Chris and Nina got married! Their wedding was beautiful and lots of fun. It really showed me how much work goes into a wedding and it kept me (who wasn't even the bride) very busy. Nina planned it very well and it came out to be a great day for all! I had SOO much fun and I don't really know of anyone who didn't. I'm glad that I waited to do much for mine and Matt's wedding planning until after their wedding because it allowed me to focus on theirs.
Now that their wedding is over, my wheels are turning...
Now that their wedding is over, my wheels are turning...The next big event: WE BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE! It's about a 1470 square foot bungalow in Grosse Pointe Woods. I LOVE our neighborhood and I LOVE our new home! My favorite parts of the house: The room attached to our bedroom upstairs that I have convienantly turned into a big closet (there is even a walk-in closet in my closet room!) and our dining room with the beautiful chandelier (and the cool table that we bought). Matt's favorite is the basement with the large wet bar, haha. We painted every room of the house and my fabulous parents went above and beyond and painted the upper and lower trim different colors than the walls. It was tons of work, but it looks amazing and now there is nothing much left to do, but keep it up. It's really a beautiful house and, although actually having some bills was a bit of a shock at first, I think it was a good investment :)
Now to the new plan. As you all know, I have wanted to go to CRNA school since before I started nursing school. I love the OR and thought that it would be really cool to actually be an integral part of a surgical team. You probably also know that acceptance to CRNA school is extremely competitive. The CRNA program is so rigorous that you can't work during it, so I would have to take out a loan big enough to cover all of my school expenses, as well as my living expenses. We were holding our wedding off until I got this loan so that I would qualify for one large enough to cover everything. With all of the prerequisites to get in, I wouldn't be starting until 2012... If I got in on my first try. I was taking an Inorganic Chem class that was needed to get in and am still studying to take the CNRN (a neuro certification) exam to spice up the application. I still needed to take a graduate level stats class and was thinking of doing the CCRN exam as well. I was putting in loads of money and completely stressed. So I started to think about why I really wanted to be a CRNA. I want to work in the OR (but also realized that having other options down the road would be good too). I want an advanced degree that's challenging and something I can be proud of myself for getting. I want to be a respected professional and I want my opinions to matter. Then I realized that doesn't have to be a CRNA. Nurse practitioners can work in the OR and also have the option of doing outpatient (among many other things). I can get an advanced nursing degree and still be able to work. I am just so tired of putting my life on hold and being miserable doing things to get me into a program that is only Patho and Pharm, which I'm not a fan of in the first place. Even thinking of doing NP rather than all the bs to get into CRNA school was a load off of my shoulders. So, I began researching programs and talking to NP's. I was told by one of our neurosurg NP's that the head of neurosurgery is trying to get the NP's to do first assist in surgery (PA's do first assist now). I would completely rather do that than anesthesia! I don't have to do any other prereqs for any of the NP programs and can apply now. Then I started thinking: Acute/Critical Care vs. Family NP program? Half of our NP's are Family and half are Acute. Family is more for outpatient (but a lot of them are in the hospital) and Acute is a newer program that is more for the hospital. I have been told that as more Acute Care NP's graduate, the hospitals will start prefering Acute vs. Family. SO, since I know that I want to work in the hospital for now at least, I think I'm going to do Acute. I want to go to Wayne State because it's closest, I hear good things about the program, and it's one of only a few Acute Care NP programs. Wayne has switched to a DNP program. It's a masters AND doctorate Acute/Critical Care program. I went to an information meeting and met with one of the administrators recently. It's 4 years full time, but it's one day a week (just all day that day), so that students can work and have a normal life as well. I could have my doctorate by the time I'm 29! That program has all of the things that I want and I'm not afraid of the work, so I will be applying to start Fall 2011.
We FINALLY booked our wedding date!!! We are getting married at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial August 11, 2012!! We are so excited that the ball can finally get rolling! I can't wait to go look at wedding dresses and I have been checking out linens and flowers online! It is 2 years away, yes, but it is perfect for us to have everything we want! 
And, given our trip to Germany and Austria next fall works out (i.e. flight prices drop just a little again! Ugh), we are planning on having some engagement pictures taken in the middle of the Alps in a little town called Hallstatt in Austria (see photo below)! Even if we only go for a couple days, it's definitely a priority of mine :) I found a photographer that is really good (claire-morgan.com) and it would be and AMAZING experience with incredible pictures! Hallstatt is such a picturesque Bavarian looking town nestled in the Alps. We are hoping flights drop again because it would be incredible!
