Merry Christmas Indeed

Sara at Chuck E Cheese's. This was her Christmas present from me and Darrel

Sara passed out on Christmas Eve while she was taking a bath. She didn't even get to make her Santa Cookies, but mommy did and Santa sure did enjoy them;)

My Christmas present to our parents! We are due sometime mid summer

Sara doing a dance at her Christmas party

Me and Sara at her Christmas party. She had such a great time!!


And as you can see the days leading to Christmas Day have been filled with hope and excitement. This has been one of the best holiday's I've experienced in a long while. I hope next year is even better. Merry Christmas to all!!

What a wonderful time of year!!!

I have learned that the busier I am the harder it is for me to fool with the computer and keep up with my blog. However, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we were able to get together with all of our family and even pose for some pictures outdoors. Hopefully we'll get the pics by Christmas so that we can post them up;)

Sara really learned about Thanksgiving at her school and even dressed as a pilgrim during their Thanksgiving feast. Now she is planning to celebrate the birth of Jesus and participate in a birthday party for Him next week.

Darrel is performing very well in school and has been elected to the vascular sonography tract of his degree as he so desired. His first quarter of school is winding down and he is in the top 10 percent of his class. How proud we are of him and his work!!

I am really learning to love my job. I can control my own schedule, and I am seeing that my skills are really helping people gain back independence which they lost through one way or another. Now I am working on studying to take my national boards so that I can continue to work and support my family.

We are so grateful for the many blessings we find daily that have been given to us. I am surprised often at how much our Savior and Heavenly Father really love us! What a marvelous gift we have been given to have the restored gospel in our lives and know that our Savior has made a way for us to return to live with Them if we learn to live Their commandments.

Sara's Foot

This is what Sara's leg and foot look like 4 weeks after surgery. The picture is a little blurry because it is from my phone, but you can see the pins on the right side and the dark black lines are dried blood from the incisions.

I know this looks a little gory, but her foot actually looks normal. I wish I had taken a picture of her foot before surgery so that everyone else could see the difference.

She is now in a short-leg cast that is black with a pink spiral stripe going down to her toes like a candy cane. It will still be a couple of days before she can walk by herself because her leg muscles are weak and she is unsure of her abilities. She is progressing great and amazes me every day at how well she is recovering.


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Darrel only has three weeks left to work before he starts school and he is oh so ready for that day to come.

I just received my temporary OT license and I have a tentative start date of September 14th. I am so excited about my new job and being able to apply all that I have learned so that I can help other people!

Sara's Surgery

Sara's surgery was last Thursday at Scottish Rite in Atlanta. She wasn't too happy to be there because we had prepared her for what she would experience, but the nursing and staff did an excellent job in making her feel happy. When they brought her to her room for pre-op they gave her a medication that made her loopy. And boy was she ever that!! She even told her surgeon that he was in the way of her tv when he came in to answer any last minute questions;))

She was a trooper! We weren't able to walk back to the OR with her, but she went on a Dora the Explorer hunt to find her room and did not fuss.

When she came out of surgery she was a little sick, but energetic and kept us laughing.

She has been home since Sunday afternoon and has been off her pain medication since Monday night. She can maneuver a wheelchair like a professional. She has also learned how to scoot on the floor and transfer from the couch to the wheelchair with minimal assistance.

Sara begins Pre-K at her new school on Tuesday Aug 18th. She is very excited and is ready to meet her new teacher. They only attend school until 12 noon and then she will be with the other 4 year olds in the child care center until Darrel or I can pick her up.

Darrel also received his school schedule for the Fall quarter and is pleased as he will be at University Hospital for all of his classes and furthermore doesn't start until 1pm on Mondays.

I have a job awaiting my license through the state of Georgia. It will be a wonderful change to be able to get paid for work.

Boy how time flies??

I never thought I would spend an entire month without once blogging!

I have less than 2 days remaining in my clinical rotations and already have a job lined up.

As you all know Darrel has been formally accepted into the Cardiovascular Technology program at Augusta Tech this fall.

And more importantly, Sara will be having her surgery next Thursday at Scottish Rite in Atlanta. She is not exactly thrilled with this notion, but I think she'll enjoy the time she has to play and people doing for her. Our neighbors are fabulous and have already offered to help in any way while we're at the hospital and when she gets home.

I'll post pics of our beach trip as soon as I get my camera back since I left it with my mother-in-law this past weekend.

It has been confirmed...

Darrel has been accepted into Augusta Technical College's Cardiovascular technology program and will be a full time student this fall!!!

Congratulations Darrel!! We are all so proud of you!!!

A day in the life...

This past Saturday I purchased Sara a pair of flip flops with Tinkerbell on them. And she had to show everyone what was on her shoes (who wouldn't right?) During this outing we also stopped by the local feed store and picked up some treats for our cow friends When it cooled off we took Sara over to the cows and let her share the treats we had purchased. The cows were literally coming through the fence to get the food Sara had. Some how or another the cows ended up with Sara's new shoes on the other side of the fence. And boy was she ever upset! She kept yelling "that's mine...you can't wear them....give it back!!!" It was precious.

Darrel still has not heard any definitive news about his cardiovascular tech program and we were supposed to know something almost a month ago. But he is still having fun feeding the fish and watching the birds come in in the evening.

I am beginning my 7th week of my last clinical rotation. To pass your midterm one needs to make a 90 or above on the evaluation and to pass the final one needs to make 122 or higher. I was fortunate enough to make 122 on my midterm and can breeze through the remainder of my rotation knowing that I will pass. I love what I am doing and hope to find a job soon. I have also been afforded the opportunity to observe in orthopedic surgery tomorrow morning. I am excited to witness the surgical procedures that my patients are recovering from.

We are really enjoying our new ward. It's tiny and full of interesting people. Our bishop came over last week and spent some time just getting to know us. We really miss our friends in the Augusta ward though;(

Other than this, nothing exciting has been happening with us. Maybe we'll have better news for our next posting!!

Pics from my new camera

So as you can see, my daughter is a photo ham! With my graduation gifts I was able to purchase a fairly decent digital camera. I thought it would be a great gift to share with my family and capture memories. I am very excited to be able to do this and finally share on the web.

So much to say in so little time

It has been very busy around here since the last post. We did not have a telephone connection for two weeks therefore we could not use the internet. We were able to spend the long weekend together with both sets of parents and had a very nice time.

Darrel and Sara have become great fishing buddies. She even used money out of her own bank to purchase the crickets for their most recent fishing expedition. Darrel has also learned much about raising cattle. Sara was introduced to her first calf last week and was able to watch when they tagged it's ear. Our neighbors used Darrel as a 'cutting horse' and were able to pin the baby bull down long enough to tag it's ear. Other cows are due to give birth any day now and Sara is really excited. Almost every evening Sara gets to take some food over to her friends, the cows, and that is her favorite part of the day.

Recently she has decided that she has to have another school to go to because she is tired of the drive to and from her current school. So I have been able to find her a spot close by for Pre-K this fall, but we have not been as successful to move her at her convenience. However, this new school has the best playground and Sara always wants to go out and play when she sees it.

I am at the hand clinic at the Army Hospital in Augusta. I have been learning treatment techniques this past week and will have another week learning the machines before I go back to evaluations. I really like being around adults during the day instead of being surrounded by children.

Darrel is still waiting for an acceptance letter. As of last week nothing has been done in the school and they are now going to use email as their form of communication to the eligible students. We were supposed to know by the end of the month but I guess they missed their own deadline.

Other than that there really hasn't been too much to blog about. We are really enjoying our new house and our neighbors. And being closer to family doesn't hurt too much either;)

The Big Day!!

Graduation was a success!! My mom and dad came up for hooding the night before graduation. This is where the graduates receive their hoods which signify the school from which they are to get their degree. Mine was from the school of allied health sciences and everything was gold and blue.

The morning of graduation we celebrated some very special departmental awards and then proceeded to get lunch before gathering for the celebration as Sara would say. Then we met with Darrel's grandmother, mom and dad, and brother Ronnie. My brother in law and niece also came to support me at this special time.

Graduation went well. The arena was pretty full as over 800 students graduated from MCG in 2009. All talks given were brief and to the point. We walked across the stage to be handed our fake degrees (because we don't finish our program until August) and watched as other students received theirs. Then we took pictures and went to eat at a restaurant in Thomson. The atmosphere was very friendly and the food was good.

Now I only have 12 weeks to complete at Fort Gordon's Army Medical Center in the outpatient department until I complete all of the requirements for my degree.

I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and support system that would travel out of the way to come and witness this event! Thanks to everyone;)) This was a very memorable moment in my life and I appreciate all that has been given to me.

Who says dog is a girl's best friend?

Sara's new best friend. She feeds them clover every evening and they come running up to the fence to see her;)

Vagrants in Augusta

Yes...I am referring to the thieves that surrounded us in our previous location. The week after we made the 'BIG' move we dropped by the house to take out the trash and clean up the outside. Thursday night we left the keys and put everything outside that we wanted to pick up for Friday. Friday we stopped by and to our surprise many of the items that were at that location 24 hours previously had been removed.
For example: A used bug zapper, concrete bird bath, a trash can, a shepherds hook, a fish tank, a rusty golf car motor...you get the picture.

I am just very grateful to be living in a place where life is mundane and peaceful. I am thankful to be living in safety.

We have the keys!!

Yesterday after church we met with our new landlords and signed the contract to our new house!! They handed over the keys and are letting us move our stuff in all this week even though we don't take over officially until Saturday. I'll have pictures of the new house to post soon. We are so very excited to be getting out of a stressful place, but are bummed to be leaving a wonderful ward and friends. Thank goodness for the internet when it comes to keeping in touch with others!

I am down to the last two weeks of my first clinical rotation and then the week following will include all of the different activities involved with GRADUATION!! What a wonderful blessing!! We are still waiting to hear from Augusta Tech as to whether Darrel was accepted into his program or not. I feel that if this does not work for him the Lord will prepare a way for him to succeed.

What a wonderful loving Heavenly Father we have!!

A new house!!!

Hooray!! We finally found a house that is in a great location and is safe and convenient for everyone. Unfortunately it will be taking us farther away from Augusta, and we will have a little bit of a drive to get to places, but atleast we will actually feel safe. I am very excited and will be busy packing as we have to be out of our current location by the end of the month. So I won't be posting any time soon.

Busy eventful day

We had such a busy day today. Last night we drove down to my moms for a quick visit. This morning we had breakfast with my brother and his family, got a quick hair cut for me and sara, and then proceeded to an indoor easter egg hunt. After a quick bite for lunch and some candy, we raced over to my father-in-laws family birthday party. It was great for all of the kids to play with one another and to be able to catch up with all the families. I am so grateful to have a wonderful family!! We are now back in Augusta and are looking forward to a less busy trip when we return for Easter!! Goodnight to all!

Autonomy

Autonomy is synonymous with independence and leadership. How does one explain to a 4 year old, who has always been pretty independent, how to be herself and not follow someone elses lead? Sara has been in trouble twice this week and has the teacher astonished at her behavior. Here it is a Thursday and I am just finding out about it. Does anyone have suggestions?? I certainly don't know what to do except reinforce good behavior and good choices. AGHHH

The bad with the good

I just recently found out that the bank I was fired from two years ago was seized by the FDIC and closed for good last week. It just amazes me that Heavenly Father knows what we need. Had I not been inspired to continue my education I may have just lost a job. Because of the economic crisis and the fact that I was granted unemployment insurance for losing my job by no fault of my own I am still receiving unemployment payments. The Lord is GOOD!! So the moral of this post is that because we may have to go through bad times, if we trust in the Lord and the truthfulness of the gospel we will be blessed!!

A day of direction

Today I had to give my talk on finding the good in life. I felt so unqualified to give the talk because I seem to be more gloom and doom than I do about the blessings that have been given to me and my family. But tonight I am listening to the sweetest sound that occurs in my household. Darrel is reading a book to Sara as they get ready for bed. She has grown so much in the last 18 months spiritually and I can only thank her Primary teachers and the Primary Presidency in our ward. She says her prayers reverently and really thinks about what she would like to bless. She is concerned when people are upset. She comes home and teaches us everything she has learned at church. It is so wonderful. This is the good in my life. I only hope that I can teach Sara as much as she teaches me!

Brittany and Michael, Thank you guys so much for being wonderful examples to me and my family. I can't tell you enough how comforting it is to know that we have friends who will help us as much as y'all do at a moment's notice. You make me want to be better as a member of the church as well as a parent and friend. (And thanks for assigning me to talk during Sacrament today. As much as I like to give you a hard time I really did learn more about what I should do and I feel that you were inspired to have me talk.)

As time winds closer towards my graduation I am once again anticipatory as to what the future will hold for us. I pray that Darrel will receive good news that will guide where we need to be. I pray that we will be able to follow Heavenly Father's plan and be better servants of Him. I know that we are doers of His work and pray that we will be strengthened through our service in Christ. Amen

Oil for my lamp

After going to our wonderful stake relief society womens conference I have learned that I have much to do in order to be as prepared as the 5 wise virgins. I know that true happiness is from God and that with such a precious gift comes the responsibility to prepare myself temporally and spiritually in order to be welcomed when the bridegroom comes. I must make the time to prepare my family, my house, and my spirit so that I am ready. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to learn so much about becoming self reliant and how to teach my family to prepare themselves. This has given me a wonderful boost to do what I have known I needed to do and stop procrastinating and letting worldly things interfere with Holy things. I have been uplifted and edified by such a wonderful program!

It's Official

I totally have 'senior-itis' and cannot wait until graduation. I don't exactly know why this is because I still have 12 weeks after graduation before I am finished with all of my requirements but this time of year always makes me happy.

I have discovered that I do not enjoy pediatric therapy as much as I first thought. It is not too hard, or too easy, but I just don't enjoy it. I have been praying to find a 'specialty' if you will that I will enjoy because I would like to get my board certification in an area of need. I am hoping to at least enjoy being at Eisenhower Army Medical Center this summer because it is more regimented and it is adults. Darrel accuses me of being an adult since I was 5 so maybe I am better at enjoying their company?

I really just want to make a difference in someone's life by making it easier for them to live independently. Now I just have to figure out how I am going to accomplish this. Maybe I'll go into hands and get my CHT (Certified Hand Therapist), or maybe I'll connect with older people and become specialized in geriatric care. All I know is that Heavenly Father has a purpose for me and sooner or later as I journey through life I'll find that purpose.

The dreaded "call"

It really isn't as bad as I've made it out to be!! A member from our bishopric called this evening (Thanks again Michael) and told me how much he likes to read my blog. I did think it odd that he would call in the evening just to talk about my blog but I was preoccupied with getting Sara ready for bed and did not think too much of it at the time. The phone call did end up as I expected it would. I now have been asked to speak at church in two weeks on a topic that I don't feel I am suited to talk about. I've been asked to speak on finding the good in life. Maybe this assignment is for me to be able to learn how to find the good in life. I feel like this is more for me to learn and change my life than for me to instruct others.

All in all...I do appreciate the assignment and what I will learn as I ponder and pray about it. It will also help me with everything else that I am doing at school and at home. Our primary theme this month is about organizing the house to make it so that the Holy Ghost will want to be present. And I am trying to do that now. Darrel says that I am nesting in hopes that I might soon get pregnant, but I don't know. Heavenly Father has a special way in blessing us and when He feels it is time for us to be blessed with another child we will. But as for now I am trying to make my house a more "Christ-like" house and pray that I will be more like Him!

Sara's Reward

Today Sara played her last Basketball game. Nothing eventful happened. She didn't even score a much anticipated basket as she had during practice. However, she won the hearts of many. After the game she went to purchase her coveted blowpop and all of the ladies at the concession stand congratulated her on her basket during practice. No...they were not present. But they all knew. I think the entire county now knows that Sara was able to get a basket all by herself. I was not the one to spread the news. It was her coach and his wife. How amazing is it that children can be so loved and cherished that others celebrate their accomplishments as if it were their own. And above all else...I am proud that she is mine and will be mine for the eternities.

A perfect ending to a wonderful experience

Tonight was Sara's last basketball practice. Her coaches had a surprise pizza party for the kids and one parent ordered embroidered towels and a basketball cake to celebrate.

Sara is not the best kid on the team. In fact she is the worst. But all the players, the coaches, and the ref's make her feel like she is terrific. And tonight she made her very own basket. All of the kids (which are boys) cheered for her. It was great! You would have thought she won MVP! To me she did. She learned how to pass the ball. She even learned how to dribble. She has shown the most improvement in the past 10 weeks of all the kids.

Saturday is her last game and next Saturday evening they are holding a banquet for all of the kids to celebrate the end of the season. This has truly been a memorable experience that I am glad Sara participated in.

On another note, I had the perfect opportunity to share the gospel with someone today and I only hope I did it justice. One of my Clinical instructors has been talking to me about my hopes for the future, my beliefs, etc. It is unusual for someone to ask about church and beliefs...but I am in an area where prayer is still heard in the public school system. I also have a client who's family is a considered 'part-member' family and the child's mother is very much against the teachings of the church. That is how we got on the topic today. As we were talking she gathered that I was not born into the church and on the way back to my car we talked about my conversion to the gospel. I was very careful about my word choice so as not to offend her, but I feel like I was able to share my testimony in an nonthreatening way so as to teach her. I am very glad to have had the opportunity as it is rare and I am not the most open person when it comes to sharing my feelings. Anyway, I hope that by sharing my beliefs I may have planted a seed and possibly allow the gospel to grow in someone else's heart.

Being too hard...

So I am approaching the midterm of my first rotation. I looked over the criteria that the national OT association sets forth and grades us by and felt pretty good. Today I spoke with the owner and asked questions that gave me feedback as to what I need to do or improve upon. Then I asked my hardest CI to look over my notes and give me feedback. To my surprise she said they were really good and only offered a few changes to make them more measurable. HOORAY!! I'm not as dumb as I feel;) (I know I'm not dumb...but rotations can still keep you from graduating if you do something wrong so it made me nervous)

Today we had many cancellations so I had time to catch up on my notes and practice goal writing. I came up with treatments on a moment's notice and they worked rather well. I think now that I have relaxed I am becoming more confident in my skills.

Today was a great day!! Especially for a monday! Now I just have to clean and get my house in order. Then it will be an even better great day;)

Preparation

I truly believe that Heavenly Father sends people in and out of our lives for reasons and seasons. I am finishing the third week of my first clinical rotation and have 4 clinical instructors where most people have 1 or 2. This can be a blessing and a curse as no two days or instructors are the same.

I get along well with 3 out of 4 of my instructors. One has a hard personality that I am having trouble warming up to. But I am learning.

I have learned that I must take time out every night to think about each individual child I am to see and try to come up with exciting activities for treatment. I am learning that table top activities are not my forte and that I am not comfortable using the same activities as other clinicians.

The purpose of this post is that one of my CI's is older and more experienced than the rest. She is my cheerleader and I am very very blessed to have her helping me. If you know me you will agree that I get along better with people that are older than me or at least more mature than their age group. This lady 'gets' me and I think that she was put in my path (or me in hers) so that I can succeed.

Darrel gave me a priesthood blessing before I began this rotation and I was promised that this would be successful. And it is...but it isn't immediately a success.

I have also realized that I am much harder on myself than I should be. I have been praying lately that I would be able to understand what I am supposed to be doing and it has comforted me insomuch that I now know I have to do things my way. Mistakes are to be used as learning lessons. Just as I am an individual I know that I cannot take one activity and apply it to all of my clients. They are individuals as well and deserve individualized care.

I have learned that when I take the time to prepare for the next day that I am more relaxed and able to listen to the Holy Spirit. I procrastinate naturally, but am learning slowly that through thought and preparation I am a better person for my family and my clients.

And so...it is now time for me to prepare...and take responsibility both temporally and spiritually.

Birthday Week & Weekend

Ok so I celebrated my 27th birthday better than my 26th. Last weekend we went home and I was able to spend time with all my family (Darrel's & my own). I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to leave.

On the day of my birthday I felt bittersweet because it marks one year since my miscarriage. I don't like to dwell...so I'll focus on the best parts! I was called more times in one day from people who wished me a great day and new year! I was able to play with some wonderful babies and come home early.

Last night my husband arranged for a babysitter and we had a wonderful dinner just the two of us. It reminded me of when we were dating. And we had so much fun just being together and talking about things that weren't stressful or important. We kept talking and laughing.

I am learning more and more about how much family means to me. I am grateful for a loving husband and a sweet little girl. I'm even more amazed that Heavenly Father loves me so much that He sacrificed His son so that I may live. And moreso than that...I know that He has made a way for me to come back to Him. My Heavenly Father Loves me and is helping prepare me for His cause so that I can do His work.

I know more than anyone that I have faults and shortcomings. I know how much I have to work to do my part in this great work which is to be done. I am grateful for this new year and what will come as I journey along my path. For this I owe all that I have because there is no gift more precious than life eternal.

The meaning of busy

For some time I did not understand when I would see people always ask the busiest people they knew to do something for them. One would always say that the busiest people will always get things done. I can somewhat relate to that now that I am unofficially working for a living. When I come home from the clinic I get Sara from school, get dinner on to cook, clean dishes from the previous day, wash a couple of loads of laundry, finish writing notes for patients, eat, take a shower, give Sara a shower, and get ready for the next day.

When all I had to worry about was going to class, I couldn't manage to get all of this completed in one day. Now I have the energy and moreso the need to get it all finished before I can go to bed.

Maybe one day I'll make a habit or routine of it and have a spotless house. Now I am just working on keeping it live-able and having enough clean laundry for the family!

At any rate, I am truly grateful that I have the ability to do this for myself and am proud that I am actually doing it. Thank goodness I don't have a husband that nags or makes it a necessity to have a spotless house, but I have found that we have much less contention when the house is clean(er) and he has a full tummy.

The smartest guy ever!!!

I am so glad I am married to the smartest guy ever!! Well at least I think so. Anyway...he had a midterm on monday and it turned out to be entirely short answer/essay type questions. Today the grades were posted and the class average for the midterm was around a 35 and he pulled an awesome 82!!! So I am cooking him dinner on the grill for his hard work. I have a feeling he is going to shock the pants off of me when he actually gets into classes he feels are worth something and applies himself fully. He'll probably surpass me with his GPA. That's ok too. It makes me so happy when he succeeds! HOORAY HOORAY

Winding down

As I begin to wind down my short break before rotations I have to look back at the last 18 months + in awe at what the Lord has done for me and my family.

I am grateful for personal revelation and trusting in the promptings of the Holy Ghost that has brought me to this place I am at now.

I know that God's will and timing is much greater than my own; things have fallen perfectly into place for us as Darrel has the opportunity to get his degree with minimal amounts of schooling. And he is doing great in his classes I might add;)

Sara has a wonderful school where EVERYONE knows her by name and loves her!!

I trust that what I am able to learn on my clinical rotations will prepare me adequately for the job that I am supposed to have.

I know that my degree will strengthen me and provide for my family if anything were to happen to Darrel and leave him unable to work.

I know the future is limitless due to His gift to me. I have an abundance of opportunities to specialize and continue to learn and hone my skills as a therapist.

I am grateful to be apart of a ward that is full of love!! The friends I have made have strengthened me and made me want to better myself. Thanks Brittany and Michael!

I know this is sappy but...

If you don't want to read sappy then please disregard this posting.

Tonight I had the chance to speak with another adult while Sara was at basketball practice. I was able to reflect on Sara's ability to touch people and enter into their lives in such a special way. When Sara was first born she stayed with a church member that ran a daycare in her home. Sara turned into their adopted child and when we had to part ways they felt like they were giving back a piece of their family. All of my friends and my parents friends have seen something special in Sara. Even when Sara was blessed as an infant the Lord said that she has a special purpose while she is on this earth. I truly believe this and can see it come true as she interacts with others.

So back to tonight. As I was speaking with this lady and watching Sara I saw how truly blessed I am to be her parent. The Lord has entrusted her to me for rearing and love. I can't imagine why He trusts me so much, but I am very glad that He does. So tonight I was watching her through different eyes. I watched her play and thought about her not being able to walk for the 4 weeks after her surgery this summer. I am relieved that this will only be temporary. I trust that this will benefit her in the long run and throughout the rest of her life. I am so grateful that I am a part of Sara's life and hope that she succeeds in everything that she wants to do. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her and what she'll be able to do with all of her talents.

I am truly blessed to be the mother of such a great child!

Sara and her foot

Well we went to see the orthopaedist today for a recheck on Sara's clubfoot. He was not pleased with what he saw when she walked and has recommended for us to go ahead with the tendon transplant and tibia repositioning. This will occur sometime in August after I finish rotations. She will be in a full length leg cast for 4 weeks after the surgery and confined to a wheelchair for transportation. Then we will go back and she will downgrade to a below the knee cast for another 2 weeks and be able to walk on her own. This is not a shocker to us but we were trying to be optimistic and keep her from undergoing surgery again. I know that this is the best possible thing for her so that she will not have troubles with her feet later in life but I am a little sad because she is going to have to spend the night in the hospital. The surgery will be done at Egleston/Scottish Rite and I know she will have the best of care. I just wanted to update everyone to her status.

HOORAY!!

The day has finally arrived for me!! Today was the absolute last day of OT school classes!! Hooray! All I have left are my clinical rotations and defending my research in August! Graduation is just around the corner. Tonight Darrel took me out to dinner to celebrate at it was absolutely wonderful!!

Great tips for the year

I found this link on another blog but thought it was a great tool for this year. It contains a manual for a years worth of FHE's.

Just click here

Have a great day!!

Freudian Slip I'm Sure

Last night Sara and I were talking about the crucifixion.

Me: "Sara who put Jesus on the Cross?"

Sara: "The Mormons"

Me: "Nooooo...The Romans!!"

We'll have to work on this a little;))

I know I said I wouldn't have time

I know I said I wouldn't have time to post but today I totally need a reprieve from stupid school and school teachers.

Sara has had two basketball practices and we have seen an improvement in her ability to dribble. She even made three baskets independently which made her so excited she could hardly wait to tell her Dad when he came home.

Darrel is working and staying on top of his studies. We have to split time on the computer so that we can each get our work done, but he is putting forth great effort to do well so that he will get into his program. Hopefully we will know by the end of March if he is accepted.

I am 2/3rds finished with this semester. January 23rd couldn't come any sooner!! It only lasts three weeks but with the same amount of work that is in a 15 week semester. That is part of my frustration at this time. I actually spent the first 30 minutes of my lunch break this afternoon trying to get a teacher to take accountability and give appropriate feedback on an assignment. And I didn't even receive a poor grade. It was just the principle of the matter that we are required to be professional and thorough but apparently there is a double standard (as in every thing) and people flee when questioned about accountability.

However, I am really excited about my rotation placements in February and in May which is cause for celebration. The past two years seem to have gone by too fast and now I am doing the whole "hurry up and wait" thing. But that too will end and I can only wonder where I will end up.

I'll do my best to take pictures or attempt to figure out how to post a video clip of Sara playing basketball during the season. She is so proud of her small accomplishments that she has already made and I know she'll want a record of her childhood.

I now feel more relaxed since taking this small break and now I am heading to organize our common areas and get dinner started. YAY...;)

Just real quick

I just wanted to share my good news that my first rotation site has finally been confirmed! It's a good thing too because we were down to less than one month before clinicals begin. Anyway, I will be close to home at a pediatric facility working with precious babies in their homes, in the schools, and in the clinic! Prayers have been answered!!

Thanks for reading this and celebrating with me!
Amanda

The New Year

I just wanted to let everyone know that this month will probably not be a month of many blogs/posting. Between my hectic schedule, Darrel working, going to school, and Church callings, and Sara playing Basketball we are just strapped for time. I'll post pictures as I get them and will do better once January is over and I don't have any more classes.

I wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
Amanda