to UV Hospital to meet with two different people (one about a class I am helping to teach next week and one about an event I helped with last night.)  
• Then I went into my other job (Horizon Home Health) and helped with chart reviews for a few hours.
• I came home around 6:00 and made dinner, my home teacher came and helped fix our kitchen light (since we have vaulted ceilings and it was tooo tall for us!) and then I worked on the temple schedule over the phone with the new coordinator that I am training.  I went to bed at 9:30 because I had to work at clinical shift the next day.

Wednesday:

• I got up at 4:30 and got ready, read my scriptures and went to work a twelve hour clinical shift (15 hours this time) at AF Hospital at 6:00.  It was another really busy day. We admitted eight patients that day...plus discharged a few. It was a hopping day, but I LOVED my patients that day. They were all so nice and fun to work with. Plus they got an extra nurse to come in and help, so I was able to keep up with my patients, even though it was busy.
• I was going to leave around 8:00 but the night shift was still really busy and needed help, so I stayed until 9:00 to help them get caught up. I came home and had dinner, worked on the schedule again over the phone, and went to bed at 10:00.

Thursday:

• I really, really tried to sleep in. I was exhausted after such a long shift the day before and I knew I would be up late at the temple (plus I am having problems with my feet this winter, I must be getting older, I am not tolerating these long shifts as well...) but I woke up at 6:30 and could not get back to sleep. 
• I got up, studied my scriptures for awhile and then looked over the temple schedule again. The other coordinator actually did it this week (thank goodness!) but it was her first time and so I was reviewing it for her.
• I went into Horizon again for a few hours for a staff meeting and inservice.
• I went to the temple at 3:00. It was a great night. I sure love being a coordinator and working closely with the sisters and the Presidency. I realized as I sat in our meeting that I now know every sister by name (and we have around 60 sisters on my shift). That is surely divine intervention because one of my weaknesses is remembering peoples names.
• At one point I was instructing a sister and the Assistant Matron happened to be near by. She came over to me when I was done and told me that she was grateful for how I took care of things on my shift and then suprised me by saying, "You light up the room when you walk in. I sure love working with you." I got a little teary eyed (I know, me emotional) and thought of how lucky I am to work there. It was a very peaceful evening.  I thought again of how lucky we are to have temples in our lives!
• I got home at 11:00 and read a little bit to wind down before I went to bed.

Friday:

• I actually slept in until 7:45. I was a little worn out from the week. I was going to go back into work for a few hours, but I was over hours because of my long shift on Wednesday, so I decided to stay home and rest. I ended up working from home a little bit, but at least I did not have to go in.
• I actually spent a couple of hours studying about the Last Days/Second Coming in D&C 45 and JS Matt and in the Institute study guides. I had been thinking of how there have been three earthquakes in the past three months and remembering the part in D&C 45:33 that talks about "earthquakes in divers places" and wanted to study more about it. It was fascinating and comforting even as I read about all that will happen as I read and pondered about how the Lord will be with us through all of it.
• I did my laundry, did the dishes, cleaned, paid bills and got ready for the evening.
• At 5:00 I went down to UVU to help with the annual "Chocolate Extravaganza" which is a benefit dinner and fundraiser for Pediatrics and NICU.  It was really neat to help. I helped seat people, helped with the auction and with clean up. It was wonderful to see how generous people were.
• At one point, they were asking for donations to help a teenager who was in the NICU years ago and he now has a non-profit agency where he makes these cute blue stuffed lions for kids. One man said that he would give $1000 if the boy would make all of the lions he was donating red. The boy explained that his minimum order to change the color was $3000.  The man then agreed to the $3000! I was very touched by how generous everyone was in general!
• I got done at 10:00 and came home, read a little again and then went to bed after my busy week.

So, that was my week. I am sure you are all bored to tears by now, but I wanted to remember what I do from day to day at this point in my life.

So now to the P.S...  Since I wrote this post a few weeks ago about my very long and frustrating shift, a few people have asked me if I really like my job. I should have been more clear. Even on the crazy busy days I really love my job. I love working with the patients and families and feeling like I am making a difference in their lives. I love learning from their examples of patience in hard times. I love teaching and training new staff. The problem with the day I wrote about a few weeks ago was that I felt like I didn't make a difference, like I it would almost have been better if I had not been there. Those days are few and far between, thank goodness. Just wanted to put the record straight!