End of Year Wrap Up!

As I said in my first post, a lot has happened this year. So much, in fact, that it's easy to forget all of the good times. I scrolled through my Instagram posts from this year to pull out some of the highlights, and here they are:

My brother's friend got a puppy, Diesel, and he has pretty much grown up at our house. It's crazy to see how much just one year can change things! That little pup that we started with is now a full-blown "doggo."

My mom and I became official members of the North Bend Presbyterian Church! My siblings are members of the church by default because they were confirmed there, but my mom and I finally became members!

Dusty and I started dating. I won't go off on a tangent with this because I've got plenty of other posts about him that you can read, and let's not beat a dead horse.

I got my first tattoo! My friend and I decided to get matching tattoos, so we scheduled an appointment, decided what we wanted, and got them done. We chose the stethoscope bent into a heart with the words "Caring," "Strength," "Love," and "Courage" as a symbol of our commitment to the nursing profession, it is the reason that we are best friends now!

I moved in with Dusty. Living with my best friend has been a roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Some of my family doesn't agree with this decision, but it is one that I spent a lot of time making and I have been very happy with it. There have been a couple of ups and downs, but overall we are happy with this decision.

Hintzy Photography took prom pictures for my brother and his friends, and by Hintzy Photography, I mean me. Since he was a junior, and it was junior prom, I made sure I got some pictures for him to remember the day by.

I went to Las Vegas for a wedding! I flew for the first time with my dad, grandma, great aunt, and great cousin to Las Vegas for my great uncle's wedding. We spent a lot of time at his house, but he only lives about 5 minutes from the strip, so we got to walk around the last night that we were there. It was SO HOT, just like everyone says, "it's a dry heat." We got out of the airport, and it was like the gust of air after opening the oven, but it doesn't go away. Luckily, my great uncle and his husband have a pool, so being outside wasn't completely unbearable. I can't wait to go back some day, and spend some more time on the strip!

I participated in the Dragonboat Races, and our team took first place! One of my mom's friends is a breast cancer survivor, so she has a team for the Big Blue Dragonboat Festival in La Crosse and my mom and I participate. This year, like last year, our team took first place and we got medals for our participation!

I officially committed myself to the nursing profession at my school's commitment ceremony! Viterbo University holds a Commitment Ceremony for the nursing students before we begin our clinical experience to symbolize our commitment to the nursing profession. We got our "Student Nurse" name badges to wear during our clinical rotations!

I started my nursing clinical experience with gerontology! Being in the gerontology setting was amazing and made me even more excited to continue on with my nursing education. Next year is family health!

Hintzy Photography hosted three senior sessions! Bree, Cody, and Gavin were my seniors this year, all Melrose-Mindoro High School class of 2018. I am excited to see where life takes these three, and will forever be grateful that they allowed me to take their pictures!

Dusty and I got to see the Pink Heals National Tour, and I was able to sign the truck in memory of my mom's cousin. The Pink Heals National Tour drive around big PINK firetrucks that have been signed by survivors or family members of those who have battled with any kind of illness or disease. The volunteers who put on this tour encourage people to make donations locally, and all the money raised from sales goes to the gas, maintenance, and other tour expenses.

I got to take Gender Reveal pictures for one of my best friends! I met the guy in this picture years ago when I had a different boyfriend, and he has been one of my best friends since that day. He helped me through my parents divorce, and it's been a lot of fun knowing him. I was ecstatic when he called me and asked me to take pictures for him at their gender reveal party. I'm so excited to see baby Miller, PS - it's a girl!

Hunting was a bust - but I went out! I worked opening weekend, so I didn't get out until Sunday night. I sat with my brother and we didn't see much, but it was good bonding time. I don't get to see my brother all that often anymore, so any time with him is always welcomed.

I got a new car! "TECHNICALLY," my mom got a new car, but I'm making all the payments on it, so I'm saying it's mine. Dusty, my brother, and I went to look at a couple of cars in Viroqua one night, and we decided on one. After we headed home, my brother kept looking and found two in Sparta, so the next day I looked at one of them in Sparta with my mom, and we got it that night! It's been so weird having a new car, it's RELIABLE, and it doesn't make any alarming noises. Going from 275,000 miles to 35,000 miles has also been a bit of a switch, this one has so much to look forward to and will last me awhile!

I turned the big 2-1! As I covered in my post about my birthday, it was exciting, but it wasn't the big alcohol frenzy that everyone says it will be. I'm almost a month into being 21 and it still hasn't been all that much of an alcohol frenzy.

I got a promise ring! Dusty gave it to me in the sweetest way. For Christmas, he got me two lunch boxes, one fit inside the other, and inside the smaller one, was a ring box. I opened it up, and there was a ring and a piece of paper all folded up that said "I promise." It was a note with all of the things that he promises to do or be for me in the future. It was the sweetest thing ever!

Also, the movie Wonder was released, and you all should see it! Wonder is the story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences entering the fifth grade. It is a wonderful movie that inspires others to be kind. If you have the chance, watch it and let me know what you think!