Guest Post by Tori: Life As A Nursing Student

Can you believe that this is the last guest post? Tomorrow I will be on my way home from New York. Today's post is from another one of my best friends Tori. If you guys want to read post # 1, # 2, or # 3 check those out!

Hi everyone! As Mariah said my name is Tori. Mariah has been a dear friend of mine for a number of years now. I’m so excited to have been asked to share something about myself while she’s in NEW YORK!!! There are so many things that I love and are special to me. A few are my Savior, my family, cold weather, tea, coffee, peanut butter, playing piano, antiques, reading, Disney...the list goes on! Yet something that is very important in my life right now is nursing, and that’s what I’m going to write a little bit about.

This semester is my first in nursing school, and has been quite a transition, to say the least. I attend California Baptist University, and am currently enrolled as a sophomore. Last year was difficult, yet I always managed to get good grades as well as have a social life. I worked very hard in order to be accepted into the nursing program and when I got my phone call, I was ECSTATIC!

However, in order to maintain good grades this year I have had to study for hours after school each day...including my weekends. I constantly have to say no to social events, and can’t spend as much time participating in frivolous activities. It is so important to really grasp the concepts presented in nursing school and not just cram in information before a test. With that, I have to study each concept a little bit each day.

Despite how much school has been draining me this year, I am absolutely loving it. This program is set up to create Godly, loving and proficient nurses who truly come alongside their patients and remain beside them on their journey towards health. I’ve spent many days in various hospitals, where I’ve already witnessed suffering, pain, and even death, but also recovery and joy. Those moments where a patient looks at me and smiles, thanks me for helping them, or asks to pray with me are the times in which I am so thankful for having chosen the path of nursing.

 

Even in this short semester, which is one of six that I’ll be in before becoming a nurse, I have experienced things I have never imagined experiencing. It has been a journey that I feel I was created for. 886 DAYS UNTIL I GRADUATE! But hey…who’s counting!?

 

What was your career path like? Did you have to study as much as I am?

5 Things I Am Thankful For

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Since today is Thanksgiving I believe that calls for a thankful post...I mean duh right!? Not to mention that I know I am extremely blessed, spoiled, and overwhelmed with things I need to remember and be thankful for.

Here are only a FEW things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. My family. Even when they irritate me beyond belief I still love them. No matter what they are always by my side. God gave them specifically to me and nothing can take that away. They will always love me and I will always love them. We are family.

2. Donny. I mean come on how could leave him out? He is just plain great. He is there for me even at my lowest or darkest hour. He cares for me and spoils me. He is my best friend. He listens to my crazy random rants that I seem to go on at times. I could not ask for a better boyfriend.

3. Travel. This vacation that I am on right now is especially a reason to be thankful. My family has been blessed with the opportunity to travel that many others do not get. This is something I hope to one day do with my children. Seeing the world is something I hope to never take advantage of.

4. Education. At times this is hard for me to be thankful for. When I am stressed over a test or annoyed with a homework assignment I am not very grateful for the education I am getting. I know things will be very different now that I have changed my major, but I need to remember and be thankful more often for the chance to go to college.

5. You, blog readers. I know there are not very many of you blog readers out there. However, I am never ceased to be surprised when I run into someone and they mention my blog. I love to write and blog and it is something I would do if I have just Donny and my family reading or if I have millions of readers. Yet, I never will stop being thankful for you. I love getting comments or knowing hey they really liked that post. You all mean so much to me. The whole blogging community is just incredible!

These are only 5 of the MANY things that I have to be thankful for this year. I hope all of you are blessed with amazing Thanksgiving. In the stress and craziness of the holiday season do not forget to enjoy your company, even those that irritate you. Time spent with loved ones is time well spent.

Guest Post by Donny: Some Facts About Mariah

It is time for post # 3! This one is really special to me as you all get to hear from the one and only Donald! If you guys want to read post # 1 and # 2 while I am away go ahead and check those out!

 

Hello everyone!

I am Donny, Mariah's boyfriend, or as she sometimes likes to call me "D." The reason I'm here today is because she left me to go to NEW YORK! (but y'all already know this). I'm slightly jealous to be honest, but that is besides the point! I'm here doing this post today on Mariah and I's relationship.
 

Let's start out with how I asked her to be my girlfriend. This was a process that took 8 months before I actually asked. So it was a couple weeks before I was planning on asking her and she had sent me this picture of Tiffany earrings she wanted a few months past. After asking her parents if I could ask her out, I took her out to a nice dinner and presented her with the earrings. Needless to say she shocked!

Ever since that day, June 12, 2012, we have been going strong. Of course with every relationship there have been some rough patches but we have gotten through them so far. I'm sure we will continue to with the help of The Lord. In the time I have known Mariah, I have learned a lot of things about her.

One, she loves the Lord above all else. Two, she always real and upfront with people. Three, she is very strong willed. Lastly, she is extremely caring kindhearted and loving.

Now you all probably knew that already so here are something's that you probably don't know about her. Some insider secrets if you will!

 

1. She loves smells. Certain smells remind her of certain things. For instance I wear a certain cologne that whenever she smells it it on me she will randomly smell my shirt when she's next to me. I know weird right, but I think it's quite cute!

 

2. The way she gets excited about things. You can always tell when she is really excited! It never fails. She will get this voice and start using the word "guys" a lot. "Hey guys! I'm so excited! Guys!" Or another tell tale sign is she will get what I like to call disney eyes. Her eyes will just light up and get really big when she likes something a lot.

3. The last thing I want to share with you is the way she laughs, which I love by the way! She will start laughing and her shoulders will start moving with her while she laughs. And when she finds something really funny she will slap her knee and move her shoulders. It's like the laugh goes through her whole body.

Well that's all from me until she asks me to post for her again. Thanks for reading and I hope my post has helped you all get to know her a little better!

Do you relate to her in any of these things?

Guest Post by Kristen. How She Trys To Not Stress While Wedding Plannng

Here is post #2 while I am away in New York! If you want to see post # 1 from my sister, Maddi, click here. This post is from my best friend Kristen! She has recently started a blog called Living In My Adventure. You should totally go check it out! So here she is!

 

Hi guys, I am honored to be writing a little something while Mariah is in the big city. Here are a few things about me! I love Jesus, I am 19 going on 20, I love all things Disney, my family means everything to me, and my parents are currently missionaries in Haiti. AND the really awesome important thing is that I am in the process of stealing my best friend’s last name. That is what I want to talk about today.

On October 5, 2013, my best friend, Sean, asked me to become his wife. It was one of the best days of my life! Our wedding is set for March 2014, which leaves us a five-month time frame to get this thing planned. I am beyond excited to be beginning this new adventure with Sean, but as we all know, weddings can be very stressful. I am trying to avoid the stress, and so far it has been going pretty smoothly (I know… We are only a month in and have four months to go).

Here are a few things that I do to avoid being overwhelmed:

1. I pray!!

Anytime that I feel like I am not being productive or that things aren’t going as planned, I pray that the Lord would give me a peace and direct me on what I should be doing. I can never doubt my God, He has ALWAYS, without fail, provided for me. The Lord has been showing me to just simply trust in Him. A verse that reminds me of this is Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

2. I remind myself that...

 No matter what, my wedding will be amazing because I am marrying my best friend, and embarking on a new adventure with him by my side, leading me and pointing me towards Christ (what more could a girl ask for?!).

 

One of our biggest worries for the wedding is that it will rain since we are having it outdoors, but even then, how fun would that be! I love rain! It would make for some pretty cool pictures, and an interesting story. Plus, God is in control. He controls the rain and sunshine, so why doubt? He gave us this day and these venues, He already knows how it will turn out, so why even begin to stress?

3. I Pinterest!!

After all of that, I go on Pinterest to look at some unique ways to make my wedding even more special. I think about what I could do that would make this day represent Sean and I even more so.
 

 

Some other details about our wedding that I would love to share with you all is that our color scheme is red, white, and black. We are going for more of a vintage feel with an additional Disney twist (remember...I love all things Disney). We will be having a few things that resemble Disney’s Pixar “Up”.

 

We are having an intimate ceremony with just family in our friend’s back yard that has a beautiful view. Following will be a huge celebratory reception with everyone that has impacted our lives, which will be at our church. The Lord has been providing tremendously, and I can’t wait for our big day!!

 

What was it like to plan your wedding? How do you stop stressing? 

Guest Post by Maddi: All About College

Well I have officially been in the Big Apple for 2 full days now! If you want to know what is happening around these bloggy parts while I am away read the post here. The first person to guest post on the blog is my sister! So lets dive on in!

Hi readers! My name is Maddison Rickard and I am Mariah's younger sister. I am 17 years old, but I turn 18 in 4 days! I am a senior in high school and plan on attending California Baptist University in the fall of 2014. I hope to double major in Business and Performing Arts/Theater. One day I hope to open up my own studio and teach kids voice, dance, and theater.

The fact that I am starting collge in less then a year is what I want to talk about. Pretty much everyone graduates high school! I mean being a senior is stressful. Right?! Full of SATs, college apps, and scholarship apps. All while trying to keep your grades up before graduation in June!

Now I do not go to regular school like most kids. I am homeschooled through a program where I go to school two days. Being charter schooled may make my class load lighter and my schedule a bit easier since I only attend classes twice a week. However, I am far from laid back! Not only am I taking 2 classes on campus, one online, and theater; I also work at a daycare part time on my days off from class. Put this all together and then try and add getting prepared for college into the mix? That makes for one crazy life!

Preparing for college though, is what I've been doing my whole life. I know not every student is like this, but that is how I was raised. You go to highschool and then to college. Taking college prep classes, participating in theater, and holding down a part time job has all been preparation for what is to come next in life. I may be stressed, but I am far from depressed.
I realized that the best way to prepare for college is to get a head start. This summer I toured many college campuses and requested info for the out of state universities I was interested in. This was crucial in making an early decision.

Next, I set up auditions for choir and theater programs. This is actually the step when I chose a college. Financially, when comparing my top three choices, CBU was the wisest. So since I had chosen a college at this point, I applied the moment I could. I then began filling out as many scholarship applications I could. Money is crucial to my dream of living on campus. Finally, I took my SAT test. I am actually due to receive my scores back any day now.

College planning may seem like a lot. This is actually very true, it is a lot. It's a lot of very hard work. But it is totally worth it. When I see Mariah and how she has thrived at CBU in such an aweseome college environment, it only makes me more excited for campus life. I know that all my hard work and stress will eventually be worth it in the end.

What was it like when you choose a college? Were there certain aspects that played into your college choice?

I Am Headed Out!

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Today is the day! I cannot believe it is already here! As of noon today my family and I will be headed to New York!

 

BUT don't worry guys! While I am away I am not leaving y'all with nothing to read. For this next week 4 of the most important people in my life will be sharing a post with you!

 

Stay tuned! It is going to be awesome! The first post will be coming to you on Monday. Also if you want to see some updates while I am in New York go follow me on twitter and instagram!

 

Happy Thanksgiving week all!

Life As Of This Week

Life lately via my phone 5

 

 

 

Monday night was the internal film festival that my office partnered with to put on. Here's a picture of the lovely ladies on my staff!

 

 
Tuesday I had to dissect a frog.....

It was gross. So incredibly gross! 

 

 

 

Last night my school had an event to go see The Lion King off Broadway. It was so awesome! This was the first time I had ever seen this show. I thought the production was incredibly well done!

 

 
Today it is raining. I do enjoy the rain! However, most of my cute warm clothes are packed for NY. So a bum it sweatshirt was in order!

Tonight is the Hunger Games Premier! Who else is as excited as I am?!



My Mood

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These pictures in a way describe my mood. I am stressed and very tired. There is just so much going on! I am just trying to make it to Thursday evening. I have the hunger games premier, sleep, and then a trip to the airport! It has come so fast! I am almost there!

 

However, until them I am stuck in class. I would much rather be drinking something tasty and warm while cuddling up with a blanket. All of my sweaters are packed at the moment, and time in my bed seems far away.

 

So until then. Here's hoping you are holding a cup of joy and have warmth from your head to your toes!

 



Events, Relax, and Disneyland



Cheers! It's another Monday. I hate Monday's -_- people this Monday I am tired...so very tired. I really cannot complain though since yesterday's activities were completely optional!

 

This weekend flew by! I'm serious it was here and then it wasn't! So much is happening and it is all going by very fast. I cannot believe that by the end of this week it is Thanksgiving break, and I will be in New York!

 

So here is what happened this weekend!

 

Friday night was an open mic night at my college. My office put the event on. It was awesome! We had so many great talented students get up on the stage.

 

Saturday was a pretty chill day. I did chores around the house, and my mom took my sister and I shopping for some last minute New York essentials. After that my sister and I went to see a theater production of Twelfth Night at my school. She is going to be in the theater department here on campus next year so she is checking out all the productions. That night D came over and had dinner with my family. It was nice and chill.

 

Sunday was the big day! DISNEYLAND! All of the Christmas decorations are up. It is perfect! Christmas time at Disneyland is amazing! I love it! I have been dying to go all November! 

 



 

See the Christmas tree! It is huge!!

 

 

 

So there was my weekend in a nut shell! How was yours? Any holiday stuff going on around you?

 

linking up with Sami

Friday's Letters (Busy Weeks, and NY)

Dear Week, This week has been so busy! I don't really feel like I get a weekend. Between all the events going on at school this past week and next week it is just a go, go, go! I am already exhausted! I am so ready for Thanksgiving break!

Dear Weekend, You have not even started yet, and are all packed up! Hopefully, somewhere in there is some rest!

Dear New York, Snow is so exciting! Yet, it is so cold! I really do hope I can handle this cold weather! Coats, boots, and long songs for me!

Dear D, I am so sorry for being so busy! Thank you for being so understanding. I really hope we can find time together before I leave for NY. I miss you already!

linking up with Ashley

Midnight Madness

Hi Friends!

 

Life lately...or life since Monday anyway. I only have pictures this week from a very large event that happened at my school. Monday and Wednesday nights were are my only nights off this week. Tuesday was a large even that CBU puts on every year. It is called Midnight Madness. It is our way of introducing the basketball teams. 

 

 

We bring in a big rapper and give out lots of lights, and energy drinks. It is super fun!

However, the name alone gives you a hint of what a late night it is for us interns. We ended the night at around 12:30 playing a game before we all headed off. It was awesome to be apart of putting on a cool event for my fellow students!

So far that has been the main aspect of my week. I also have one big change to share with you. If you follow me on instagram or twitter then you all already know! ;)

Warm? Cold? Let's Go With the Cardigan

cardigan: forever 21 (old)

jean shirt: forever 21

jeans: hollister jeggings

necklace: forever 21

boots: reflection (local store)

 

 

Weather, it dictates fashion doesn't it? Every morning I check the weather for the day. The weather channel app is one that seems to be used frequently on my phone!

Lately, the weather here in Southern California has been odd. It is kind of irritating. It is so cold in the morning, but by 2:00pm it gets pretty warm! Which is so not okay! It is fall people! Sweater season!

With this odd weather, I am learning cardigans can be my best friend. I get cold so easily, and my classrooms always seem to like to pump the air. Adding this simple, but warm cardigan really makes such a difference to my body temperature! So even on the freezing mornings when I must brave the cold and walk outside I am still okay!

Do you have a favorite go to cardigan? What's the weather like where you are from?

Conference, Relaxing, and Shopping

Welcome to another Monday and another Weekend Recap with Sami.

 

This weekend seemed to me as one of failed plans. Which is kind of a bummer for a planner like me! But that's okay. I am learning to go with the flow a bit better.

 

 

Friday night and Saturday morning my parents, D, and I went to the Love and Respect conference that our church hosted. I know that most of the time this is for married couples, but our church opened it to anyone. This was really awesome for us singles or dating. Donny and I can always use advice and help in our relationship. We are definitely aware of the trials that we have! and trust me do we need the help at times! So this conference was awesome and I suggest checking out the CD's for anyone!

 

 



As I said this weekend had failed plans. Saturday night was failed plan # 1. Donny and I were suppose to go to the movies, or just do some sort of date and that did not happen. I ended up staying home eating shrimp, pie, and cuddling with my dogs and mama. It was relaxing. I was bummed not to see my honey, but what can ya do about it now?!

 



 

Sunday, failed plan 2, we were suppose to go to Disneyland. It has just been wayyyyyy to long in my opinion since I have been there. Plans were all made and set in place and then Donny forgot about a meeting he couldn't miss. -_- So no Disneyland. A Disney day needs to be set soon!

 

Instead my mom took Maddi (my sister) and I shopping. We are in serious need of coats, and sweaters for New York. Our little bodies are cold in our 77 degree weather here and that 55 seems freezing! So on the hunt for the perfect coat we are! In this picture we were acting like dorks with our dork carts in a local thrift store! With my mom and sister it seems that we can spend hours at the mall and get nothing, but take us to a thrift store and we find loads of stuff! That is just us! However, the coat has yet to be found. Any inexpensive suggestions I will take!

 

Now it is Monday, and I have a busy week of work ahead of me. 10 days and I am on Thanksgiving break and on my way to New York! I cannot contain my excitement!

 

How was your weekend? Any plans for the holidays?

Life Decisions and An Annoncement

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Life...it really is a scary thing. There are so many things that we can do that can affect our lives. Moving, friends, schools, careers, and people. They are all things that can affect the direction of our lives.

 

Yet, we make all these decisions rather young! At 18 you must pick where you want to go to college or if you are even going to college. If you do choose college then you either pick your major going in, or you pick it at the end of sophomore year..around 20 years old. You are deciding your life job at the age of 2 decades. Then you graduate and get married. Picking a house, debt, and the person you are going to spend the rest of your life with. All of these decisions...all of these life changing choices...

 

I find it really scary..My heart is pounding just writing all of this down. I do not mean to stress you out if you are reading this, but we do make all these choices through out our time here on earth. I know that I have Christ on my side. Being a Christian I pray about each and every one of these choices before I make them. I could not imagine not having Christ on my side to guide and direct my choices.

 

So with all of this stressful talk I have an announcement to make. I have changed my major. Which means I have changed my career. Not in a small little change either. I believe this is pretty drastic!

 

I am now a Graphic Design/Digital Media Major!! with a concentration in Web Design.

 

When I graduated high school I had planned on going into college as a Liberal Studies major with a Photography minor. This never happened and I was a Math major who switched to Liberal Studies. So anyway I have not felt peace or enjoyed the education process for awhile now. This whole semester it has been something I was wrestling with. Well yesterday I went in and talked to a consular and now we are here!

 

Ta da! I am incredibly nervous, but I have a peace that I have not had about teaching for a long time. I believe everyone should love their job. A person should want to get up every morning and go to work. I feel like I would enjoy graphic design so much more than teaching. Part of me is a little sad to be honest. Teaching has bee apart of me since I was really little. Being a teacher was something I always said I wanted to do. I would line my stuffed animals up and pretend to teach them. I feel like now that I have changed that part of me is gone. I know this isn't true, and maybe I am just being dramatic but moving on is scary. Especially when moving on is life changing. I am happy with my choice though! So there is my announcement!

 

Did you ever have problems deciding what you wanted to be when you grew up? How many times did you change your major?

Change Has Arrived!

GUYS!!!! It is finally here! I have a new header and a new button! Isn't it amazing!?

My awesome friend Kelsie created these for my blog. If you would like to contact her and maybe have her help you out with a design here is her facebook page! You can also find her on instagram!

I highly recommend her! She worked really well with what I asked, and all of my crazy requests. I hope you all enjoy the header as much as I do!

Also I would totally love it if you would grab my button!

<center> <a href=" http://moosmusing.blogspot.com/" target=”_blank”><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b601/mariahrickard/MoosMusing-04_zps8d11a813.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Moos Musing"/></center>  

Thank you all so much for your patience! Tell me what you think of the header!

Social Media

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Maybe this post is going to come off as a shameful plug, but that is so not what I had planned! But Hey! I mean if you want to follow me on all those social media sites go for it. The more the merrier.

I love social media. I mean isn't that one of the many reasons why I have a blog. Yes, yes it is. My church had a job offer posted about a month or so ago for a social media manager. Looking back I really wished I would have applied. I love social media that much! Getting paid to tweet, instagram, or blog just seems awesome!

Yet, that isn't what I wanted to talk about. Today I started a second instagram for only artistic photography. No selfies, no about my life post. Just specifically photography and God's awesome creation that I see around me. Starting this second instagram was not easy for me. I was really nervous, and still am. There was a million questions that went through my head. What if people think this is stupid? What if no one follows me? What if I can't come up with pictures?

We get told by everyone "Don't worry about what people think!" D even said that to me when I shared my heart about being nervous with him this morning. And this is a true statement. We shouldn't care how others view us. God loves and cares for us and if we are in a right standing with him then that is all that matters. Yet...social media...we are in a world and generation all about it! A saying in my house that may be said a little to much is "that's a tweet."

Our generation judges each other by social media. Pictures, status', tweets, they all give us a reason to have an opinion about a person. Yet, "Don't care what other people think!" I mean does that statement even apply anymore? Why would someone post a picture if they didn't care what other people thought? Social media is all about how many likes, favorites, or retweets we get. If no one "likes" what we post then we stop posting. Caring what people think, and what they like is all what media is about.

So should we care? or not? I believe there is a middle ground. Finding that middle ground is the most important thing and finding a balance when handling social media. We have to be careful and we have to learn not to care to much. To be ourselves no matter what the people around us think.

Teacups

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Teacups. Mugs. Coffee mugs. All of these things make me very happy. A hot cup of something is comforting to me. I love tea, coffee, cider, hot chocolate, lattes...if you can get it at a cafe I like it!

 

Not only do I completely and utterly enjoy the warm stuff that goes into these beautiful holders, but I also love the mugs themselves. I have a tendency to collect teacups, and coffee cups. I find them at thrift stores, good will, and garage sales.

 

My mother has started to tell me that I am no longer allowed to buy them. If they are pretty or have a unique design I am just drawn to them! Some of my favorites that I own are from the designer Mary Engelbreit and Anthropology. I find that the drink that goes inside the cup tastes a million times better when you love the cup you hold!

 

Do you have a favorite coffee mug?



A Girls Night, and Homecoming Weekend

Welcome to Monday. Aren't you happy to start another week? I kind of am! My weekend was soooo not long enough! I am happy that it is November though. With November comes the holiday season, and almost the end of school. The latter of that freaks me out. I feel like school just started and now first semester is almost over! 4 weeks and then finals! AH!!!

 

Any who...how was y'all's weekends? Mine was busy.

 

Friday night I had a girls night with my friend Kristin. I cannot tell you the last time I actually had a girls night! It was so awesome to just hang out and watch a chick flick. And of course what's a girls night without face masks and a crazy picture?!

 

 

Saturday was a huge day for my school. It was homecoming weekend. Now my college, CBU, doesn't have a foot ball team. Yet, we do what we call the Fortuna Bowl. It's like the Super Bowl, but for our flag football rec sports league.

 

This game is the biggest event that is at the school. We go all out for this game. My office is in charge of this game. We paint the field to look like a real football field, including the end zones. We also have a firework show at the end. It is really awesome and so much fun!

 

It was a super busy night, but also a ton of fun! The games was really intense!

Sunday was a day to relax. I cleaned the house, did laundry, and homework. So fun!

So there's my weekend. Did any of you do something special? What is homecoming like for you?

 linking up with Sami

And We Dressed Up As....

 

Mary Poppins and Bert! Ta daaaaaaaa (get ready for picture overload)

 

 

 

 

When doing a photo shoot he only stays serious for so long! My funny funny man.

 

I totally love these costumes! They were so fun! Plus, I got to make D's face all dirty with black eyeshadow, which he hated and I of course loved ;) If you want to see more pictures check out Donny's or my instagram!

 

I hope everyone had a very safe and sweet Halloween! What did you dress up as?