Tara Mitchell, RN, BSN

Nursing School Graduation!!!

   The day finally came!!! May 11, 2012...COLLEGE GRADUATION!!! I have looked forward to graduating from Troy University for so long, but as graduation day neared, I didn't want to leave. The friendships I made with my classmates are indescribable. There were only 21 of us in our class so we were all very close. After taking the Exit Exam in April, it hit me that it was all about to be over with. I've been in school since August 1993...19 years, straight!! School is all I have known. Now I'm letting go of classmates, class, homework, clinicals & finals to step foot in this fast pace world where it's each for their own. While I was in school, it seemed like time was dragging by but looking back, it has absolutely flown. I'm happy, anxious & excited to start a new chapter in my life, but on the other hand, I'm scared to death

   The days leading up to graduation were very busy!! The day I took the exit exam, I got a call from Baptist South's Nurse Recruiter offering me a job in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), where I did my preceptorship my last semester. I was SO excited. As a matter of fact, I started today!! This was on the table when I got to classroom orientation this morning...talk about feeling a sense of achievement!!

Anyways, I'll do a post about my new job later. Let's get back to graduation week!

Pinning Ceremony: May 10, 2012

   If you know anything about nursing school, you know that a pinning ceremony is usually held a day or two before graduation. Our ceremony was small, including the nursing school faculty & staff, my classmates, our families and Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. We recieved our nursing pins & they were pinned on by our parents.



The pinning ceremony included a guest speaker, lighting of candles & reciting the Florence Nightingale pledge, and a slide show. Marjorie did the slide show & she thought it would be funny for the class to predict where each classmate would be in 10 years, and she was right!!! My prediction said something along the lines of...

"In 10 years...Tara & Hunter will have a TV show on the hunting channel & a successful taxidermy in Maplesville. Tara will be completely deaf, but will still manage to travel & teach about rectal tubes"

I'm sure you know where they got the hunting show & the taxidermy prediction from. It's no secret that Hunter & I would rather be in the woods than anywhere else. About me being deaf...if you know me, you know I cannot hear, AT ALL. It was a big joke in school, even with the teachers. Everybody knew I was hard of hearing! The rectal tubes...for some reason, I always got the patient with a rectal tube during clinicals. That ended up being a big joke with the class, too :) After pinning, we took lots of pictures...

Our class with our guest speaker in the middle & Mrs. Bazzell on the end

Marjorie, Terry, Britton & Jessica...my side-kicks throughout nursing school...couldn't have done it without them!!!

Daddy, Me, Hunter & Melanie 

Me & Mamaw! She helped me through nursing school...with all of her ailments, she was like a walking case study!!

Randy, Me & Mama...Randy said I've been in school long enough to be a doctor. I told him to keep on picking at me & I'll go back for my master's :)

Hunter's parents, Bruce & Rexanne...the absolute best in-laws I could have ever asked for!

"The WITCHES"

Graduation: May 11, 2012

   Finally, finally, FINALLY!!!! I had to be at Claudia Crosby Theater at 9:00am & graduation was to start at 10:00am. We lined up & did the traditional walk from the theater to the basketball arena where the graduation ceremony was going to take place. Luckily, Hunter took pictures as we were walking...

I honestly didn't think I would cry at graduation, but as soon as I walked into the arena & heard the 'graduation march,' I teared up. Was this really happening??? As soon as I  sat in my seat & saw Mamaw looking down at me from a few rows up, I teared up again. I knew she was proud of me & I was just thankful that she made it to my college graduation.

Getting my diploma (sorry the video isn't very clear)!!!

 

Graduation Party: May 12, 2012

Well, we figured 6 years in college was reason enough to have a celebration. Thanks to my sweet Mama & the rest of my family, they threw together a fun BBQ !! Although it rained, we still had a good time & I was so happy to see everybody there!!

Sheen & her favorite girls!

Daddy told me he had to work & wouldn't make it to the party, but he showed up & surprised me

The best friend I could ask for

Welp, that wraps up my post on graduation!!!!!!! In my next post: graduation trip to Orlando!!!!!!

What We've Been Up To...

My 1st Bow Season

Last summer, I decided I was bored with rifle hunting & I needed more of a challenge. So, I saved up a lot of money & Hunter & I went to Archery Unlimited in Prattville to buy my first bow- a Bear Homewrecker. I practiced during the summer & when opening morning came, I climbed up my first lock-on stand into an oak tree. I figured out that morning that I didn't like lock-ons...I got half way up & froze, Hunter had to climb up & give me a boost!! Although we tried, I didn't shoot a deer last season with my bow...maybe better luck next year!

Practicing in the back yard last summer

Opening morning!!!!

I had a Critical Care test that next Monday, so I decided to study in my tree :)

Hunter got a doe with his bow, while I was at clinicals at Children's Hospital 11/5/12

We Got ENGAGED!!!

On October 20, 2012, the night before Hunter's 30th Birthday, we got engaged!!!! You can read all about our story here!! It was so perfect & I was so surprised!! I'm so thankful Hunter's sister & brother-in-law, Amanda & Matthew, were taking pictures & videoing! Here is the video, I still smile when I watch it :)

Hunter Turned 30!!!

The night we got engaged, we met our families at Outback in Prattville to eat dinner for his birthday. I got him new camo (so typical of me!!!) & a new book called, The Dummy Line by Bobby Cole. If you like hunting & suspense books, you MUST read it!!!

After dinner that night, we drive to Pine Hill to stay with Amanda & Matthew. Hunter had taken off work the next day so we could hunt in Camden!!!

While he read The Dummy Line in his climber, I was taking pictures of my new gorgeous engagement ring (notice my camo pants in the background)...

Deer Season!!!

My favorite time of the year!!! I don't know how I met someone so perfect for me, but I did & he loves deer season just as much as I do! Had I not grown up hunting with Daddy, I don't think I would enjoy it as much. I have so many childhood memories of being in the woods with Daddy & I feel like if I can get in a shooting house, I feel like a kid again & my worries go away. While the adrenaline rush of squeezing the trigger with the bullseye on a deer's shoulder is undescribable, I have to say my most favorite part of deer hunting is the sound of the woods & the view.

I got my first deer of the season, a 9 point 11/29/12

Hunter's 8 point from the dog run in Andalusia 1/10/12

 

Our First Christmas!!!

Christmas was SO busy!!!! Between both of our parents' houses & grandparents' houses, we ran the roads a lot!

At the Farmer's Market picking out our first Christmas Tree!!

Making homemade M&M cookies!!!

 

Isla Saige Mathews...

When Hunter proposed, I thought there was a Boykin Spaniel puppy in the big green box...instead, it was a picture of a Boykin with a note...

When I got home from Mom's house the Sunday before Valentine's Day, I peeked in the living room & saw Hunter lying on the couch, in the dark, watching TV. After talking to him for a little bit, I saw 2 little eyes...there was a PUPPY sitting on his chest!! She was so dark, I could barely see her! She was so precious (and still is)...I just cried!!!

Incase you didn't know, we're pretty obsessed with her...sorry if it annoys you :)

Turkey Season!!!

March 15...Hunter's favorite day of the year...TURKEY SEASON!!!! I didn't get to go much this year because I was busy with school & precepting, but I did get one turkey!! 3/17/12 we were in a 2 man turkey contest in Maplesville. You can read the whole story here. Long story short, I shot a gobbler, then a few minutes later, Hunter shot one & we won the contest!!! It was an AMAZING hunt!!!

Collins Elizabeth Wright...5/1/12

I found out September 10, 2011 that I was going to be an AUNT!!! I'll never forget it...Amanda told me she was pregnant as we were turning into the Sonic in Thomasville, AL...then she told me I couldn't tell anybody until they went to the doctor September 24. I couldn't tell ANYBODY, not even Hunter!!! I nearly killed me!!! After she & Matthew went to the doctor September 24, on a Thursday, we cooked out at our house & invited Rexanne & Bruce. Amanda told Hunter the big news before their parents got there...he was tickled to death!!! We set the video camera up on the book shelf, then Amanda handed her parents the ultrasound picture...Rexanne cried & Bruce jumped up & hugged Amanda. In December, Amanda & Matthew found our they were having a GIRL!!! After they found out the sex, it seems like the months flew by! Dr. Logan decided to induce on May 1, 2012. At 4:43pm, Collins Elizabeth Wright entered the world...8lbs 2oz & 20in long...absolutely PERFECT!!!

Well, that wraps up tonight's blog!!! In my next blog...GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!