Graduation, new job, and much more..

It has been a busy month here in the Marshall household. After trying to move on after the miscarriage (still something i struggle with daily) Jared and i have had a month full of twists and turns. I sat for my boards on the third of Sept. (please see previous post), i luckily passed. I thought everything was smooth sailing after passing boards, i was wrong. After a long conversation with my boss and not getting the job i first thought i would, I spent many nights praying to find peace and acceptance allowing me to move on and to accept the road life had decided to take. I have this little problem with wanting to be in CONTROL of everything that goes on in my life. I am not one for the "unknown" so when life does not go as planned (which happens often), i tend to freak out. I think life has to go not as i plan often enough to humble me and to remember the faith and hope i claim to have. After a very long week, i finally was offered a job as a RN at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in what is called the Med/Surge Cluster. I work on the orthopedic/Neurology floor (anyone with a broken hip or needing brain surgery), on the Medical Surgical floor (anyone with stomach, prostate or bladder problems) and the Medical/Oncology floor (yes, it is the cancer floor).. This is not where i dreamed to work (yes i want to go to the ER) however, i know i will get some AMAZING experience and i am grateful to have a job. Yes, even the medical field is feeling the economy, i hear there are almost 500 new grads from nursing schools out there looking for jobs here in UT alone. I am going to be working nights, i am going back to the DARK SIDE and i must admit i am excited to go back to the night shift, i love staff at nights!!
 I did graduate with a degree, which i wondered if it would ever really happen. I was surrounded by people i love and have supported me through the craziness of what nursing school is. (this is shared in the pictures to follow of the graduation)..  So jared is enjoying the ease of having me NOT in school. I am back to working 36-40 hours a week. A much nicer income is headed our way and i think he is excited for that as much as i am. Jared has changed his major to Social Work and those of you who know Jared can understand how GREAT this change is. I am blessed with such a kind and generous husband. He is always wondering how we can help others. He is so patient and loves to help those in need. He loves the psychology of the human minds (i could live without understanding why people do the dumb things we do), but he is ready to go out and help people find the light that has helped him in his life. 
   So, yes we are very busy, but we are so grateful for the change that has happened in our lives. We continue to hope and pray we will be parents sooner than later. We are excited for the new opportunities that await us. Jared is excited about our upcoming day at Lagoon (me not so much as i would rather be at disneyland) but i am sure this is a small trip compared to what awaits us in the future. September was a great month!! My brother was evacuated from his house from the crazy fires in Herriman, but was happy to go back home a few days later with no real damage to his home.. My parents took the grandkids to Arizona for a wedding, and seemed to have had a blast.
 Life is good in the Ika and Marshall household...  Lets hope October is just as great!!
  
Here are some pictures from Graduation...

 Yes, it was a great day!!!