And the after:
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Canister Project
Last year I posted about some canisters I found at a thrift store and had plans to refinish the wooden tops. Well, one year later the project is finished and I am quite happy with how they came out. I had to strip the wooden tops (not a fun part of the project). Then I bought some cheap acrylic craft paint at walmart and used a rag to wipe it on in a thin layer, leaving the wood grain visible. Last I sprayed them with some spray shellac (needed since the ceramic jars are shiny). Here is the before:
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Update
I hate titling a post "Update" but that's all we got for now.
In December I wrapped up my first semester of PA school. It felt like quite an accomplishment although it only means I am 1/6 of the way through. Now we are onto the module portion of the program which means we spend one week on a type of medicine, learn everything about it (that can be learned in one week), take a test and then move onto the next area. I think I like it because you always feel like you are accomplishing something. We have done two modules so far and only have about 25 more to go--sounds easy enough....
Matthew is in school still plugging away at his pre-dental prerequisites. And this really explains why our lives are so dull. When you have two people in school you don't do much else. He works really hard and I am so proud of him!
Christmas break was our first chance in a while to let loose. My parents came up to Boise and we spent a few days at Matthew's family's cabin. It was so beautiful up there with all of the snow and nice to spend time with Mom and Dad.
We spent Christmas with Matthew's family and things were pretty uneventful. It was kind of a like a big nap that we both totally needed.
A couple of weeks ago I was released as Relief Society President, which I think was timely since the pace of school has really picked up. Last Sunday was my first in a very long time that I haven't had any meetings outside of the regular ones everyone goes to...a nice feeling :)
I feel very blessed to be in school in spite of the crazy pace it gives to my life. It is fun to be learning so much and I'm excited to get out there and start practicing. I have been focusing on really trying to be happy in the moment and not be constantly thinking about the next phase of life and I think I am getting it to some degree. Life is now. It's happening to us every day. I love what President Hinckley said:
“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.
In December I wrapped up my first semester of PA school. It felt like quite an accomplishment although it only means I am 1/6 of the way through. Now we are onto the module portion of the program which means we spend one week on a type of medicine, learn everything about it (that can be learned in one week), take a test and then move onto the next area. I think I like it because you always feel like you are accomplishing something. We have done two modules so far and only have about 25 more to go--sounds easy enough....
Matthew is in school still plugging away at his pre-dental prerequisites. And this really explains why our lives are so dull. When you have two people in school you don't do much else. He works really hard and I am so proud of him!
Christmas break was our first chance in a while to let loose. My parents came up to Boise and we spent a few days at Matthew's family's cabin. It was so beautiful up there with all of the snow and nice to spend time with Mom and Dad.
We spent Christmas with Matthew's family and things were pretty uneventful. It was kind of a like a big nap that we both totally needed.
A couple of weeks ago I was released as Relief Society President, which I think was timely since the pace of school has really picked up. Last Sunday was my first in a very long time that I haven't had any meetings outside of the regular ones everyone goes to...a nice feeling :)
I feel very blessed to be in school in spite of the crazy pace it gives to my life. It is fun to be learning so much and I'm excited to get out there and start practicing. I have been focusing on really trying to be happy in the moment and not be constantly thinking about the next phase of life and I think I am getting it to some degree. Life is now. It's happening to us every day. I love what President Hinckley said:
“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed.
“[The fact is] most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. …
“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.
“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (“Big Rock Candy Mountains,” Deseret News, 12 June 1973, A4).
I am thankful for the thrilling bursts of speed and the beautiful vistas in my life.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
6 More Weeks
I am delighted by the fact that there are only 3 more weeks of class until Thanksgiving break and three more weeks after that. We are sooooo ready for a break!
I often get asked how PA school is going. "Busy" is usually my answer, although I have learned that there are many who have a much higher study time tolerance than I do. I am finding out that I am not a science person, which usually raises some eyebrows--luckily there's more to being a PA than science. And let's face it, I'm not hoping to become the next Dr. House cracking the worlds most mysterious medical cases. I do really enjoy the hands on things. So far we've learned to do injections, draw blood, suture and do physical examinations. All of this I really enjoy. I also like charting, which ostracizes me from most of my classmates. What can I say? I'm a Comms major at heart.
The most challenging thing about school is being in class for 6-8 hours/day, 5 days/week. I sit on one of those big exercise balls instead of a chair (as do many of my classmates). It seems to help me stay awake (haven't fallen asleep and spilled off onto the floor yet anyway) and you can always bounce for entertainment.
I am pleased to report that my US Army stethoscope that Matthew won from a recruiter for guessing the kind of car he drove (strange...I know) seems to work great. Still, I am dreading when I am actually practicing and I have to explain to my patients that I was never in the US Army. It seems like I should come up with a better story of how I got the stethoscope....
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Five Years
Matthew and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary yesterday and it's made me reflect on some of the things we've done these past five years:
June 3, 2004
I was living in NYC doing an internship with an advertising agency and living the dream, literally. Matthew flew in to visit and we spent the evening visiting the Manhattan Temple Dedication. Afterward we went for a stroll through Central Park and ended up on the tree-lined Poet's Walk cozying up on a bench where a month ago he had whispered, "I love you," into my ear. That evening we became engaged and our story began.
July 29, 2004
Megan called around first thing in the morning because I had forgotten to book an appointment to get my nails done. Luckily we found a place with an opening and rushed off for the matrimonial mani/pedi. Several hours of primping later Matthew and I were married in the Boise Temple for time and eternity. We had an incredible day with our friends and family enjoying the bliss of new love and marriage.
December 18, 2004
Matthew graduated with a B.S. in International Buisness Management and Spanish from Utah Valley State College. Whew!
April 14, 2005
I checked into LDS Hospital for a 5-day stay to have my first tumor removed. I had to arrange with all of my teachers to have my finals early and complete projects ahead of time so I could have the surgury during finals week. Additionally, the weeks prior to surgury required me to take medication to control my blood pressure and to slowly increase it until surgury. I started out taking one pill once a day and ended up taking eight pills twice a day! It the medication slowed me down immensely and, in some ways, that semester was my most difficult yet.
April 21, 2005
It was really important to me to attend my college graduation because I felt that I had worked hard to achieve that little piece of paper so when the surgeon told me I would be going under the knife one week before graduation I was determined that I would make it on the stage. My parents rented a wheel chair so I wouldn't have to walk far and Matthew pushed me around all day. I got a seat of honor on the floor of the Marriott Center with graduate students and Matthew sat close behind me. It was a long ceremony to endure even with the narcotics but I am so happy I was able to be there.
May 9, 2009
Matthew and I started our first college grad jobs. Matthew was managing a Tunex franchise in West Valley City and I was working at BYU doing marketing for the campus auxilliaries. Though my drea m was to return to NYC and start up an advertising career, it was a perfect transition considering my health and the wonderful support I received while working at BYU. My coworkers made it possible for me to have a job at that time.
July 29, 2005
I arrived in SLC airport around 7 p.m. with my parents. We had just come from Bethesda, MD where I spent the week getting a work up of tests to determine the location of my other tumors. Our first wedding anniversary was unconventional at best, but we did get to enjoy a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant.
April 2006
While driving home from General Conference I received inspiration that we needed to fulfill Matthew's life-long dream of taking a huge amount of time to travel. We spent the next nine months preparing and finally quit our jobs in December 2006 so we could have an adventure.
2007
Traveling was hard on me because I really like to have a schedule and be accomplishing things on my list but that year we learned more about eachother than we've probably learned in the other four years combined. We shared so many great experiences that we'll never forget...and created our homemade RV we like to call the "Campry." The world is so beautiful and there are so many places I can't wait to get back to!
January 21, 2008
I guess traveling does change you because I started school on a Tuesday, down the long path to becoming a physician assistant. I loved being back in school but I worked hard. Science is not my forte and it took all I had to earn what I did. Matthew was a huge support to me in this transition. I guess I inspiried him because eight months later he caught my insanity and started taking classes to prepare for dental school.
January 12, 2009
I had just had my wisdom teeth removed four days before and suffered a flu bug in the process of healing up from that so I wasn't sure I was at the top of my game but I headed off to Meridian to interview for a seat in the Idaho State Unversity PA program. The interview seemed to go well and I wasn't disappointed because just two days later we celebrated a seat offer.
May 27, 2009
We took our last chance (for the next few years) for long, international trip and flew to Cancun, Mexico for some summer fun--two months of relaxation and chaos in Centeral America.
July 29, 2009
Five years--I love you more than ever, Matthew!!!
June 3, 2004
I was living in NYC doing an internship with an advertising agency and living the dream, literally. Matthew flew in to visit and we spent the evening visiting the Manhattan Temple Dedication. Afterward we went for a stroll through Central Park and ended up on the tree-lined Poet's Walk cozying up on a bench where a month ago he had whispered, "I love you," into my ear. That evening we became engaged and our story began.
July 29, 2004
Megan called around first thing in the morning because I had forgotten to book an appointment to get my nails done. Luckily we found a place with an opening and rushed off for the matrimonial mani/pedi. Several hours of primping later Matthew and I were married in the Boise Temple for time and eternity. We had an incredible day with our friends and family enjoying the bliss of new love and marriage.
December 18, 2004
Matthew graduated with a B.S. in International Buisness Management and Spanish from Utah Valley State College. Whew!
April 14, 2005
I checked into LDS Hospital for a 5-day stay to have my first tumor removed. I had to arrange with all of my teachers to have my finals early and complete projects ahead of time so I could have the surgury during finals week. Additionally, the weeks prior to surgury required me to take medication to control my blood pressure and to slowly increase it until surgury. I started out taking one pill once a day and ended up taking eight pills twice a day! It the medication slowed me down immensely and, in some ways, that semester was my most difficult yet.
April 21, 2005
It was really important to me to attend my college graduation because I felt that I had worked hard to achieve that little piece of paper so when the surgeon told me I would be going under the knife one week before graduation I was determined that I would make it on the stage. My parents rented a wheel chair so I wouldn't have to walk far and Matthew pushed me around all day. I got a seat of honor on the floor of the Marriott Center with graduate students and Matthew sat close behind me. It was a long ceremony to endure even with the narcotics but I am so happy I was able to be there.
May 9, 2009
Matthew and I started our first college grad jobs. Matthew was managing a Tunex franchise in West Valley City and I was working at BYU doing marketing for the campus auxilliaries. Though my drea m was to return to NYC and start up an advertising career, it was a perfect transition considering my health and the wonderful support I received while working at BYU. My coworkers made it possible for me to have a job at that time.
July 29, 2005
I arrived in SLC airport around 7 p.m. with my parents. We had just come from Bethesda, MD where I spent the week getting a work up of tests to determine the location of my other tumors. Our first wedding anniversary was unconventional at best, but we did get to enjoy a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant.
April 2006
While driving home from General Conference I received inspiration that we needed to fulfill Matthew's life-long dream of taking a huge amount of time to travel. We spent the next nine months preparing and finally quit our jobs in December 2006 so we could have an adventure.
2007
Traveling was hard on me because I really like to have a schedule and be accomplishing things on my list but that year we learned more about eachother than we've probably learned in the other four years combined. We shared so many great experiences that we'll never forget...and created our homemade RV we like to call the "Campry." The world is so beautiful and there are so many places I can't wait to get back to!
January 21, 2008
I guess traveling does change you because I started school on a Tuesday, down the long path to becoming a physician assistant. I loved being back in school but I worked hard. Science is not my forte and it took all I had to earn what I did. Matthew was a huge support to me in this transition. I guess I inspiried him because eight months later he caught my insanity and started taking classes to prepare for dental school.
January 12, 2009
I had just had my wisdom teeth removed four days before and suffered a flu bug in the process of healing up from that so I wasn't sure I was at the top of my game but I headed off to Meridian to interview for a seat in the Idaho State Unversity PA program. The interview seemed to go well and I wasn't disappointed because just two days later we celebrated a seat offer.
May 27, 2009
We took our last chance (for the next few years) for long, international trip and flew to Cancun, Mexico for some summer fun--two months of relaxation and chaos in Centeral America.
July 29, 2009
Five years--I love you more than ever, Matthew!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Love for Pandora
Who doesn't love Pandora? I started using this service when I was working at BYU a couple of years ago and continue to love it. Where else can you hear Colbie Caillat sing "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid and Jack Johnson all on the same radio station?
If you are so unfortunate as to have missed out on Pandora for the past few years, please--do yourself a favor--check it out now!
These are some of my favorite stations:
That's How You Know It's Love (from Enchanted)
Colbie Caillat
Antonio Vivaldi
Rascal Flatts
Sunday, March 22, 2009
My Calling
In January I was called to be the Relief Society (RS) President in my ward. Matthew and I attend a married student ward so I am relieved to not have the complexities of a family ward but this has been quite a growing experience. I have some incredible women serving as my counselors and secretary which is a HUGE benefit. These are some of the lessons I have learned in my first three months on the job:1. A calling like this can consume you, so you have to learn to compartmentalize your life.
2. There are people out there with bigger problems than you, trust me :)
3. People think that they are unique in being shy or feeling weird talking to someone they don't know--almost everyone feels that way.
4. Delegate.
5. It is tough to be the manager. I have managed in my previous work but it was nothing like this. It is really hard for me to be the one who is making sure everyone is doing their job without doing it for them.
I know many of you are LDS so if you are wondering, "What can I do to make my RS president's life better?", here are some answers.
1. Do your visiting teaching. There is a reason we harp on this all the time. It's a big burden to bear to be responsible for dozens of women.
2. Do your calling. Be as enthusiastic as you can about your calling and look for ways you can fulfill it.
3. Be friends with the sisters in RS. If you think you are shy see (3.) above.
Some of the blessings that I have received from this calling thus far are as follows:
1. An increased connection with the Spirit.
2. The ability to know the names and faces of the ~65 sisters in the ward.
3. A better understanding of what RS is all about and why we have it.
If any of you have any tips for a budding, young RS president please pass them on!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Everything's Amazing, Nobody's Happy
I thought this might brighten your day. It lasts about 4 minutes so give it a look when you have time. I'm not able to embed it so click here for a great video.
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