Leaving more than just a city.

Tomorrow is my last day on 6east at Scottsdale Osborn. Or Ozy, as I sometimes affectionately refer to it.

And I am dreading it.

It was a rough start for me in December of 2010. I had been out of nursing for 6 months. And before that I had only been a nurse for 5 months. So I was essentially a clueless new grad with a lot of learned protocols and policies from another hospital that needed to be unlearned. Let's just say I had a long orientation.

But after my orientation I hit the ground running. I was so excited to be free to practice by myself again. I allowed other nurses and doctors to pour knowledge into me. I bought books to study and then apply in my practice.

More than just loving nursing and our patient population on 6east, I grew to love my co-workers and the culture of our floor. We work hard and laugh harder. The stress from the acuity of our patients is off-set by the ease of our demeanor. We talk, we joke, and yes, we even play pranks on each other. Usually involving saline. Sometimes involving stool softeners. But more importantly, we push each other in our practices to provide the best care to our patients while pursing knowledge and education.

So with a pit in my stomach, I have to say goodbye tomorrow, to never return. In my heart, I feel this floor is irreplaceable. The logic in my head slaps that notion in the face. I'll never work on another floor like this one, but I will find one with it's own personality, and I'll inevitably adapt.

Please bear with me as I take a stroll down memory lane.

contact + droplet isolation

A vodka a day to keep the DTs away!

Dust storm. There is a mountain behind that building.

Veil bed. Kind of like a fort.

Ok who did this to my apple? And is the chocolate safe to eat? who cares!

That one time my mean and delirious patient incredible hulked his CTO brace off. This was his 2nd one. And he has an unstable low cervical fracture. This is my life.

You can bring your dirty bibbed kitty to the hospital. But I might want a novelty pic with it.

Thank you dietary for sending water to this patient who clearly has a dysphagia diet with specific instructions not to send water. That does not mean cross it out and send a bottle of water. Luckily the RN confiscated it before this patient aspirated the entire thing.

All the charts in the rack...whoa!

Leech therapy, baby. Time to face the fear.

Remember that one time I threw a torilla chip at you and you lost jenga? Oops.

Creepy but sweet birthday flowers from Aaron, even though he was just trying to one-up the candy that Henna bought me for my birthday.

Best RN case manager. EVER.

Dare you to try a shot of Mag Citrate.

Love coming back to my desk.

The boys let me chart at "Man Island" for my birthday.

Crazy social workers.

My goodbye night out!

Mike would only allow his picture to be taken like this.

Surgical cap gifted to me from the scary trauma surgeon. I knew I would win him over!

Goodbye Phoenix!

Yes - you read that title right! Chase and I are moving. We are leaving the Desert Club, Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, Redemption Church Arcadia, Furman RC, our balcony view of the McDowell Mountain range. All the things we love about Phoenix we have to say goodbye to. This is tough.

Over the past two years, Phoenix has become our home. It didn't feel like home when we moved here. Actually, just recently it has begun to feel like home. And now we have to say goodbye.

Where are we moving to? I am proud to say that Chase accepted a promotion to become a service manage for Cintas Fire in San Jose, CALIFORNIA. I emphasize California because more than one person (usually someone from the midwest) has asked me if that is in Texas. Not San Antonio...we are talking a different San. We will now be a part of the "Bay Area." Which essentially means an outrageous standard of living because it's close to the ocean. Not to diminish its beauty, it is a very lovely place to live. Chase and I recently paid a visit there to find an apartment and we went up to San Francisco for a night - it was spectacular! Gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge at Sunset whilst drinking our Irish Coffee in a local pub.

We drove back from San Francisco to our hotel in Fremont by taking the Oakland Bay Bridge at night. We pulled over on Treasure Island and looked back at the most breathtaking view of the San Francisco all lit up at night.

Oakland Bay Bridge and downtown San Fran

San Jose is located on the South Bay. It has a warmer climate that San Francisco. It is sunny almost as many days of the year as in Phoenix. People don't have air conditioning because you rarely need it. We will be living in a super urban apartment in downtown San Jose.

Here is the fantastic story of how we came to lease our apartment:

We found the most beautiful, yet small, one bedroom apartment after looking at several apartments. Oh - and lots of apartment complexes in San Jose area don't even have any one bedrooms available, so that narrowed our search. Anyway, this cute apartment was in a complex with a southern courtyard feel, greenery and purple blooms all around the soft gray apartment buildings with white trim and black doors. It was a little pricey, about $100 more a more than we wanted to spend, but the location was great. Chase and I went across the street to Starbucks to discuss the Pros and Cons of 3 apartments we were deciding between. After praying and drinking some tea, we decided to go with the beautiful southern apartment and thought the extra cost was justifiable. We returned to the apartment complex to tell them we wanted to lease.

Lucky to have this man by my side.

And it was taken. While we were at Starbucks, the apartment we wanted (and another one we were considering) had gotten leased.

Yea, I almost cried. I mean I did cry, but I waited until we were back in our rental car. Which was a black Crown Victoria, by the way.

We were so exhausted from our apartment search, and felt so disappointed that our search had to continue when we lost out of the "perfect" apartment.

After sitting in a parking lot, I just couldn't make myself look up apartments anymore. Chase made a few more calls, and we drove by a few places, but they just weren't for us. Until Chase called an apartment complex called The Elements. This place was way out of our budget. Except that they had 4 one bedroom apartments available and had already leased 3 today. The manager wanted the last one leased by the end of the day so they dropped $300/month off the price AND offered an additional $500 off the first month rent.

We raced to the complex to get a tour. We first looked at a different apartment model than the one we would be leasing. It was beautiful. Halfway through the tour, before even seeing the apartment model we would be in, Chase and I both looked at each other and got the feeling that we needed to lease this apartment as soon as possible. We asked the Leasing Associate, D 'Angelo, giving us the tour if anyone else could be signing up for this apartment right now.

The Kitchen

Yep. D 'Angelo said there was at least one other couple he knew of that might be filling out the lease online now, but if we got there first, it was ours.

That's all Chase and I needed to hear. We returned to the office with D 'Angelo without even touring our potential apartment. We didn't need to see it, we had seen enough to know it was by far the nicest apartment complex we had seen in San Jose.

Our hearts were going a million beats per minute! We raced through the online application process to put a "hold" on the lease, and with D 'Angelo's help - we got the apartment! For 15 months at that price too.

We are actually paying $5/month less than the southern courtyard apartments we originally wanted...and we have 200 square feet more, with large beautiful windows facing downtown San Jose.

Chase and I were so humbled by God in this apartment search. Of course he is the creator of all things, of course he has dominion over all things, and of course he loves us so dearly and knows our needs.

Celebrating with a little bubbly

Rachael's 26th

Just wanted to thank my awesome husband for a great birthday! I worked all day, and I came home to a delicious home cooked meal set out with some white roses. I mean he went all out. From my favorite french onion soup with grilled croutons to steak with sauteed mushrooms to creamed spinach with a baked potato. He busted out a great red wine and of course made a perfect chocolate cake for me. He's a great cook and baker...and he seriously impresses me all the time.

Thank you for the best birthday present of all time. I love my bike! Been having a blast on it!! Can't wait to take it around San Jose!

Grandma Jackson

Chase and I had to make an unexpected trip back to Indiana at the end of May when my Grandma Jackson passed away.  Although she lived to be almost 96, her death was unexpected. She was driving to church a week before she died! She had some issues she had to go to the hospital for, which turned into complications. After undergoing general surgery and not coming out of anesthesia very well (the 3rd time she underwent general anesthesia in 3 weeks), my mom and her sister and brother decided it was time to let her go when she wasn't responding in the wee hours of the morning. It was my grandma's wish that no drastic measures would be taken in attempt to prolong her life. She died with her two daughters and son at her bedside, hugging her and telling her how much they loved her and how great of a mother she was.

Myral Louise Kaufmann and Stanley Berl Jackson on their wedding day December 30th, 1941.

The barn on my family's farm that was built in 1898. We used to play on the rope swing when we were kids.

I wish I could have known my grandmother for longer. Not just as my grandmother, but I wish I knew her as a young woman. She was intelligent and quick witted. Nothing got by her, even at 95. I have a feeling we would have been great friends had we been peers. But I am thankful that I came from her legacy. She and my grandfather were the last generation in my family to cultivate the land. We found a document that states the farm came into my family's possession in 1838. This deed is signed by Caleb Jackson, who I believe is my grandfather's great grandfather. This hardly exists in America anymore!

The quarter mile road to my grandparents farm. When we were little and my parents made the turn off of US 40 onto this lane, we would get so excited! I remember being jealous of my older brother when my parents let him drive down this lane when he was learning to drive. 

My grandma became a registered nurse July13th, 1938 - her 22nd birthday!

It was so touching to learn even more about my grandmother in her death through stories from family, friends, and her pastor. I loved seeing her bible from 1984 on her side table. It was given to her by my grandpa. She used it so much the binding was broken, taped, and re-taped. I know she shared the same hope in Jesus that I do. I can't wait to live in eternity with her

My bridal shower, 2010

Torch Lake in 2006

Our wedding, June 2010

Patrick's confirmation in 2009

A bunch of Kaufmann women! June 2010

A great picture of Grandma!

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20120529/OBITUARIES/205280301/Myral-Louise-Jackson

Chase's 25th

On April 17th we celebrated Chase's quarter centenarian birthday! My sweet husband is now the same age as me! (I realize I am writing this 5 days before my 26th birthday). We had a nice little time for his day.

We kicked off the morning with a little breakfast sandwich... I have no idea how I got up early...maybe just the excitement of Chase's day! I had asked Chase to get off work 2:30pm, as I had a special treat lined up for him. He had always told me that he wanted to experience a "real barber shave." I booked him an old school shave, haircut, and man-pedicure at the local Scottsdale barber. It was a bucket list experience for him, although he probably wouldn't do it again. The barber told him he has sensitive skin on his face yet thick beard hair. Chase said the blade shave was pretty painful. The barber also asked Chase who cuts his hair. Yea...that would be his amateur wife. The barber said, "She is good, she could work at great clips." Hmmm...I am going to just go ahead and pretend that was a compliment although my logic tells me it was an insult...oh well! I think Chase looks hot after I cut his hair! The barber did a great job, but cut it too short and then took Chase's hard earned sideburns off before he could tell the barber otherwise. The sideburn growth is a new thing for Chase, at my request. I think he looks super handsome with them - very dapper.

When Chase returned, I was already to go out to dinner.  We did a little rose champagne toast to my husband and headed out the door!

Chase picked Fogo De Chao in Scottsdale for his birthday dinner. I had never been there, and it was super interesting. I LOVED the salad bar and all the delicious delicacies, but all the meat on the stick was a little overwhelming, and to be completely honest...it all tasted the same. But we had a great time and Chase loved it and got super super full. He kept turning his green little card over for more. Gotta love a lean 6'4 man that can eat!

When we returned home, I gave him his other birthday gift - his baby blue UNC golf shirt in a frame. Now I went all over town to get quotes on this thing. Then the store ended up not having enough time (it takes them weeks!) to frame it. So I just DIYed it! There were times in the project that I was super frustrated, but I did it with limited tools in less than a day. Thank you Jesus that it turned out alright. I bought the shadow box so it would match my framed goalkeeper jersey from college.

Both our jerseys on the bottom and a few shout outs to our glory days on the top!

Kauai - The Na Poli Coast

This is the reason we chose the island of Kauai - the north shore. It is this beautiful expanse of cliffs, valleys, and secret beaches. We knew we wanted to see these breathtaking views of nothing but deep blue ocean. There is a 22 mile hike you can take to a secret beach. BUT, you have to carry all your camping gear and food and purify water after you find a source. That is outside of our skill sets. So, we chose a shorter, but still spectacular 8 mile hike. After 2 miles of beautiful north shore to a little beach, we headed inland for 2 more miles through the jungle until we reached a fantastic waterfall. Then we reversed our hike to head home. Let's just say it was a good workout. And it was worth every step.

The start of our hike

Looking back at Ke'e Beach

We were torn between wanting to stop to take tons of pictures and wanting to keep hiking at a fast pass so we wouldn't get passed by other hikers...

I could die here.

Starting back down towards the beach

  

The beach 2 miles into the hike. During the summer months there is a lot more beach. During the winter months, the tides come up to those rocks.

Heading back towards the waterfalls

A small freshwater pool on our way to the big pool. Swimming in this little pool was one of the best times of my life!

Finally here at the waterfall, 4 miles in. This pool was extremely cold and those kids on the rock are crazy.

Back at the small beach, 6 miles in, it's late afternoon and this beach is covered in shade.

Last 2 miles of the hike. Late afternoon sun shining over the Na Poli coast.

Less than a quarter mile until we are finished...and we are hurting pretty bad!

Kauai - Part 3

One of our most favorite days in Kauai (let's get real - everyday was as equally fantastic as the day before), was when we went to a beach on the North side of Kauai called Lumahai Beach. One the way up to Lumahai, we encountered this small breakfast/lunch place called Tutu's Soup Hale. It got phenomenal reviews on TripAdvisor, so we decided to check it out. And we were not disappointed!

When we first arrived, there were only 2 people working. Just the owners, no waiters. We took the owners advise and ordered something sweet and something savory. Chase ordered the Hawaiian bread french toast with coconut icing and I ordered scrambled eggs with cheese, tomato, and avocado over an everything bagel. They warned us it would take awhile because it was just the two of them cooking and if we were in a hurry, we ought to come back. 

Everything about this place was unique. Before we took our seats on the porch, the owner gave me a battered copy of a "Origin of Names" book. So we looked up our names and read about what the "universe" said our personalities are like based on our names. Not always accurate, but entertaining none the less. We also had a beautiful view of the mountains. We didn't order coffee, but other patrons did, and it was delivered to their table in a french press.

When our meals came, well let's just say they didn't disappoint. In fact, the Hawaiian sweet bread french toast with coconut icing was literally the most delicious thing we have ever had. It was absolutely fantastic. And it was HUGE! We both ate generous portions, and we couldn't finish it (of course, we were working on my breakfast too). We even requested more coconut icing - although I am positive it was absolutely awful for us. Also - notice the huge hunk of butter in the picture. Yea...that got used to. We figured we would burn it off on our 8 mile hike..right???

After leaving Tutu's completely full...too full. We headed up to our destination - Lumahai Beach. It was a cloudy day and slightly rainy, but we thought it would clear up. It never did, but it ended up being one of the best adventures anyway. Because it was slightly rainy and cold, there was hardly anyone at the beach. We took advantage of this by being brave and jumping into the stream the flowed from the beach into a river. It was the most beautiful and clear freshwater! We also took full advantage of this rope swing.

We crossed this shallow area (dividing the stream from the ocean) and climbed upon the lava rock. Because we were going to get wet (and it was rainy anyway), we just brought our bathing suits and sandals. Unfortunately no cameras!

But here is a picture of the lava rock we traversed. It seems much much larger when you are walking around on it. We did lots of climbing. Also, this is only about 20% of it. We went around the corner so we were completely obscured from view and continued our adventure.

                                                                                                                                         Property of  Pono Photo

We found small tide pools within the lava rock of warmer water. They are home to small fish. We sat on the very closest edges of the lava rock so that the huge ocean waves hitting the land would just drench us. We couldn't believe the forcefulness of the ocean. It is so incredibly powerful. It we had fallen, we definitely would have drown. 

Chase walked a little farther than me on the other side to explore this huge pool made my lava rock. I didn't want to go because it was literally teeming with black crabs. And I just couldn't handle that. He had to cross this lower area of rock and then do some climbing to see this little pool. Right after he had finished walking on this lower area of rock, a huge wave came in and completely covered it with several feet of icy water. The tide pulling the water back to the ocean was incredibly strong. But the potential danger of it all was really making it exciting!

I found this on the internet as well.

After exploring the lava rock, Chase and I played in the waves at Lumahai Beach. Since it was rainy and windy, the waves were super high and strong. This beach already came with a high surf warning and was not indicated for swimming, but we were already living on the dangerous side. I was seriously afraid for our lives when we ventured too far out into the waves because they were so powerful. The final straw was when I got pounded so hard from a wave, it knocked my swimsuit *almost* completely off and held me underwater for several seconds and dragged me 30 feet. I couldn't control my body at all, I was completely at the mercy of the wave. My better judgment kicked in (finally), and we called it a day.

We finished the day with a delicious dinner at The Eastside. Highlight was the fries with the garlic aioli sauce.

Chase and I will remember this private adventure for the rest of our lives!