Falling into...

FALL!!!      My favorite season! And yes, I have pumpkins on my porch & all over my house!!

And I'm sorry I've been slacking on the blog but time has literally gotten away from me and studying has become the taker of that time. It's been a little over a month since I've wrote and I probably cannot tell you what I last wrote about but here I am! I have some time this week and I'm going to take advantage of it!

The semester is halfway passed and we took our Pathophysiology final last Monday. I rocked it! I was super nervous about it but it turned out great. I learned a lot in 7 short weeks and I think it was a great trial run for the College of Nursing. We are the "guinea pigs" in which they are trying different strategies on us. So instead of taking all 4 classes at one time, we are taking 2 classes the entire semester then Patho was the 1st 7 weeks and now we're in Pharmocology for the last 8 weeks. It was rough but I think it was worth it. There was some things they missed in teaching for Pharm but they can't cover everything!

This week will be my 4th week in the hospital. On Wednesday's, I have to go pick up patient info at the hospital then go home and do some homework on their meds, history, medical diagnosis and a few other things. Thursday, I go to the hospital for 6 hours and take care of him or her. I take vitals, give meds when allowed (with supervision, of course!), provide hygienic care if they cannot do it themselves, assist them with activities and many other small tasks. I still have not given a shot but hopefully this week!

My patient this past week was an Angel. Literally! I was fumbling around with the lancet to prick her finger to check her blood glucose and she was so patient with me. After apologizing a zillion times, she said it wasn't her role to get angry with me because I'm learning. She was the sweetest lady I've ever met and had so much faith, compassion, and knowledge to share. We walked around the hospital floor for a little bit of exercise and she told me about her family. They were from New Orleans and came here after Katrina. Her grandmother outlived her own children to pass away at 95. My patient said she hoped the Lord would bless her with an amazing life like her grandmother had. I replied that I'm sure the Lord has amazing plans for her. And that's when I teared up... I felt something from this woman. She was amazing. I believe she is an angel and she shared her faith with me. So I asked if I could pray for her. We bowed our heads, lifted her up in prayer, said amen and exchanged hugs.

Because of her, I want to be a better person for everyone, not just my patients. The little things can make a big difference. The little prayers can change someone's life even if you do it out loud or the silence of your heart. I may not be the best Christian and I am a sinner. But that lady made me even more compassionate about what I'm training for. I cannot wait to fully care for God's people. It may be stressful sometimes but I am here to serve for Him. I am here to do something special in my life someway, somehow.

School sucks sometimes but with the Lord, all things are possible.

with love,
A

Double Whammy

I used to love that show - Whammy - but that's when I went through my Game Show Network phase. Now I look forward to my precious 1-2 hours a TV each day! I'm very conservative with what I watch & when I watch it. My TV gets turned on every morning so I can watch the news & the weather while I eat breakfast & get ready and gets turned on once or twice in the evenings for a short breather from school and studying.

Today though...I treated myself with several TV shows and am about to watch a few more because I had a Patho exam Monday and a Fundamentals exam today and my brain is shot! If any of my 50 classmates are doing school work, they're nerds. Unfortunately, I am going to fall into that category because I would like to start studying for my Medication Administration check off on Thursday.

I made an 82 on both exams. I was very excited I made that grade on Patho because the exam had A LOT of material but wasn't too thrilled about the B for Fundamentals. But you get whatcha get and I deserved what I got for both exams. This week is slowing down which is great because I have a lot to catch up on and things I want to accomplish like fill in my little 3"x 5" Memo Pad with skills, techniques, stats and extra tidbits for when I start going to my hospital clinicals on October 3rd! I also need to make electronic flashcards for Medical Terminology. On top of it all, I have to make a "pathology tree" for a group project that is being presented on my birthday, the 25th, and my group is meeting Sunday to finish everything and film our little skit. I have various other tasks I can't think of right now but I don't have the capacity to think about them because I'm brain dead.

But it's going to start all over again next week and the week after that and continue until the 2nd week in December...argh...Don't get me wrong, I love nursing school. I love my professors. I like most of my classmates but it is difficult and strenuous and time-consuming and I feel scatter-brained every single day of the week! They say this is the hardest semester and hopefully it gets better because I hate being scatter-brained. I hate how my anxiety has worsened. I hate how I barely have time to talk to Justin on the phone or my other friends...sorry girls & guys...I love y'all though!!!

But here's some funnies to laugh with me so we can all breathe a little easier, sleep a little lighter and think about the light at the end of the tunnel!



This was me the past 3 days...translation: Caffeine, by mouth, every 4 hours, as necessary or when needed.







My personal favorite because this will be me one day...inevitably...

Love y'all!
A

When I thought...

...I had it all organized and in control...the following happens:

1. Football season starts...and of course, I went to last weekend's game v. Sam Houston. Glad to see a win and non-starters to get playing time but I slightly worried about all the school work I could've been working on at home. Oh well! I had a great time with my family and Justin. We got to go on the field while the teams warmed up. Pretty amazing to see Kyle Field from a different perspective on a game day!

But what makes me more nervous is that I had opted out of going to the 'bama game this coming weekend because I have exams Monday & Tuesday of next week but after much contemplation, a few tears, and hearing that "it's going to the most important & historical game played on Kyle Field EVER" ...I thought...eh, probably need to experience this... and this is where I go into my 2nd point...

2. My nose is in a book every night... for at least 3-5 hours. So far, school has not been tough. But give it a 2 weeks and I'll be waist-deep in EVERYTHING that I'll be drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes with double the espresso for every meal. I haven't really kept up with most of the readings assigned. The professor for Health Assessment said don't worry about reading the book. Fundamentals is just WAY TOO MUCH reading. And I didn't get my Patho book in via the mail until last Wednesday afternoon so as soon as I get done reading for my Dosage Calculation exams, Patho will be my go-to book for the week. 

3. Professors add more to your calendar! This does not make anyone happy and adds extra stress to my daily life. I made my own weekly planner and have everything from readings, assignments, exams, what color scrubs to wear, and other helpful things that I use daily to help me study the important stuff first and keeps me in line for the week. What upset me the most is that our course coordinator for Fundamentals exclaimed we could have "Medicine Administration" skill check-offs this week and half of us would have our first Simulation this week or next. Thanks Professor for the heads up! I thought our skill check-offs were going to be over nasogastric tubes and catheters?!?!? ...errr... 

4. Balancing school, relationships, extracurricular & chores is really tough. I am very blessed to be back in a very familiar atmosphere (i.e. College Station Home) and have an amazing support system (i.e. Steve, Kim, Shelby, Justin and various others). Yet I'm still figuring out how this balance system is suppose to work. I am now considering working out with my trainer at Gold's Gym fun because I do not have the time to go ride horses with Aubrey. I sit at school all day so when I come home, I try to find tiny things to do while standing = let me do the laundry or dishes = love/hate relationship with chores. 

I really can't think of why I need to jot down a couple more numbers because I've summed up my life tale, for now. I could go into great detail about my daily activities and/or thoughts but I'll spare you the misery. It can be pretty boring. 

Don't get me wrong, I love learning the new things I need to know to become a successful nurse but it's a hard road ahead. I have a million thoughts swirling through my head many times a day of topics I can't even remember because I'm thinking of medical terminology, the pathology tree I have to create for a group project, the argument I had with Justin (now resolved, thank cheesus), the stupid, confusing dosage problems, making sure I remember to wear my ID badge to school and so many other things I can and cannot control.

Please just say a short prayer for me - please and thank you - I'll say a prayer for you.

Forever and Ever! ....lol....My Best's Friends Wedding...

Man, I need to watch some old movies soon! Any suggestions?

Anyways...

With love always,

A

A New Chapter

I'm sorry I was not in the mood to blog the past month but I am going to try and keep up with it as the new semester begins. I went to EC for my 2 week break and did not take my computer and did not want to hog Mom's computer for such an amount of time so I just kept putting this off. But I did pass with A's in my first semester!! Anyways, on to a new chapter...

Last week, I started my 2nd semester of nursing school. I am taking Fundamentals, Health Assessment, Pathophysiology for the 1st 7 weeks and Pharmacology for the last 8 weeks. My schedule is very interesting and busy. I attend class Monday-Wednesday and have labs Tuesday, Thursday & Fridays. What is going to be the challenge is keeping up with all of the studying, reading, and assignment when we have to be in lab from 8-5 on Thursday & Friday for the next 4-5 weeks. After that, they will assign us clinical rotations, in which we will attend once a week and possibly have supplemental mandatory lab once every other week. The professors were pretty easy on us this week. Not much reading, only 1 assignment and very short days in the lab Thursday & Friday. But I do not expect that from here-on-out...

Patho is interesting so far. I've learned about cancer and some mental health issues. I'm waiting on my book to come in so I can study the power points and read the book to reinforce what I'm learning. My friend, Kerry, said that she did that the other night and it was very helpful.

Health Assessment has been boring thus far. Our professors for that class are very intellectual and have AMAZING examples but we've gone over the basics so yeah...can't really put that picture into view for y'all.

Fundamentals has been good. I love learning hands-on so I will probably give y'all more experiences from lab than anything else! Last week, we learned sterile technique and enemas. Great fun!

I'm looking forward to learning but I know everything is going to be challenging. Hearing the phrase "check-offs" makes my blood pressure and adrenaline rise immediately. I have to read 1,000 pages a week it seems like and to make it a little more difficult. I'm learning how to use my new computer because my red Toshiba decided to die last Wednesday. I'm very lucky and blessed to have gotten a new one on Friday afternoon per delivery of my parents. Thank y'all very much!!!

I did get a small treat before I hit the books hard - GIRLS WEEKEND - Austin Edition!!! It was great to visit and have fun with some amazing girls this weekend. The highlight was our trip to Painting with a Twist, where we painted a beautiful picture while drinking wine. I'm trying to find a place to hang it now...and sorry for no pictures, I haven't plugged my phone into my computer yet since I'm still downloading files from my external hard drive.

So as I'm typing, my mind is going super crazy with all of the things I need to accomplish on my day off tomorrow. I'm glad I got to sit down for a short while and send out a little tidbit but if you don't get a post for 2 or 3 weeks from me, I'm going to crazy hardcore to accomplish an important goal - to serve God by taking care of His people.

God Bless,
A

Time Flies when...

You're pumping up Blood Pressure cuffs several times a day!!

And the reason for the previous statement is because I have skill check-offs TOMORROW!!! Ahh! No worries...well, slightly...I went to a classmate's apartment tonight to practice with some other girls. We each ran through a scenario and took a patient's vital signs. Other important points to remember is that I must wash my hands upon entering and leaving the room, introduce myself, identify the patient by name & DOB, explain what I'm going to do, raise & lower the bed and hopefully ensure safety the entire time! The professors are not setting us up for failure but they want to make sure we are instilling all of the little things before they release us into the wild hospital halls this fall!

So I ask please say a short prayer that I remember all of the key things to pass tomorrow!

On Tuesday, we take our lecture exam. Dr. Livingston went over some of the exam and it seemed pretty common knowledge yet I'm sure there are some trick questions. Example:

What is the most important part of giving perineal care?
A. hand hygiene
B. gloves
C. keeping the patient covered
D. raising the bed to a working height

Yeah...confusing, right?! Well, they answer is B although all of the answers are important. Dr. Livingston said that we're nursing students now so we need to be able to decipher the BEST possible answer, not just a good answer.

This past week wasn't terrible. I turned my paper in early and did pretty well on the quizzes. We had the PTA students from Blinn come to our lab to teach us about ambulation and transfers. It was very helpful and glad I was able to learn very important tips on saving my back. Some of our professors even learned new things!!

The only downfall to my week was the allergic reaction I had to a night cream on my eyes. I'd post a picture but I think it would blind y'all because it's scary. I didn't even show Justin... I sent pictures to Dr. Goerig & Dr. Erwin - GOD BLESS THEM!!! - and with some hydrocortisone, Benadryl and 3 days of wearing glasses, my eyes are back to normal. I'm still worried I'll have a flare up because I have sensitive skin but never again will I use a cream that I don't know what's in it beforehand!!!

The countdown to completing my 1st semester of Nursing school is on = 4 days

Skills check-off, exam, discussion board, a project and 2 classes stand between me but perseverance and coffee is key :)

Wish me luck!
A

Blessedly Stressed

It was a good week until I felt like all of my stressors caught up with me on Thursday and ugh............

But I'm better now! I'm enjoying my weekend...yes, it's only Friday but we don't have class...and trying to accomplish as much as possible before my lovely dinner with my boyfriend, Justin, and my favorite engaged couple, Cassey & Scott!!

I was in EC this past weekend because Dad returned home from his safari and naturally, we needed our weekly "lay-in-the-recliner-together" reunion. I didn't get much reading done last weekend because I enjoyed the day riding in the tractor with Justin. When I returned to CS Sunday evening, I got some chores and reading down before heading to HEB at 2130 (9:30). It's a very enjoyable time to go to the grocery. It's cool, dark and NOT crowded!! 

Monday was Monday. We had Professor Middlebrooks lecturing about Hygiene. She rushed through the lecture because she kept telling stories and giving examples. Don't get me wrong, I love personal experience stories but I hate when they rush through the PowerPoint slides. When I got home after class, I started making a new recipe - Chicken & Veggie Flautas. I actually put the chicken with water & stock in the crock-pot before going to school and were ready to be shred when I came home, making the prep time a lot shorter!!! The flauta making was very messy but they lasted me the entire week and were even tastier with guacamole. After I finished cooking, I put my nose in my clinical book before wanting to try another new recipe - Baked Oatmeal. It was very easy to put together and also lasted the entire week with some leftovers placed in the freezer. Very healthy & made my morning breakfast interesting and easier. 

I had to pee in a cup for the Nursing school to rule out I'm not a druggie before heading to workout with my trainer, Sean. Yes, Shelby & I share the same trainer at Gold's Gym but we don't partake in workouts together...yet. She's been so busy that I've taken her time slots to fit my schedule. Sean kicks my ass. Arms are always at the beginning of the week and he just is trying to put my shoulders out of commission. But I'm the weird kid that likes the pain before it happens, while it's happening and after it happens. Justin's afraid I'm going to get super buff and be too sexy for him to call me his girlfriend but I doubt it...I think God meant for me to be curvy and I'm totally okay with that!!

Tuesday was Hygiene Lab. The highlights of that was putting "patients" on bedpans, giving them a bed bath, changing linens on an occupied bed and having my teeth brushed by another student. That afternoon, I was asked to watch my favorite little man, G. Goerig, so that his Mommy could take his siblings and friends to a water park in CS. He was not happy his mommy left but calmed down to realize he was hungry and became a bottom-less pit to baby crackers, pureed fruit and rice cereal. And all while going back and forth from the kitchen, I WAS ABLE TO WITNESS HIS FIRST STEPS!!! I texted Abby wondering how many steps he had been taking and she informed me that he hadn't yet! Oh my gosh....proud babysitter moment yet very heart-broken I didn't get it on video for his parents! (please forgive me)

Wednesday came and went but I tried to stay as productive as possible so I would be able to go to yoga that evening. Our Informatics class is stressing me out because there are so many things to be done - read, study for quizzes, work on paper and ePortfolio, participate in online discussions and read some more. The only good thing that came from Wednesday besides Yoga was that I asked Professor Mountain about the Fall Clinical schedule and was granted the Friday off to fly out to New Orleans for Stacy & Jody's wedding!! So I got our (J & me) tickets booked for late Thursday night for a pretty damn good price = always love a bargain!

Thursday was the stress icing on the cake and I didn't want it to be but we were suppose to have a quiz and we didn't. We were instructed to buy a $180 access code. Got out of class early to be able to work on our projects, in which I got a tiny amount done out of the big piece of the puzzle. Ran around town picking up things for the Howdy Party the Wharton County Aggie Moms host, went to the ENT who gave me antibiotics and a steroid injection to help my ears and head not feel like crap and finally ended up at Gold's for my leg workout with Sean. Oh, kettle balls = sucks balls. Ask me about them later...and yes, Mother & Father, I know that's not appropriate...but it's the truth!

Now I'm just sitting at J's in Rosenberg working on my paper, writing this blog about my crazy life and waiting for his handsome booty to get home before we head to dinner. And tomorrow, Shelby & I are doing our field portion to Hunter's Safety so we can be certified to blast some ugly birds! And on top of it all, life isn't slowing down. Going, going, going is all I know and my t.v. time has cut down to almost nothing, in which I look at it in a healthier than bad way. But to slow down a little, I'm going to relax a little this evening with some great drinks and discussions and some shopping tomorrow before I put my nose back in my books. 

xo, A

1st Week Completed

Whew! I did it! I made it through my 1st official week of Nursing school and there were already some big changes!!

As of July 15th, Texas A&M Health Science Center is officially a part of the Texas A&M University system! WHOOP! I'm sure there are a lot of great things that will be happening but I think the best part of this merger is that my fellow classmates will be able to receive their Aggie Rings! Since receiving mine almost 2 years ago, many students were worried they wouldn't meet the requirements to receive one. And the impossible became possible! So excited that they will be able to participate in an amazing tradition. 

And on to the juicy details of my week...Mondays & Tuesdays I go to my Fundamentals lecture and lab. Lecture was over basics - vital signs, the nursing process, and general surveys. Lab was when we were able to get our hands on some vitals equipment and practice. Blood Pressure deemed to be the most difficult for everyone. My group of 5 practiced and practiced. Some girls had trouble palpating the brachial artery. The rest had trouble hearing the sounds through the stethoscope as we attempted to measure each other's BP. Because of this some of the professors allowed some to practice on them while advising to practice as much as possible and do not get checked off on our skills until we've measured 50 successful BPs. I hope when I start learning more, I remember to write out my acronyms or nursing lingo for y'all!  

Lab couldn't last too much longer because we were sent to attend our Scroll Ceremony. We were going to receive a scroll displaying the Nursing Code of Ethics. This year, they decided to do something a little different. Each one of my classmates and I were paired with a senior student to be our mentor. They gave us our scroll, led us to sign the "book" that will be kept forever and serves as a reminder that we signed to uphold the ethics and answered our questions during the lunch. My mentor is Chelsea. She has been married for almost 2 year and has her Bachelor's degree from A&M. I think she's smart, beautiful, funny, down-to-earth and very helpful. We've been messaging back and forth about school and other interests. Today, I asked her about the textbooks I need for Fall and gave me advice on which ones to buy or not. 

On Tuesday afternoons, the SIM lab is open for practice. So following the luncheon, my lab group went back up to get some more BP practice. It went ok but we decided to get more practice in on Wednesday so I scheduled a room. Dr. Livingston - one of the few male instructors on staff - gave some great advice. He said that we should practice and come to the SIM lab as much as possible. With that said, if he saw us in the lab other than our scheduled times, he would remember that and possibly be easier on us when we have our skill check-offs or exams. BROWNIE POINTS PLEASE!!!

Wednesday & Thursday were long...we learned about Ethics, Values and Culture and were introduced to our Librarian who lectured on how to research proficiently. Following that, we were introduced to our Health Care Issues paper, which is due August 1st. I'm pretty sure I'm writing mine on ObamaCare...hisssss... I was at Hoffer's Auto Care and Fox News had a segment that said the plan was going to increase the cost of health care for young, healthy Americans. I initially didn't know what to think about this because I'm not very political but since I'm going into the health care field, I need to learn about this and other legislation. So give me a few days and I'll have some knew knowledge... Oh, I also made a 100 on our 1st quiz...super proud of myself!

Hopefully I can get my paper done quickly and keep up with all of the reading because these 5 weeks are going to go by very quickly. I'm home this weekend. Justin needed to help his dad in the field and my Dad just returned home from an Aggie Safari. Heading upstairs to read and get some early zzz's since a train was SUPER LOUD at 0500 and I didn't really sleep after that. I'm officially in the early morning risers club...yay! No, that is sarcasm even though I've never really slept past 0930. 

Thank you for reading and prayers. I love y'all!

A

New Adventure!

Howdy! 

It's been awhile but I'm ready to keep my close family and friends updated during the newest adventure of my life - NURSING SCHOOL!!! Yet I had many other adventures in the past year - graduating from Texas A&M (Whoop!), moving to EC, substitute teaching, taking Microbiology at WCJC, babysitting, coaching 9/10 year old Little League softball, and training and competing in Triathlons. Whew! I kept myself busy but I had to because when I'm lazy.......it's bad.........so let's just not go there! But any who...

Mom helped me move back to College Station last Friday and it took 2 days to unpack and organize all the things I took home. What was terrible is that I only wore half the clothes I took home and used about 1/3 of the other things. Ridiculous, I know. Then on Monday, I had a Balloon Sinuplasty done to open my sinus passages. I thought I was allergic to other things besides mosquitoes - well I am - mold, dogs and pecan trees - but I kept getting sinus infections and felt like I couldn't breathe deep enough. It was successful and I'm just waiting for the after-effects to subside so I can get going again with staying in shape to do the next tri with Emily in October. 

Wednesday was the big day! I was nervous yet ready to get the ball rolling. We had a reading assignment posted the night before and I made sure to read it all just in case they bombarded us with a quiz or something. I had my lunch packed and my outfit picked out the night before. We have a dress code for class and for clinicals. They want us to look nice in case guests drop-in during class = no shorts. And if you know me, I was very upset with this. I live in athletic shorts and t-shirts! So I wore a comfy dress to appease them. The class we attend on Wed & Thursday's is Informatics and it runs from 0800 - 1330, with an hour lunch break at 1100.  Oh yes, the joy of learning military time! It covers technology and Electronic Health Records to prepare us for the evolving tech-savvy nature of our career field. It's boring. The 6 CHAPTERS we had to read for Thursday were so terrible that I couldn't remember what I read at the top of the page when I got to the bottom. We'll have a big online project and research paper to write but this class has no final - Whoop! 

Today, I have the day off. Mom had the electrician scheduled to install a light in our kitchen and he has come and gone. So I'm all by my lonesome, typing out my blog, re-arranging my Google calendar, reading for Monday's class and making sure I'm packed, ready and know where I'm going for the All-Star tourney in Seguin. By the way, I was coaching the 9/10 year old All-Star softball team before I moved to CS. I was enjoying it a lot even though my life was revolving around the practices. I really do love coaching and love those girls. That's why I'm going to pick up Justin and head to Seguin to make it to the 2000 (8 pm) game tonight. Wish us luck!!!

On Monday, I will go to my Fundamentals class lecture from 0830 to 1015. Just a basic class to learn how to take vitals, do assessments, bathing, transfers, etc. I was assigned to Tuesday morning's lab (0800-1200) which will take place in the Stimulation Lab or SIM lab or CLRC. So many names!!! And for this first two days of this class, we have to read about 200 pages from 3 different books and watch about 20 videos on vital signs and asepsis. Last night, I got started with marking all of the pages in the books and watching all of the vitals videos. Today, I started reading from one book. Upon completing those pages, I'll probably read from the HUGE fundamentals book - I swear it's 5 inches thick! - and wash some laundry. 

I've come to the conclusion they're going to keep up on our toes for these first 5 weeks. Yes, it's a lot of reading and we're in the classroom about 15 hours a week. One of the projects in Info has already been introduced and I will start working on that today also but time management will become my friend and enemy. Yes, I want to go workout with my trainer at Gold's. Yes, I want to be lazy and watch some of my favorite shows...cough, cough, Big Bang Theory. Yes, I want to go take riding lessons and play with ponies. Yes, I want to sit on Pinterest for hours and try the new recipes or crafts I find but I am on a mission. A mission to one day do what the Lord has set out for me to accomplish - care for His people. And in order to get to that point, I need to become successful every day by becoming a better student, staying on top of assignments and chores and balancing all of it in the short amount of time I have between everything! 

Of course, I'm nervous. It's going to be a tough 2 years. I have things I want to do but they have to be placed on the back burner so that I can get through this. Hopefully, the Lord hears my prayers and guides me to do my best, spend my time purposefully and fulfill His will for me. So if you don't mind, please say a little prayer for me. I will be so appreciative for that and cannot wait to share many stories and knowledge with y'all in the future!

The picture above is my goal. At orientation, the Dean told us to write it down and put it where we would see it every day. One rough days, seeing it could possibly make those hard days a little less stressful, knowing that we're working towards something amazing. 

Y'all come back now, ya hear?! 
Alexis

P.S. And yes, I know it's been a year since I last posted on this site. My excuses are that I was very overwhelmed with school, graduating, forgetting about this blog and la-ti-da whatever else!

P.S.S. Justin and I started dating in November. He's my man and I'm very, very blessed to be called his other half. It may not be the best situation (living 2 hours apart) but we have a concrete relationship and understand each other's goals so that one day, hopefully, we will be able to live & work in the same vicinity. 

Trying My Luck in the Kitchen

My adventure this week has not really been about the classes but about what I've been doing in the kitchen. Last week, I figured out what I was going to be doing each day from classes to workouts to lunches. I've collected several recipes this summer and have made my own recipe binder. Knowing that this was going to be a trying semester with 2 harder core classes and 3 writing intensive classes, I wanted to plan different healthy meals to help me keep my energy up and my digestive system in sync. If I haven't already stated this before but I have tummy issues with the nightshade family of veggies - tomatoes, onions & peppers - yep, some of my favorites. And along with that, I have to have extra fiber to help my colon out because of a previous problem. Then there's my sweet tooth, I'm trying to stay away from the processed sugars so I compiled some recipes that would help calm that nagging tooth.

So after an EXPENSIVE trip to the HEB's, I have tried 3 of the 5 recipes I wanted to try this week.
I made my first successful pot of black beans! I've attempted several times but let's just say I've always had to just go buy the darn canned ones. And with those beans, I made some turkey taco meat for Taco Salad, which is a favorite underneath our Aggieland roof.

The second recipe I tried I found on Pinterest yet the want to make a pizza crust out of cauliflower was on my mind all summer and Mom didn't think that idea for supper was too hot...
Anyways, I had my go with Cauliflower Pizza Bites and let's just say I ate 2 and told Shelby she was going to have to fend for herself. When I took them out of the over, the edges were brown in the mini-muffin tin so YEAH, I thought they were done. When I took it out and tried it sans tomato sauce, it had good flavor but it wasn't the texture I was expecting. The recipe called for cottage cheese and having a sister that doesn't like it or cream cheese, I was nice and got low-fat ricotta cheese. I don't know if it was the ricotta or just the bite itself but it was mushy. So I put the oven on broil to crispen them up for a few minutes and of course, like every time I turn the damn oven on broil, I burnt them. Oh well...the cauliflower was getting old and I can always us the tomato sauce I opened to dip the bites in for later spaghetti use.

The third recipe I tried was a vegan snack bar recipe. If some of y'all have ever hear or tried a LARABAR, I love them yet they are pricey. Well...I found a recipe! I have a little food processor but it only holds one cup. I went to Wal-Mart yesterday and bought a Ninja Blender that doubles as a food processor for less than $50!!! And it worked wonders on the nuts and dates I put in it! The recipe and making of it was easy-peasy. Just almonds, pitted Mujool dates, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips and pecans. I forgot a pinch of salt but oh well, more sweet for my tooth.

These are the unpitted dates that I thought were pitted when I bought them but oh well, at least I thought to cut into them before throwing 7 of them in the processor! 

Finished product! I'll give them a try later this week or weekend.

I plan on making Mexican-inspired paninis for lunch tomorrow with my black beans on the side before I go to my classes. And maybe this weekend, Shelby and I will get a treat with Broccoli & Quiona Casserole!

So as you can tell, I've had a lot of extra time yet I am taking a full course load of 12 hours to graduate this December. I have class every day of the week and am aiming to working out 4 of the 7 days of the week at the nice REC classes or taking a neighborhood run or a dip in the pool at the REC, which I did today. And I hate bathing suits but I'm really working on loving my body because I am made in HIS likeness and image so yes, I walked from the locker room to the pool without a towel around me and found out I am not in water-shape whatsoever!

I'm also going to a Horse Show in Bellville this weekend. Although I did not ride but a handful of times in my western saddle this summer, I'll have a total of 4 lessons before the Sunday show and hopefully that will be enough for us to be in Ribbon contention. Wish us luck and pray for our and the other competitors' safety!

Miss y'all already & May peace, grace, serenity & courage surround your inner self this week,

AC


Oh here's some pics from Emily & I's adventures in the EC kitchen. We made Peanut Butter Krispies with Kisses, Nutella Pretzel Drops and Pomegranate Grapefruit Champagne Ice for our evening drink!

"I am the bread of life...

...whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall not thirst." - John 6:35

For the past 14 weeks, I've been preparing for the Young Adult ACTS Retreat. The team and I successfully fulfilled our duties as a team by putting on an amazing retreat this past weekend. The above verse was our theme for the weekend. We totally hit the nail with integrating that verse into the weekend. If it wasn't for the River Rule, I'd be spilling all of my secrets but ACTS is such an amazing experience that I hope all of y'all are able to experience at some point if you haven't already.

...Just a little dress up fun...

But what I can share is my journey in preparation for the retreat. I e-mailed in my want to be on team  in March and prayed that I possibly would be selected to be on team. This spring was a very trying time - I was taking some hard classes, preparing for the GRE, found out that Physical Therapy school wasn't really doable and was soul-searching for what I wanted to do and get out of life. So prayer and Mass were my go-to activities to keep my grounded throughout all of these troubling times. During dead week of finals in May, I got the call and was asked if I wanted to be on team? Of course, I said yes! I hadn't teamed since 2007 and this was exactly what I needed in my life this summer!

If you have read my blog this summer, I've been pretty busy. This retreat was the icing on the cake and wouldn't have asked for my summer to be any different or less hectic. It kept me in check with my prayer life. Being on team kept my on my toes to keep serving at Church and at work. At A&M, I attended daily mass once or sometimes twice a week. It's just another hour I give to the Lord during my busy week to once again, keep me in check. I know many people work and have families and aren't able to attend so I cherish this ability because I know I'll be in some of y'alls shoes one day.

Some people ask, "Why do you go to daily mass?" Well, I thought it kept me focused throughout the week and I got a little taste of the bible and music in a less distracting setting. But this weekend on the retreat, our spiritual director, Deacon David Valdez, really answered that question. You see that bible verse up there? When we go to mass and receive the body & blood of Christ, we become full of Him. It was a real eye opener to me especially because I've been wanting to deepen my faith for awhile. And this summer on team helped me with that! Not only I was attending Mass twice a week this summer, I attended almost every ACTS meeting on Sundays. It made me stay in check with my prayer life and how I acted all summer.

It's a constant battle between our fleshy human selves and our spiritual need to be closer to Christ. Of course, it's a balancing act too. I try to balance out who I am with how I should act in a Christian manner. And it's hard but it's a delight to know that He loves and forgives us. It's amazing how we have freedom to practice our beliefs and show others discretely how our faith affects us.

Anyways...the 14 weeks of hard work paid off because the retreatants were amazing and all of us, as a team, knew the Holy Spirit was moving through all of us. Yes, we had our up's & down's but the point got across - a life without Christ makes us feel incomplete and hungry.  I don't want that. I don't want to be stumbling all over the place, not knowing who I am or what I want to do because I don't have God. But now that He has moved through the 25 retreatants we had this weekend, I can truly say He wants to feel complete if we will let Him work His wonders in us.

Gig 'em & God Bless,
AC

Busy Bee swarming EC

Since last time I updated y'all, summer has flown by but the activities I've been involved in have felt like I'm riding a roller coaster!

July 2nd - I started working at the hospital in Administration. They needed some help with paperwork so I volunteered and happily learned a few things.

July 4th - Enjoyed my freedom by freely being the laziest young adult in town by staying in my PJs, watching movies, and snacking all day.

July 6th - Cleared my busy brain with some horse therapy via Lonnie the Paint, Taylor Martin's horse. Let's just say he's very much Taylor's horse - laid back and goes about his business when he wants.

July 7th - Attended Kristi Michaelsen's wedding shower. A lot of my good friends were in attendance and had a great little reunion.

July 8th - Traveled down to Victoria for our ACTS Mini-Retreat. It's a beautiful place and I can't wait to get down there and start spreading some of the Holy Spirit to others! And the trip back in a suburban of 4 guys and 3 girls was very interesting...fun yet odd

July 12th - Finished catching up the Administration office and was let loose early! I am going back on the 19th to help organize a few things but otherwise, I'm done working for the summer!

July 13th - Dad turned 56! It was a really interesting day for him since we was born on Friday the 13th in 1956 and turned 56 on Friday the 13th! Meemaw made great Swiss Steak with tasty sides and after deciding that a river trip was not the greatest idea for Saturday since the river was flowing over our docks. After a peaceful afternoon, we headed out to the club for a great dinner with Dad's friends and ate Shelby's delicious Red Velvet cake!

July 16th - I started shadowing a nurse in the ER in EC. Boy, it was interesting but with HIPPA rules & regulations, I must not let out any more information; otherwise, I'd be in big trouble!

July 18th - Shadowed some lovely nurses in the OR. They were very welcoming and showed me a few things. The doctor that was performing the surgeries was amazing and allowed me in the room and explained what and why he was doing what he was doing. I thought I'd get slightly grossed out but the surgeries I viewed were not what I was expecting. So until a bigger, more invasive case, I really like the OR.

I'm traveling to Houston Friday for my 2nd YogaFit training from 12:30 - 8pm. I'm still working on getting my volunteer hours to be officially certified as a Level 1 Instructor but I will be at the YogaLean training that is based towards weight loss and training different body types. Wish me luck!

And for those of y'all that do not know, I have redirected my career path to Nursing. So I'm starting to collect shadowing hours and looking at different prerequisites at various schools. I know I have to take 2 classes in the Spring (after I graduate in December) to be able to apply. If y'all don't mind, please keep me in your prayers for guidance and clarity of mind as I discern this decision further.

With peace & love & hardcore Aggie Football Fan getting excited for the 1st game...

AC

Gotta be true to myself...

...and my readers. I just am not good at remembering to take pictures! My digital camera is a piece. I hoard my mother's nice Nikon like it's mine and take it to horse shows and football games. Yet my phone has a pretty nice shot yet I never download the pictures until I have lots of time! So here's what I've been promising...unless you have me on Facebook then you've already seen them!

Back in May, the Skow's had a little celebration and someone broke the cheap can opener so I used it in a special way for Mary Jean to prepare beans for dinner so I got a pic! Yes, I'm special and so is Stacey in the background!

Once again, a special lady in my life. One of our NG escapades which was very short but made me happy because we got Antonio's!

The specialest lady I've had in my life since Kindergarten! Yes, I just made that word up. I surprised her at her last game in Texas. Her team went on to play at the Conference and National tournaments. She's retired but still kickin'!

This is what happens when you put Taylor Martin and I in the backseat in the middle of Houston...

Scott, Cassey, Taylor & I saw My Darkest Days, Seether, Bush and Nickelback at the Toyota Center. 

BEST FREAKING CONCERT OF MY LIFE!!!

Emily & I going to see the Casey Donahew Band at Schroeder Hall...needless to say, we're never on time with this girl but oh well...still a great night!

Blake, me & Bryce

Temptation begins as soon as you walk through the gate...

Vegas is flat, dry, hot and full of tourists. I lost only $100 but glad I started with my favorite slot and a good drink. 

Bellagio Florists know what Alexis' likes! 

Good thing the World's Largest Chocolate Fountain has glass surrounding it. Otherwise, I would've been arrested for bathing in it.

Seester and I at Absinthe drinking Green Fairy cocktails

White Leotards and Muscles...what else do I need to say?!

Dress made out of chocolate and flowers made from sugar. Not has tempting as the fountain...

The reason I went to Vegas. Ladies & Gents, he put on an amazing show! Really respect him and still have feelings for him as my first Country Artist. I think we may still have a tape in a drawer of his!

So let the good times roll this summer and many blessings sent your way. I hope you enjoyed the pictures but I'm going to try to start this 3-page research paper that is due promptly July 9th!

Oh. Just a little update. If y'all didn't know, I've had a lot of voice trouble since Easter. I really have been overusing my speaking and singing voice so I was referred to Dr. Thedki in Houston. (Thank you Dr. Goerig!) I was promptly seen on Wednesday afternoon and went through various tests with a speech pathologist, who said that my register was very low for a female voice and my pitch was quite unstable. When the Dr saw me, he performed 2 scopes - one just seeing the back of my throat with the top of my larynx and the 2nd being a scope through my nose down past my epiglottis. He also made me perform various tests and sing while I got to view the whole thing on the tv in front of me! I also have a short DVD if you'd like to see a real voice box! Anyways, my pain is from inflammation of my entire larynx. As for the singing problems, my flaps are not coming together properly; therefore, I am resting my voice as much as possible and am not allowed to sing for at least a month or longer. It really sucks. I sing all the sing. I even have tried not to hum or whistle. Not only is not being able to sing a challenge but that was a form of prayer for me. So I know that the Lord is really wanting me to step back and take time out of my busy days for Him. I've been contemplating a lot while teaming for the Young Adult ACTS Retreat that will be in August so it's almost a blessing in disguise. I'm learning different things everyday about myself, life and the community.


And one more thing...Please Pray for Our Religious Freedom! I viewed the movie, "For Greater Glory" this evening. It got some gears turning. I hope our government never goes as far as Mexico did in the early 1900's!

Gig 'em & God Bless
-AC

There's a fire...

That is not in my heart but in my head. Sorry Adele, your song doesn't describe me except for the belting pitches in my ear from the phone ringing at work (...haha...) Whether it be a massage, great margarita, horseback ride or just walking & talking with my best friends, I've found out that every day I have to find that needed stress reliever. I have only accomplished 1 of the 4 I listed because I haven't had time or that great need of them but I have other ways as well to de-stress. The most popular of what a de-stressor is to me is just coming home and sitting in a quiet place and recouping from hub-bub of the day.

Working for Dr. Erwin has been a learning experience - mentally and spiritually. I've only been there for 2.5 weeks but every day, I get challenged by things that happen at the office. I have to use a lot of PATIENCE, KINDNESS, SMILES and DEEP BREATHS in the situations that I am faced with. Yes, I may get an attitude after I hang up the phone but every time I do get faced with a challenge I stop to think about why I SHOULDN'T act that way but rather, discover the ways God wants me to act. It is a test to my faith and a path He wants me to really challenge myself to act in a better manner.

Another challenge has been the post-graduation/future career decision... It has been lingering in the back of my mind since February as I have thought of SEVERAL possibilities on what I should do when I "grow up." Dr. Erwin and my co-workers have had open ears to my thoughts and feelings with what I'm thinking about. They are also super amazing with weighing options with me with a new possibility - Nursing and later pursuing Nurse Practitioner. That idea has circulated my cranium several times but rarely was given much interest to the rest of my body systems. I have looked into the prerequisites and whatnot to see if I would have a chance at applying and getting into schools in Texas. I do have a chance but I have to take Microbiology and Philosophy. That wouldn't be bad if I could take them at a small college/juco after I graduate at A&M. I dare take them since I have 15 hours left to complete before Graduation in December!!!

So after a calm horseback ride this evening with a friend's cousin, I came home to exclaim a new option that is really appealing to my head, heart and mind. If you have opinions or suggestions, I'm open to all. I love y'all for reading this and I hope to be posting pictures soon. I'm terrible at remembering to take them because it's either a big Nikon around my neck so I'm not in the picture or my phone...Yeah. I suck at remembering to just take pictures...sorry!

Rolling in deep thoughts...AC

Reasons V. Feelings

I told a friend tonight that "there's a reason for my feelings and feelings for my reasons..." when conversing about a decision I had made this weekend about a recent interest. Of course, we all know the saying, "Everything happens for a reason" but it's our reaction to event and our feelings that swarm us before, during and after that reason occurs. I hope I can make sense of that all now...

I have had a interest in a particular boy since I was 15. We dated for over a year and parted ways before our senior year in high school. I was busy. He was busy. It was a bad break up for me since he was my first true love. Hopefully, my parents aren't rolling their eyes about me putting my emotions and thoughts to y'all via internet but HEY! It's my blog... Anyways... We became friends again while I was away and he stayed in EC. Little to know, the boy would send me beautiful flowers the day after Valentine's Day this year and tried to rekindle the relationship. Long story short, I was putting all my heart, mind & soul (110 percent!) into trying to get this boy to really commit but I was only getting 10% back. I'm not going to badmouth him at all because he is a hard-working gentleman but...I'm gonna stop there.

Everything happens for a reason...

And that is why I have TWO awesome opportunities to take my mind off the heartache!

1 - I am currently working for Dr. Melissa Kainer Erwin, M.D., P.A. for the summer. I'm not sure how long I will be with her but it was a week today since I started. It's been a whirlwind of a week that's kept me busy all day, learning new things, problem solving, communicating, making friends, and coming home very tired and weary of answering another telephone until the next day. I hope that I can make her proud every day with the accomplishment of helping her and the staff as well as performing above and beyond what I thought myself could do in her office. She also has my brain gears turning about really going for the gold...as in grad school gold. So let's just I love it there and my parents love her even more since she's making those gears turn!

2 - I am a part of a diverse group of young adults who will be putting on a Young Adult ACTS Retreat in August. I had signed up to get picked for team earlier this year and prayed off and on about it. I'm very blessed to be able to team and collaborate with others on not only our faith but cohesion of ideas, personalities, and schedules. It's hard to put this kind of retreat on with college-age kids and slightly older. The team is made up of 19-28 year old's. I feel once we get more comfortable with each other, it's going to be a lot of fun and fellowship. I've been able to meet new people and work with friends I haven't talked to in a few years. It makes me really want to stop up my faith game to see what the Big Man upstairs has in store for me.

Everything happens for a reason...

So from broken atria & ventricles to ringing of the ears to rekindled spirits...no matter what, I just need to trust in the Lord, believe in myself, and keep striving for the better outcome whether good or bad things get in my way. I talk to a lot of friends about the different paths the Lord puts in front of us. It is our decision to chose the one that fits us best at the point and time. We may stumble but that's why we have Him to help us get back in the saddle. One of my favorite Christian songs is Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp. I belt it out whenever I need a little pick-me-up. Do me a favor and look up the lyrics or watch it on YouTube or listen on iTunes - whatever suits you best.

Thank you for reading to my wordy fingers. I wish y'all a blessed Memorial Weekend and safe travels.

Gig 'em & God Bless - AC

Throw & Go, Baby!

Yes! That's been my mood lately. I just throw stuff together at the last minute and make the best of it! But what's the best of all is that I just found out I made a 4.0 this semester! WHOOP! Hard work is finally paying off! I may not be certain what I want to do career-wise but it made my GPA go up 0.1 and that puts me in a little better mood to try harder to get into and possibly apply for Grad schools. So I'm gonna try to keep throwing up the info, getting the A's and finish college in December with a BANG! If you want to hold me up to that, you're more than welcome to. Please send me bi-weekly reminders if you'd like to hold that responsibility. Haha...just kidding!

As for explaining the remainder of this weird mood, I had to throw around a lot of eye doctors to get in to see one...FINALLY...on Thursday before I headed back up to CS for Graduations. I started with Victoria...which led me to Hallettsville...thinking about my Doc in CS and finally gave into Dad's friendly pressure of using my resources for the EC clinic. Thank the Lord, I got an appointment that afternoon! I found out the reasons more my dry, irritable eyes that wouldn't allow me to wear contacts for more than 6 hours at a time = Giant Papillary Conjunctiva or as they call GPC. No need for explaining because that is Google's job. He sent in a Rx for anti-inflammatory drops and changed my contact solution to Clear Free. Opti-Free is chemical-based and can cause these sort of things after a couple of years. So Thursday I will be going a week without contacts and I'll probably try wearing them Friday.

Graduation weekend was throw & go as well! I headed up Thursday and we danced the night away at Harry's. Sad to say that was the only time I went this semester!  Friday I didn't sleep in but got adjusted by a new Chiropractor in the same office I've been going to for awhile. I wasn't displeased by my visit but I miss Dr. Dan. He's just a happy-go-lucky and health-oriented Doc. After I got home and changed, I headed over to the Skow's to help prepare lunch for Bryce & Tyler Socha's Graduation celebration. It was a great get-together with a lot of food and friends. That night I volunteered to DD a few to the Gates of North. Stacey & I didn't stay long but we did enjoy some amazing pizza at Antonio's. Shoot, it's graduation weekend. We don't count calories...oh but I wish I would've...I am feeling those extra calories this week. Oh well, no regrets. Saturday, Stacey & Megan graduated so I worked hard on their cake & cupcakes. I did the special Red Velvet recipe that Shelby & Courtney found and whipped it up. I haven't decorated a cake since HS but I did a pretty good job! Their ceremony wasn't until 2pm so I headed out for a lesson with Aubrey. Strutt was an amazing ride and our lesson was truly one of my favorites! We jumped a few different jumps and worked on staying out of the saddle until landing with the correct lead.

Sunday, we headed down to the River for Mother's Day. Wasn't really fair to Mom because she did a lot of work preparing all the fixing for hamburgers. Shelby grilled them and they were amazing. Meemaw impressed us all with an impeccable Lemon 7-Up Pound Cake! Didn't do much jet-skiing but my cousins had a great time driving/riding. I finally got a better go at backing up the stupid jet-ski trailer but it's still a small pain in my rear.

Well here's to y'all and another week of May. Hoping it doesn't go by too quickly because I have a lot going on this week!

Until next time and hopefully pictures...
AC

My Oh My!

It's been a semester! Sorry for my absence for 2.5 months. I know I could've blogged in that time but I was being lazy and have found two better time-taker-uppers called Pinterest & Twitter! Pinterest is an amazing site to share ideas for food, home, DIY projects, fashion, etc. Twitter is just as popular, if not more, than Facebook. I spend an equal amount of time on both but Pinterest wins for the most time wasted since it takes forever to get to the "end" of a page.

Let me just recap y'all from my last post in February...

At the end of February, I had a most of exams going on in the midst of trying to decide on a career. I chose not redirect my path from Physical Therapy to Athletic Training. Well let's just say it's changed many times since then...haha...Yes, I am very indecisive.

March - Started off with Mom's birthday on the 2nd.
Participated in my 1st Eventing Show and came home with a 5th place ribbon.
Met with an advisor at A&M Rural Health School.
Went to COSTA RICA for a entire week to celebrate Jace & Natalia's nupitals. And you think our weather is hot down here...Nope, it was a constant sweat fest down there. But it was amazingly beautiful and breathtaking with all the vegetation and animals. I slightly conquered my fears of heights with zip-lining, repelling and Tarzan-swinging but I was still scared sh*tless (pardon my French) almost the entire time. Yes, Mother & Father, that word belongs in this post!!
Upon returning, I started a GRE prep course even though I am still not sure I will take the GRE. And that was a hard and long class that took up 2.5 hours twice a week for month. I think I became slightly brain dead within that time because I had so much going on!
Attended the Huffines Discussion. It is a research program based in my department that brings in 8 different distinguished people from around the nation to talk about their research and how they could or are changing our society.
Went with a group of girls to try on bridesmaids dresses in Austin for a friend's wedding but I am sadden to say that I will not be a bridesmaid because they called off their engagement.

April - Signed up for my online class at WCJC for the summer.
Came home for to EC for 2 days to celebrate Easter with the Bram side of the family - it's always so nice to sit and just talk with some of our not-much-older cousins with their kids running all around.
Upon returning to CS to sing at Easter Vigil and Sunday. Mom & Dad came up to celebrate with church and a very nice Sunday buffet and continued celebrating Shelby's 21st that Monday! Shelby had a test on Tuesday so we couldn't get crazy until Wednesday and let's just say the Piano Bar night at The Tap treated Shelby the right way for a 21st celebration...if you know what I mean?! hahaha
I also celebrated my horse trainer's daughter's 1st birthday Easter Saturday afternoon. Kids grow up too fast!
I dropped the Anatomy class I was retaking because I wasn't going to make an A. So that put me down to 10 hours...
Taught my 2nd yoga lesson at A&M; 1st as a TA and finally decided to sign up to get my yoga certification.
Chilifest was a success. Friday, I drank some beer and stood far away from getting beer slung on me. The music was awesome and upon returning on Satuday, it was a nice overcast day but we were covered in dirt and surrounded by friends so I had fun but still don't think it's my cup of tea.
Went to a Dressage schooling show with Strutt and won 1st place on both of my tests. Our scores didn't improve but I feel I've become a better rider by learning different techniques between jumping & dressage.
Got a little anxiety with registerring for my last semester of classes at A&M. And because of that, I had to get forced into 3 of the 5 classes I needed, so I was a nervous wreck for a couple of weeks, hoping that I would get the class times I wanted. I finally did..last week...ugh!
Shelby & I sang at Brooke & Chad's wedding and it was just a beautiful sight from the beginning of the afternoon to the late of the night at the ranch, where their reception was held. Thank the Lord I got smart and took boots to the ranch because the sod got soggy & muddy...
A few of my girlfriends & I went to La Bodega for a shaker date and ended up having an eventful evening from tequila to shopping to karaoke at Paddock Lane. Sad to say we didn't win the $50 singing contest.
And the next morning, the Hangover monster attacked while I took my last Athletic Injuries exam. Yes. I didn't want to go to NG so I could study but I only needed 20 of 60 points to make the A. So I rebelled and luckily, I came out on the winning side and made a 56/60! But never will I take an exam hungover AGAIN!
The last Saturday in April, I surprised Emily by traveling down to HBU to watch her last softball game in Texas. Glad I did because they didn't have a great outing at their conference tourney in Georgia and are waiting for a bid to their national tourney.
I turned in my Exercise Physiology take-home Final and am still waiting to find out what I made in the class. As of now, I have all A's in 7 of my 10 credit hours. Just waiting, hoping & praying my e-mails and talks with my prof and hard work on the final pay off!

So I've moved home for the summer in EC. I will be working part-time at The Crossing with Miss Sallie. I am hoping to help coach Summer League Volleyball and Little League Softball. I'm working on putting together some summer workouts to keep me off the couch and not bored with just running in the summer heat. I also made team for the Summer Young Adult ACTS retreat, which I am super stoked about! But am counting down the days until Scott, Cassey, (extra ticket for whoever) & I attend Nickelback's concert June 2nd! It's going to be one of the highlights of my summer!

Sorry this blog was long but I was just trying to cover the bases and hope to blog at least once a week throughout the summer with some pictures. Yes. I know my blog is very boring and sad without pictures but I'm horrible at remembering to take pictures!!!

Love y'all - AC

What an end to a month!

As I am sitting in bed, collecting my thoughts over what I have done today and what I need to get done tomorrow, it just astonishes me how I've made it through the past few years. I'm saying this because I had an exam Thursday evening and have 4 this upcoming week. The 2 hardest exams will be Monday of course!

Back to the past...I had a crazy, different roomie freshman year until I lived alone for the spring semester while being busy as a bee as a softball manager. I enjoyed being alone and had great supportive friends during that time who I had a lot of fun with when I did have time to party. I made okay grades that year but I lived and breathed softball and that job became a priority.

My sophomore year was when Shelby joined me in our humble abode. It was the adjustments to living with another homo sapien that kept me on my toes with a harder course load in the fall. Of course, there was the time Shelby came home saying she was changing to Pre-Med. We were a little awestruck by that one but she changed her mind and stuck with business/pre-law. Oh this one is even better! Shelby had traveled to Austin to watch Meredith Bard play volleyball and came home proclaiming she was transferring to t.u. because she LOVED austin. I almost threw up but I'm sure Great Papaw was jumping for joy in heaven.  But once again, changed her mind. Plus! Who wouldn't want to live with me in my awesome house?! haha... And there was that football season which was alright but it was memories made that fall that were amazing. Dating a cadet in the band and sitting up-close and personal with the action on the 1st deck! Heck yes! James was a gentleman but that relationship lasted a short 5 months but we still are acquaintances. But because of my struggles, I finally reached out to a horse trainer and began lessons in the English discipline. Boy, was that my release. My go-to-activity to get my head straight. You have to physical and mentally do so much on the back of a horse that it frees your mind from everything...except on bad days...then it gets difficult to concentrate and I cry so Aubrey listens.

Junior to say the least was a hard transition. I made a lot of mistakes and cannot say I would take them back because that's how I learned! Courtney Janak moving in was not a mistake! From taking that wretched physics that summer, we became closer when she moved in and began a long-lasting friendship that I cherish everyday. Unfortunately, she became a buffer to some of Shelby and I's arguments. That's what sisters are for? Anyways, I started getting nervous about graduating and getting into PT school so I started researching more, talking to more advisors, and it wasn't until that summer of 2011 that I began shadowing an awesome PT. But last spring was a whirlwind. Taking 2 science courses and carrying 15 hours was difficult for me. It was even more difficult for me to not help provide for my education now that I did not have job. Money isn't everything but it stresses me out. That summer was great too! I joined the summer choir at St. Mary's and just have the itch to sing praises all the time now!

Now I'm in my final spring semester in my undergraduate career. Time has flown and friends have come and gone but I truly embrace being able to attend this school and incorporate the diversity it brings to my life. I originally wanted to complain in this post about the stupid hard exams I have this week but I wanted to reflect more on the good than the bad. I've been very blessed. And I am very thankful yet I still have a ways to go and I cannot let go of my sights, dreams, hopes, wishes and abilities.

Thanks for reading...and I leave y'all with this...

"Ask & it will be given to you;

seek & you will find;

knock & the door will be opened to you."

- Matthew 7:7

...we're cool Aggies...



Kudos to the Teachers!

Praise to y'all and your hard work that each one of y'all do!

I'm saying this because I'm having to make a simple lesson plan for a yoga routine and it's hard as heck! My good darling friend, Stacey Gillis, has been student teaching this semester. I've seen at first hand her evening routine of making lesson plans and creating things for her 1st graders to do in class. Bless her heart because she's tired all the time! I'm a third way finished with my lesson plan and I'm already tired of seeing it! So here's something for the teachers in my life...

A Teacher's Prayer - Help me to be a fine teacher, to keep peace in the classroom, peace between my students and myself, to be kind and gentle to each and every one of my students. Help me to be merciful to my students, to balance mercy and discipline in the right measure for each student, to give genuine praise as much as possible, to give constructive criticism in a manner that is palatable to my students. Help me to remain conscientious enough to keep my lessons always interesting, to recognize what motivates each of my students, to accept my students' limitations and not hold it against them. Help me not to judge my students too harshly, to be fair to all, to be a good role model, but most of all Lord help me to show your love to all of my students. Amen


On to the learning at my level...I finally have been having some success on exams. I am retaking Chem 1 to get an A...I made a 98.5 on my first exam!!! Whoop! And this week, I made a 93 on my Athletics Injuries exam. It is very crucial that I make an A in this class since I am going to be applying to the entry-level Master's program in Athletic Training here at A&M. I have 5 exams and a couple quizzes coming up in the next 2 weeks. So it's going to be stressful but I'm going to be getting on the studying ball as soon as I get my brain functioning in the morning. I'm going to get through it though because of  2 things - 1) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 2) There's a horse show on March 4th (Mom's birthday weekend) in Bellville. I was not able to attend the 1st show since it was cancelled to the heavy rain we had at the beginning of February.

Another reason to be praising the Lord is that my Aunt Rhonda finished her radiation treatments on Monday! Please keep her in your prayers so that she may heal and become stronger and hopefully no more cancer!

Thank you all for your eyes and ears and guidance for the past few years. It really means a lot to me because without y'all, I wouldn't have molded into the young lady I am now. Dad, you especially have been encouraging and confidence-boosting and I appreciate that greatly.

With love and thanksgiving,
AC

Just One of Those Days...

I started this day with a tweet ending with "Lord, I hope this day is good." That is the title of one of my favorite songs resung by Brandon Rhyder. It's a really good song and I like to listen to it when I'm happy, sad, angry or whatever! Well...I don't know if this day was good except He did keep me and my family safe on our trip to Houston in the treacherous rain. And thank you Lord for the rain! But that was one of the three songs I'm going to reference in this post.

We trekked to Texas Woman's University at the Medical Center in Houston for their Open House. We heard several speakers on admissions, financial aid, why we should choose TWU, & then go listen to stuff about our interested field of study. Mom, Dad & I sat in with the PT stuff then got to take a tour of the classrooms and labs. Really cool stuff but...

Before we left, I asked the admission's lady how competitive I would be with a low GPA, great resume, lots of shadowing, etc. etc. and her answer was pretty crystal clear that I wouldn't be competitive at all even if I made amazing scores on the GRE. So we headed to our vehicles & Dad decided to ride with me as I follow Mom to Carraba's. We contemplated options...and Ladies & Gentleman, I think I'm reconsidering my career path. I don't want to specifically announce what it is but it will still be medical-related. Even Dad had noticed that I am losing some of my "want to learn" spark and said that I needed some time off from school. I will still graduate in December and weight out my options within the next months.

As I headed home, I phoned a couple of friends for their incite & guidance & opinions. Ultimately, it is my choice. It is my life. I do want to succeed and help others. I just have to made the right decisions that will help guide me in my best interests, with the good Lord willing.


And if you have noticed my somber mood within this blog, I have some very sad news. Mom & Dad arrived home to find our beloved 15 year old Boston Terrier, Valentine, had passed to doggy heaven. I'm trying to hold back the water works while typing but it's inevitable. That dog brought a lot of happiness, laughs, and pure love and joy into our home. She is already deeply missed and I pray that God is throwing her squeaky toys in the pool for her to fetch.

"Sometimes this world feels so cold. Sometimes hope is all we have to hold. Sometimes a prayer’s our only hope."

 - Sean McConnell, "Prayer You Can Borrow"

I thank Him for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me, my family and friends. I have found a deeper faith with Him from all of the good and bad times in my life. And even though I am unsure of my educational and career future, I know that whatever I do, I have to do those things with the Lord in mind.

And the song that hits my heart every time I stumble...

And I'll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I've cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm