He Did It!!!

Perry graduated from college on December 15, 2012. I am SO VERY PROUD of him! He was determined to reach his goal and remained dedicated even when it wasn't easy. He returned to college after 5 years in law enforcement to pursue a different career pathway. This degree was a huge personal accomplishment but also a stepping stone for our family's growth. Way to go, babe!!!

During the ceremony :) and right after!

Gabriel was very well-behaved during the ceremony {made his Mommy & Daddy proud}. I was apprehensive because he had never sat through anything similar and can be fidgety and then fussy if you don't let him get down. Perry had to arrive early so I planned to go in when the doors were first opened to reserve seats. Thankfully Mom & Dad W came early, too, and went in to save seats because Gabriel napped in his car seat! I stayed in the car and let him sleep until 10 minutes before the ceremony start time so we could get inside in time. He sat in my lap the whole time {love my "Momma's Boy"!! He was so snuggly and kept laying his head on my chest and wouldn't let anyone else hold him}. He barely made a peep. Other babies/kids were loud and disruptive at times (and it didn't seem like their parents did anything!). He stayed entertained with a program, looking at the people sitting around us, and when necessary, he had his paci.

Gabriel has a thing for hats... and ones with tassels are even more fun!



The graduate and his guests. Our little family, his Mom, his Dad, his sister-in-law Sue (his brother couldn't make it), and my Mom & stepdad

I made dinner reservations for later that evening in order for us to go home for Gabriel's nap. {All the colleges/universities in our area had their graduation ceremonies on the same day, making it nearly impossible to get a decent timed reservation. Even a couple weeks in advance, getting in at Perry's first choice restaurant, Maggianos, was a no go :( I felt so guilty for disappointing him!}. Perry doesn't like parties and instructed me not to get a cake, decorations or anything. But... I snuck out and bought him 2 balloons (just for the front porch) anyway! We ended up at his 3rd choice, The Aviator, for dinner and it was great!

These two are my favorite people!! I could take hundreds of pictures of them. If they Perry let me. Look how handsome/cute they are!!

My Dad and stepmom weren't able to make it down from Virginia for the ceremony but did join us for dinner! We all had a blast and of course, everyone enjoyed watching Gabe. Papa (my Dad) gave him a rib bone to gnaw on... he loved it! He also had a good time walking around the restaurant with Nonny (Mom W). I'll add more pictures of everyone else when I can get copies of the ones Mom & Dad W took. Congratulations, Perry!!! You deserve this success.

Rodizio

In celebration of [a] finally graduating from college, [b] passing the NCLEX and gaining licensure as a nurse, and [c] landing a (really good) job, my Mom & stepdad Paul treated me & Perry to a double-date at Brasa, a Brazilian steakhouse in Brier Creek. Oh. my. goodness. DELISH!

Definition, "Rodizio": an authentic style of serving fire-roasted meat that originates in Southern Brazil. Gauchos/herders mastered the art of slowly cooking savory cuts of meat on large skewers over the open flames of their bonfires.

We had a little more elegant experience :) Servers came by periodically throughout our meal with a giant knife and skewers, each time with a different cut of meat: filet mignon, bacon wrapped sirloin, the traditional picanha, chicken, lamb, sausages, pork loin, ribs... If your stone was green side up, they'd offer you more, and more, and more! As they cut a slice, we used pee-wee pocket-size tongs to get it on our plates. If all that meat wasn't enough, there was an abundance of cold salads (seriously, like 20), fruit (with coconut milk for dipping), shrimp cocktail, rice, beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, fried shrimp croquettes on a buffet and a few dessert items like chocolate-covered strawberries! It's ALL YOU CAN EAT (for a pretty penny) but I could not physically eat as much as I wanted to!!!

Paul and my Momma with their stop/go stones

                                                                       If you're wondering, that's grilled pineapple

                                                                            coated in cinnamon... sounded a bit

                                                                            strange at first, but- yummmmmm!

After nearly stuffing ourselves with all that yummy goodness,  Mom and I went crazy with the camera. Here's the highlights from our photo shoot!

Isn't she beautiful?

Waitin' on a woman!

Being cheesy, but we are both RNs now!

On our way home, we- uh, were up to no good ;) and although the GPS claimed we had "arrived at our destination on right", the address we were looking for was strangely non-existent!

And finally, Mom and I having a blast in the backseat!!

Summary: I HIGHLY recommend Brasa. Come hungry, leave happy! Oh wait, that's IHOP... I love breakfast food too.

A lot has happened to me

...in the past month!

End of April
-On the same day, I scored a 97 on the Neuro exam (highest test score yet!) AND received a phone call from the manager on the unit where I completed my second preceptorship- she had a position open up and wanted to fill it with a new grad... and interview me!
-I GOT OFFERED THE JOB!!!

May
-My final exam was tough, but ended up with a 91 average = B. *Note: 92.5 is an A... so so close :(
-May 6th was our Pinning Ceremony at a beautiful Baptist church in N. Raleigh.


I'm the one turned around backwards ;)


Perry & I at Brio ♥ The entire family went out for dinner to celebrate!

-On Mother's Day, Perry & I treated our Moms (and Phil & Paul) to a Mudcats baseball game! We rode home with my Mom & Paul in their convertible. These pictures make me giggle.



-Bella's guesstimated birthday was May 11th. Happy 1st birthday to our baby!

-Perry has been working hard on various home improvement projects. He built a pantry in our kitchen & built-in shelves in the hall bathroom, and we started painting our interior trim from a dull sage green (dating back to the 1950s probably) to crisp clean white, painting primer on the exterior trim, and Perry sort of surprised me by taking the initiative to paint our front door GREEN!



-Last Sunday was the big Wake Tech graduation ceremony!



-Today I returned to work at Michael's! Back in 2007-08, I was a Sales Associate, then Event Coordinator, then promoted to Front End Supervisor. While I still work PT/PRN as a Nursing Assistant at the Laurels, a skilled nursing facility, I snatched up the opportunity to make some more money during this waiting period before my "real job" begins!

Coming soon in June!
-NCLEX Exam (State Boards for RN Licensure). My testing date is TBD, but please pray for me!

And in July...
-July 19th: official start date for my very first full-time job!!! I'll be at a large area hospital on an orthopaedic and oncology floor (AKA bones and cancer). I feel so blessed and cannot wait to begin my career as a nurse!