snapshot of twenty-ten.

by the grace of God...

rang in the new year in las vegas with devon, steve, amy, and aaron...
welcomed my nephew avery rock rivas into the world.
took and PASSED the cpat.
was promoted to associate supervisor.
trained four new employees at work.
climbed half dome for a second time.
got a second tattoo (his wounds have paid my ransom...).
bought a new car.
made a lot of bad hair decisions [i was born to be blonde].
moved into my very own apartment.
went snowboarding with kara.
began applying to fire departments.
saw my dear friend charissa after a year and a half (still missing you lady).
lost my dear partner to glendale fire department a/o program (go team thompson).
got a new great partner that is teaching me so much (detoooyyy).
moved to c shift (burckle, estrada, detoy...you keep my life interesting).
recertified as an emt.
did a lot of push-ups...but not enough.
watched my small group of girls finish high school and begin their journey as college students.
began attending rock harbor fullerton.
made some new, amazing, friends.
got closer to friends i already had.
turned 23.
saw beth and anna graduate from nursing school!
learned a lot about love...
went on a behind the scenes tour of the wb studios.
saw my roommates skyler and bri graduate from apu.

weddings attended:
david and candace
taylar and tim
chawna and dana
skyler and chris
kim and ricky
beth and eric (i was there in spirit!)

viewed:
the town
my sister's keeper
the time traveler's wife
inception
unstoppable
valentine's day
chorus line [the musical. it was SO good.]
i know i am forgetting a lot on this list...

traveled to:
las vegas (2x)
yosemite (1x)
julian (1x)
carpinteria (1x)
san diego (not enough)
[i need to travel more...]

classes conquered:
ob
peds
community health
nursing theory
nursing research
mental health
restorative



































happy new year everyone!

on mornings.

i love nice slow mornings. no hustle, no rush, just s l o w. over this four day, i have been embracing my slow mornings, especially since i don't have that many left before school starts up again on the tenth.
this morning, i participated in one of my all time favorite morning activities, reading a book before i get out of bed. yesterday i bought the book cold tangerines by shauna niequist, and it is absolutely phenomenal. i love when you find books that just feel that they were written for you, this is one of those books. as i was lying in bed this morning, wrapped up in my blankets to protect me from the cold air that was streaming in my window, with tears swelling up in my eyes, i felt a little less alone. one of my favorite quotes from the book thus far is this:

"friendship is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways. we are made to represent the love of God in each other's lives, so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God's love for them. friendship is an opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people that we're close to, reminding each other who God is. when we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life. we get to remind one another about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can't always see from where we are."

ahhhh, music to my ears. this book is reminding me of all the areas of my life that i have been letting fall at the wayside. this book has reminded me of all of the areas in my soul that i long to change. this book has been soothing my soul, and reminding that i am not alone...anywho, before i get too sappy, this is a fabulous book, and to all my lady friends [sorry guys, i just don't think you all would be huge fans], shauna niequist is fabulous. read her work. the end.
on a somewhat different note, i got a new light fixture for my room! grandma had a lamp to get rid, and i was more than happy to take off of her hands. all it needed was a new lampshade [thank you target!], and we are good to go! looky looky...





and as an end note, i am just going to say that in six short days i am going on vacation to the northwest! i am going with my dear friends devon and steve [who are just two incredible people might i add, they are moving to india to be missionaries next summer], and we are going to see our [devon and my] old roommate beth and her husband eric. and we then get to see our funny, sweet, dear friend amy. it is going to be, wait for it, legendary.

thoughts on christmas.

christmas time during my childhood was such a special time, a sacred time, and a time that my entire family looked forward to all year. the minnick family has always had traditions, and we have always loved these traditions. it is funny how as time passes, these traditions slowly fade away, and become merely memories.
since i left the comfort of my parent's home, i will be the first to admit that i had become a grinch. i was not a fan of the holidays. they made me, well, for lack of a better word, sad. i am not sure if it was because holidays made me feel lonely, or if it was just because i was so exhausted i didn't have enough energy to want to celebrate anything, i am not sure. but the last few years, the holidays and myself have not been friends.
i wanted things to be different this year. the last couple of years i feel that my life has been in a fog, and i have been trying to break free...i am ready to start living again. i have a picture of my life in my head, and my heart aches for my reality to align with my expectations. i long to care about things again. most days i feel that i am cold, heartless, and have no feelings...and i hate it. i want to feel things again.
the point of all this: christmas, the holidays, whatever you want to call them...they are what you make of them. and i decided this year that i was going to make them great. one BIG step that i took was to buy my own christmas year. not a fake tree, not a charlie brown tree, but my very own, full, lush, beautiful tree.





another thing i decided to do was to spend more time with people this holiday season. recently i have been trying to reach out to people more and make an effort to build stronger relationships with others, and i didn't want this christmas season to be excluded. God created us to be in community with others, and i am really try to live out my life with this mentality...we were not created to go through life alone. so, after finals were over, my entire nursing class came over to my house and we did out secret santa exchange. it was such a precious time and it was so great being able to fellowship with all the amazing people God has placed in my life.





now i had to work on the 25th, but i was completely alright with that. i had been able to spend the previous two days with my family, and it was such a precious time. my family drove up on the 23rd, and we celebrated at my house...with an entire christmas feast (including a turkey, which i cooked...i was proud). i then went to san diego on the 24th, and we took part in all the regular christmas eve festivities [church, dinner and presents at grandma's, etc.]. it was such a great time being with them [i will post pictures soon]. as 2010 wraps up, i ponder what has happened this year, and this one thing i have learned...the holidays are what you make of them, and i plan on remembering this for many holidays to come.

stephanie alice.

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE ALICE MINNICK!
you are my sunshine.
you are such a beautiful person inside and out.
never change.