what a great day!

we had the entire School of Public Health orientation this morning and then the Nutrition portion of the division of Community Health and Epidemiology this afternoon. It went well and we had a LOT of information thrown at us. after we were officially finished, my new friend Courtney and I decided to take the campus by storm and get a few needed things done. we trekked to the student union and made our ID cards.... she filled out info for a bus pass... and then we trekked over to the health center to make appointments to get our TB tests done. we're not allowed to start on our semester's field experiences until we do. It felt REALLY good to get some of the lingering things done. it also felt AWESOME to navigate the campus without too many issues. it's nice to have someone with you to discuses which direction you think things are in... and it seemed so much less intimidating. i also did NOT get another parking ticket today and actually found free parking. and i'm definitely getting more use to CRAZY big-city traffic. and then i rewarded myself with frenchfries :)

beginnings

soooo i've updated my blogs on the trip up to minnesota.

my first few days of orientation have gone well. this program fits me SO well. when i listen to the other girls talk (the ones in my year and the ones we heard from today from the 2 years ahead of me) confirms that i'm in the right place. everyone really has a holistic approach to dietetics practice. i heard girls ask today how to separate emotions from patients in difficult situations like they saw a lot of nurses and other practitioners do during their internships. the responses were overwhelmingly that compassion IS what makes a person a good practitioner. while you have to be professional and have to... hold yourself together at times for the sake of the patient... it is perfectly acceptable to be overwhelmed with compassion for people. our adviser even noted that it keeps patients from turning into objects instead of people.

obviously i am not saying that all other practitioners have a patients-are-objects approach... but i have been in health care long enough to know that there are a lot of people who do. i am just so glad to know that i am surrounded by and will be learning with other women who truly love people and want to make a difference in the world.

i have also been overwhelmed with how much of an honor it apparently is that i got accepted into the program. there are only 8 of us and i think a LOT of people applied. and on top of THAT, i got an assistantship which i think are available close to none. our adviser already thinks highly of us, and i'm so thankful that God orchestrated all of this for me.

charlie will be here soon! yay! i'm enjoying alone time in the hotel more than i thought... but i'm also really lonely. i'm ready for my partner to be here. our communication really struggles long distance (how is that?? we did it SO well for 10 years!!)

also. i got my first ticket today. our meeting went a little long, and my parking meter ran out. $42. really?? for an expired parking meter?? on the ticket it says it's a nissan, that it's black, and an suv and my license plate number. but it says (typed) AK instead of AR. i don't know what to do. can they hunt me down with that much info and the wrong state? i really don't want to pay $42. i have dollar signs in my eyes from all the costs involved with going back to school and moving. yuck.

not ending on a bad note. this is going to be a great 2 years!

the land o' lakes

aaaaaaaand minnesota it is.

i think that this week (as i may be slightly bored) i'll add to my blog posts below about my trip up. i made some AMAZING videos on my drive. these are just from today. i'm sure you'll be begging me to post the rest after watching these.

this first video is extremely long. just warning. it's snipets of WOW 1996... the most amazing album ever produced. i had to play boring samplings. i just had to.



oooon into iowa





and des moines



FINALLY in minnesota!

hello and goobye missouri and kansas!

Unfortunately, i do not have a video in siloam with Stacy... but we had a great talk. she asked me 3 questions: what is your favorite color, and why? What is your favorite animal, and why? and what is your favorite place in nature, and why?

OBVIOUSLY my answers were 1. Grey because it's soothing and slightly non-conventional (although it seems to be a very popular color these days...) 2. a roseate spoonbill. because it's pink and gooooofy. and 3. the ocean because it's so calming even if there are a million things going on, and there's always sunshine and a breeze.

if you answer these same questions for me, i'll interpret them for you!




don't judge me for this one. but superchick is really very positive! i wish we had more encouraging music like this these days.







and finally, i got to spend a day or so with the hunt family! caleb was as cute as ever! and susan and i got to spend some good quality time together.

see how cute!



soooooo he didn't feel like walking! he doesn't have to. he's a superkid anyway!



Minnesota... i'll see you tomorrow! eeeeeek!

Bye bye Arkansas

ByeBye Louisiana. Sisters... I'm coming!


i had a great time in Arkansas... i hung out with my parents... went for a few walks in my mom's school (isn't it great to exercise in the air conditioning?), dad even fixed up my old dinosaur ibook so i can use it again! it's really very exciting. 7 year old laptops are slow. i think that's 369 years old in computer years.

well... here we go!




i filmed this video about... oooooo 1 minute before my phone died. charlie and my dad thought i was dead because i didn't answer allll the way up to pine bluff. but i was alive. i thought they had received my text about my phone dying so i didn't stop to get a car charger. but the trip wasn't bad! i listened to "shoe addicts anonymous" which was surprisingly entertaining. it had a good reader, which was probably a big part of that. i hate bad readers. overall, it was a good trip!

goodbyes

This weekend was an emotional one. We said many goodbyes to many wonderful people. We had 3 great parties to celebrate the family and relationships and friendships we cherish down here.

What pretty cousins! I am really going to miss these ladies! They welcomed me into the family and became my best friends in Louisiana! I'm so sad I'm going to miss out on so much over the next two years!

Ugh! I'm going to miss these, two!

iiiiii am -really- going to miss this crew of people (risa wasn't present, but she is definitely included). I am so thankful for being a part of the MPT family for the last 2 years! I wonder if I will ever work with such crazyfun people FOR such batcrazy patients ever again!

Before we left, Charlie gave his old Razorback hat to Micah. It made me cry. Not just sad, but real tears. It's really going to be hard missing out on Micah, Nathan, and Fox growing up!!

I guess here's to us. Hopefully we will keep an attitude of counting the gains of this season (which I know will be great) more than our losses (which, unfortunately, are also great!).

turnin' tables

This was Punkin in January 2009 when we adopted her. She weighed 42 pounds and has since lost 10. wow.


This was Tiggy (my parents'/sister's corgi) around the same time.

I wish I had a current picture (maybe I'll get one this week in Arkansas), but let me just say... My how the tables have turned.

I can't lie...

i'm excited. let's get this started!

Happy 100th

 Contentment is the philosopher's stone, which turns all it

touches into gold;  the poor man is rich with it and the rich

man is poor without it.





I actually cannot find a good quote source for this online, but I like

the quote anyhow.This past weekend we went to Arkansas for a

family reunion/my Great Aunt Josephine's 100th birthday party.

This was the quote chosen to honor her.  It struck me because this

is how I want to live my life--in total contentment.  I really believe

the rich can feel poor very easily when they are left always wanting

more.  I also believe the poor can live very satisfying lives when

they appreciate everything they have.  Yes, good quote.

i'm feeling much better today, thank you.

things are coming to a close in Louisiana so quickly i can hardly stand it! it seems we have almost every minute planned until the exact moment we pull out of our smalltown Oscar driveway.

thank you, God, for doing this in a way that I cannot doubt it's you. thank you for that.

bestfriend

August 8, 2009

i have a sinus infection/tonsil issues/a cold? i dunno.

this kindasorta ruined our anniversary plans.

in sickness and in health, huh?

charlie, i hope you know how much i love you. i have a sneaking suspicion you do. you're my best friend and i'm pretty sure you know i'd rather spend time with you than anyone else on earth.

i'm also pretty sure you know how much i respect you and how clearly you hear from God (without knowing it an awful lot of the time), and how creative and funny and awesome i think you are.

sorry i ruined our plans tonight, but hey. we've got like another 75 or so to go :)

August 2, 1980

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!

To the best couple I know!!

I have learned so much from the two of you... I was just talking with Charlie about how incredible blessed we are that we come from unbroken homes. There is something really special about watching two people dedicate themselves to each other. And that's the kind of relationship you two have. I've seen you both support each other in different times in different ways. You compliment each other so well.. both with your listening ears... Dad with your vast knowledge and wisdom... and Mom with your prayer and practicality. As I am now married, I have really learned the importance of the give-and-take cooperation it takes to make a marriage work. Through your marriage, you have helped give counsel to so many other people and been God's hand in helping save many marriages. I can only hope that Charlie and I will follow God with as much unity, joy, and passion as you two!! I love you both so much!


Crazily enough, Charlie's parents also share our same anniversary week! I think that's pretty cool... All the August anniversary couples together!

Mrs. Annie and Mr. Chuck... you have displayed such an awesome example of tenacity and the simple joy of... enjoying each other!! We love yall!

help?

i have a problem. (actually a couple of them, depending on how you look at it. such as how are we going to get charlie's truck, rufus, and punkin up to minnesota.) (or how randomly moody/emotional i can be at times.) (or who in the WORLD is going to adopt moomoo. i've asked every single person i know.)

but in particular, as far as THIS post is concerned, i have a major problem with fear. i'm reading two books right now on being brave and going after your dreams and not letting your fears prevent you from reaching your potential... but i honestly don't have toooo terribly many fears in that department. this is a raw, basic fear of someone breaking into my house and hurting me.

i'm not afraid of airplanes or car wrecks or shark attacks or normal things that people have serious fear about. but i can't _handle_ being home alone at night. i can't do it. the last time charlie went out of town i "slept" in the living room with every light in the house on and the tv on and my 120lb lab next to me. seriously? i'm (almost) 25.

charlie keeps telling me that he can't always be with me so i have to work through this. and yes, i totally agree. but more sleepless nights -really- aren't going to solve it for me. and this isn't something i can just "get over"... i tried that. promise.

he keeps asking me what-in-the-world could happen. and i can think of millions of things that could happen. murders and rapes happen. i happen to know a few people those things have happened to. then there's kidnappings and stalkers and just a LOT of really bad people out there. my mind can think up PLENTY of things that could happen. and to the question, "do you really think being afraid will help you?" i reply, yes, actually, i do. at least if something happens i may be somewhat ready for it. God's job isn't to prevent anything bad from happening to us. i know that because i've observed life happen. and honestly, that scares me even more.

i honestly haven't a clue who reads my blog. there may be one dear reader (my mother?) (or two if you count her reading it aloud to my dad.) but i could really use some encouragement or words of wisdom. i copied down a million verses last night about fear. and i am going to start memorizing them. but seriously. i need your help. email me or facebook me or leave me a comment. please?