Celebrating the holidays with Braydon

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and are now resting up for the new year!

Braydon arrived to NYC on the 27th (my birthday), its only been a couple days and we've already seen so many spectacular sites in the city. We celebrated my birthday by walking on the Brooklyn Bridge, watching carolers at the South Seaport, eating dinner in Time Square and doing a little shopping too!

Here is a picture while walking across the Brooklyn Bridge...there were so many people we practically crawled across..

Each member of Braydon's family made me a homemade birthday card...I absolutely cherish them!

The next day we went running a long the east river to the South Seaport...here's a stop along the way. Among the buildings to the left is New York University Medical Center.

We also went to Rockerfeller center, saw the masses of people and the huge Christmas tree. We ate dinner overlooking the square and then saw the Radio City Rockette's Christmas Spectacular (thanks mom!).

Braydon and I loved watching the dancers, the moving stage and even wore 3D glasses to watch santa claus fly in his sleigh.

This morning we ran to the United Nations center building on the east side in 35 mph wind! We traveled up to the upper easts side to get the New York Runner's Club; we are running a race on New Year's eve so we picked up our race bibs and our t-shirts and hats too! It was so cold that we both wore our stocking hats around the city.

We stopped by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a quick visit and then had lunch at the famous Lexington Candy Luncheonette.

Now we're off to find some chinese food for Braydon and I'm getting ready for a night of work. I'll keep updating as the week goes on, I'm so thankful for all the memories we are able to share this week!

Love to you all.

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"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are."

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday with friends, family and loved ones.

Christmas on 16east was quite busy with a lot going on and a lot to do! It was my first Christmas away from my family which no-doubt brought feelings of nostalgia and longing but there is always a first for everything and these experiences help me to grow and develop into a young professional and adult. Last night I cared for only one patient that celebrates Christmas; while it was difficult not to share the joy and excitement with many others, celebrating Christmas with that one patient was well worth working such a special holiday.

This morning I took a few pictures to share a few snippets of Christmas spirit in my area; above is the lobby of NYU Medical Center and below is the lobby of my apartment building..... I always love coming home to this beautiful Christmas tree.

The above and below photographs are from my apartment's bedroom window. Above is a beautiful church that lights up at night and below is the glowing sky line I gaze at each night (or morning!) as I fall asleep.

Once again Merry Christmas everyone! All the best wishes for safe, happy and healthy new year!

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May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,

The gladness of Christmas give you hope,

The warmth of Christmas grant you love.

-Author Unknown

All settled in and ready for some guests!

Greetings! Hope you are all doing well and gearing up the all the Christmas and New Year festivities! While I kind of feel that Christmas is over for me (I'll be working the 23, 24, 25th), I am looking forward to many wonderful guests coming to visit me during the next month. I don't think I've mentioned in the blog but I actually moved apartments last month. I moved only ten blocks away (and five blocks closer to work!) to a very nice building in a great part of town. My old apartment had an issue with a temporary wall needing to be taken down (needless to say I spent two months living without a wall). I finally feel situation and settled in at my new apartment and am ready for visitors!

My mother dearest will be visiting me next Monday. We will finish cleaning up the apartment together and hopefully try out some new restaurants (don't you love moms?). Then on the 27th (which also happens to be my birthday) Braydon will be coming to the city for a week. We are excited to celebrate the New Year together, go see the Rockette's at Radio City, share some long runs and enjoy the city at Christmas time. Then in early January three friends from St Olaf will come for a week. I am so excited to have visitors; my time in NYC is great but I must say I am always joyful to see familiar faces.

During the past few days I've enjoyed a few Christmas sights in the city. Yesterday I went to Union Square (an area near the east village) to run a few errands (mainly to Whole Foods :), anyways there was a great holiday fair with a ton of wonderful arts, crafts and gift venders...those who know me well, know that I love this sort of thing!

Last night I moseyed over to Washington Square Park (in Soho where, NYU is located), the above picture shows the Christmas tree lighted at night in the park, it was breathtaking!

Well, we're supposed to get hit with a big snowstorm today, so the city is gearing up for the white stuff...can't wait! I'm off to take a nap before work tonight, take care everyone and love to all!

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"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." -Henry David Thoreau

Christmas Continues in Minneapolis

Christmas greetings from Minneapolis!

Wow, what a wonderful holiday weekend I've had here at home. Christmas has come early this year for me, as I'll be in NYC and working when the actual Christmas day arrives.

Braydon and I went to an 'Ugly Christmas Sweater Party' at my friend from St Olaf's house. We went with my other friends, Britt and Mike (see above photo). I wore an authentic, hand-knitted circa 1982 Christmas vest from my mom and Braydon wore a lovely ski-man sweater he snagged at the Super Goodwill in Iowa.

On Friday night Braydon and I went to a 'Ruby Red Christmas Party' in St Paul. As always, Braydon fashioned his bow tie :)

On Sunday night we had a family Christmas celebration at my mom and dad's house. We had such a wonderful time opening presents, having dinner and simply being in one another's presence.

Dad and Bailey in front of the Christmas tree.

Brandon and Amy had the most presents :)

I love our warm house in the winter

The beginning of the Christmas Season

hey all!

hope you are doing well and gearing up for the start of winter...I hear Minnesota is in for a snowstorm soon, here in NYC we had our first bout of slushy/freezy rain. I wore my mittens for the first time tonight on my walk to work....if you don't know, I love winter so this was an exciting landmark of the fast approaching cold season season :)

As I mentioned in my previous email I traveled home last weekend and had such a wonderful time. I enjoyed my first dose of Christmas; Braydon and I decorated Christmas trees at his condo and took a couple Christmas pictures as well. I also spent some time with my family, went for a couple runs, wined and dined at Le Belle Vie and Palamino with Braydon(two fun restaurants in Minneapolis), and did some much needed Christmas shopping with my mom. It's a wonderful feeling to come home and have nothing to do but relax, enjoy myself and catch up with my friends and family. I joke with people at work that I'm always moving and always busy because I'm living two lives...one in MN and one in NY, its an interesting way to do it but its working out well for me. :) New York City has definitely become my home for work...this week I am working 6/7 days (two weeks of work in one week!), then I have 5 days off and am making one more trip home before the holidays....I already have three Christmas parties scheduled....can't wait!

Braydon and I decorated three little Christmas trees at his condo...one didn't light up, but i still think they are beautiful :)
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"Jenna, you kill your patients with kindness." -An interesting remark from a co-worker on my unit.

Life's sufferings bring fulfillment, strength and joy

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all are recovering from Thanksgiving and settling back into work and life after Thanksgiving. This past week was absolutely wonderful, I once again was able to go home and visit my family, friends and my boyfriend. I will post again with details about the weekend but I want to first share with you a few wise words I heard and resonated with at church last sunday....

The sermon was centered on the questions, "how do we respond to the suffering in the world today?" And touched on answering the ever present inquiry, "Why does an all-loving God allow suffering in our world?" I find myself easily asking these questions when I spend nights caring for 30 year olds, 20 year olds, young mothers, and old fathers dying of cancer; however, I've always maintained an outlook that I can always learn and grow from such situations. The sermon highlighted the same central message: God brings suffering into our lives to strengthen and develop our faith, character , heart and soul. While sometimes difficult to see, there is always something to learn and grow from in our (and other's) suffering. Time again I talk to patients, many of whom only have months to live, who explain the closeness of their family during the illness, how broken ties were healed, how they ministered to other people with cancer, they explain that through this tragedy they were actually seeing progress, well being and fulfillment.

CS Lewis once said, "God whispers in our pleasures and shouts in our pain--it is a megaphone to a deaf world." It is more obvious to me than ever why suffering has a place in our world and in our heart...without it growth, development and subsequent joy and fulfillment is difficult to attain.

In the past four months I have grown, developed and felt more fulfilled than any other time in my life; I also have never experienced such hardship, adversity and overall suffering. It seems paradoxical but I continually thank God for bringing these extremely challenging situations full of brokenness into my life--for without them, neither myself, nor the people involved, would have such fulfillment, strength and joy in life.

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"Love is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves." --Teilhand de Chaardin