Houston, we have a date!

Well, I am feeling much better about the wedding planning because...we have a date! All the stars aligned at the end of the week and we settled for June 4, 2011. We both originally thought we wanted May, but everything worked out better for us to do June 4 and we couldn't be more excited. We are set to get married at the Methodist church in Senatobia (where I graduated from Kiddie Kollege) and have our reception at 211 Main in Como. We have the caterer/florist (who is FABULOUS) and reception entertainment booked as well. The only thing I am missing so far is the photographer. I feel some relief and actually did not even think about wedding stuff today unless someone brought it to my attention. My dad said this evening, "Tara, did you know you haven't said anything about the wedding today. I'm so glad because earlier this week you were trying to plan it all in one day." Thanks, Dad. I was actually trying to get as much together as I could before school started back...which happened today. Now I am crazed for a completely different reason.

I am really excited about school this semester because these are my last two classes before I have my BSN from the University of Memphis, but that is the only thing I am excited about. In my opinion, BSN stands for "bull s*** nurse" because I really haven't learned much more than how to write an APA paper from the program. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for the online RN-BSN program that Memphis has to offer and it really has been very accomodating and I haven't had too much trouble out of it, I just feel like I could have done without a class on issues and trends in nursing--come work with me in ICU and I'll show you some real issues and trends. I'm very disappointed in the Memphis hospital market as they are starting to shy away from hiring new graduates with associate's degrees (what NWCC offers, where myself and lots of my co-workers graduated from) and only hire BSN nurses. The only difference between ADN and BSN nurses is the fact that the ADN's do not have a formal community class, do not have a course in formal paper writing, and do not have a research course. The BSN program for RN's makes you go through a physiology/pharmacology course, HEALTH ASSESSMENT (I had been an ICU nurse for 1.5 years when I took that class), research, issues and trends, community, leadership, and ethics. I also had to take an upper level nutrition class--this was my second nutrition class (gag me! I hate skinny people stuff!). All of these things, while I had never had a formal class, I got from on-the-job experience. I guess I should not be complaining because my on-the-job experience made the program a lot easier, I'm just belly aching because I feel like I have been in school forever. Come to think about it, I have been in school 18 out of 22 years I've been on this earth. I actually gagged a little when I wrote that. But as everyone says, "it will all pay off in the end." A few weeks ago I was stressing out (go figure) about going back to school, even though I was going to be finishing, because I am planning to start the MSN program right away. Cue crazed meltdown. In this irrational state I told my mother that it would be my luck that the world would actually end in 2012, right in time for me to almost be finised with my MSN and I would have wasted my whole life stressing over school. She proceeded to tell me that she would slap me if I ever said that again :). Thanks, mom, for keeping me rational!

Anyway, enough about school. No one wants to hear about that boring mess! Back to the wedding. I spent some time with my very talented cousin last night reviewing the menu that my mom, Jason, and myself had created the evening before and talking about flowers. We pretty much nailed down the menu as she didn't have much to add to what we had already decided, but the flowers are a completely different story. My cousin asked me a couple of simple questions, "what flowers do you want and what type of arrangements do you want to put them in?" It was like she was speaking Chinese. I couldn't give an answer--I don't know!  Nor do I know if I really care. What I would like is for my mother, my cousin, and my mom's two super chic friends to decide on the arragements and just show me the day of the wedding, I really don't think I'd care. Ok, maybe type-A girl would, but I just can't decide! Guess that's what I need to think about now that I've got my major details nailed down.

Last tidbit before I get back to my school work. My mom, my sister/MOH, and myself have two appointments the third week in September to look for and hopefully order my wedding dress. My mom and I went to David's Bridal the other day to look at bridesmaids dresses and flower girl dresses and she talked me into trying on a few dresses. Needless to say, I pretty much found "the one" but didn't want to settle so we are going to go back there and Low's in Arkansas when my sister is home just to make sure I have seen all there is to see. Oh, and my sister's Say Yes to the Dress advice was actually right. The David's Bridal girl told me it would take up to 15 weeks to special order my dress since I am almost midget-like and require petite and then another 8-10 weeks to alter it. Ok people!  That is like pushing late April!  AHHHHHHHHHHH. Hopefully we can get one ordered on September 18 or else I'll be getting married in shorts and a t-shirt with a veil. :)

Happy weekend everyone!