They closed my trail!

I was really upset when they closed the trail behind my house for FOUR YEARS to build the new light rail (which will then go straight to school, which I will be done with at that time, haha, oh well). Anyway, so I drove to the lake I used to run at a lot when training for the marathon and ran in the neighborhood because I didn't feel like running around a flat lake in a circle, and it was the best run I've had in AGES! I ran 4 miles on Wednesday and 5 yesterday, they were really hill and hard and wonderful. I thought I was way out of shape but I guess not as bad as I thought. I got a big blister yesterday though that I'm hoping subsides soon so I can do 6 miles tomorrow. I think I'll just run from home up to the neighborhood I love, even though the 1.5 miles from here to there isn't so great, I'd rather not have to drive to run everyday. The neighborhood was so quiet and beautiful. Lots of cool old houses and trees, I felt like I could run forever! I think I'm going to run up there always now. I was thinking yesterday that one thing I like about it is if there's kind of a creepy person you can just turn and go down a few blocks, but on the trail you're stuck where you are, so that might be part of why it was so much more relaxing being in the neighborhood.

My campus has an inter professional orchestra I'm going to play in too, and Matthew's thinking about joining so that will be a lot of fun! I went Wednesday but the director wasn't expecting saxophones this year so he didn't have any music for saxophone yet, but next week hopefully I'll get some good playing in :)

MRI is Monday, it'll be nice to get that over with. I'm really happy that Mandi is on a new schedule and will hopefully be able to relax and enjoy life a little more :) Hopefully the new schedule won't control her life so much. Can't wait to come home for the holiday's and see everybody!

Oh yeah, one more exciting thing. I was looking at the City Rec Centers around here that I think I'm going to join, because the gym I've been going to is too snobby for me, and I found the one close to school and in the picture I think I see a treadclimber! I LOVE those things! We had one at Eastern and it was great for cross-training. It'll be nice to finally get back into shape. I've been a little lax the last few weeks, but then I decided to stop letting my headaches control my life and just do it, and I feel much better :)

ouch

This semester isn't as insane as last semester, but it is picking up. I started work-study and that is going well, my "boss" is really awesome, plus he teaches one of my more interesting classes so it's a good contact to have. I woke up with a throbbing headache again today and have been feeling sick all day. I finally broke down and took some Excedrin it was so bad, but it hasn't really helped. I haven't taken it in weeks because I didn't want my body to get hooked on it, but I guess it doesn't matter since it's not helping. It will be nice to get my MRI and see the neurologist so he can find something to relieve the pain. I'm getting an MRI with the dye, which I did a little reading on and I'm kind of curious about it. Some things I read say it's really dangerous and has horrible side effects, other things say that side effects are rare and usually mild. Any info from the medical staff in the family? Michelle? Mandi? I'm sure it will be okay, I don't really have any allergies so I doubt I'll react. My Dr. took some blood for a few things and said he was going to test kidney function also to make sure I can handle the dye, so it sounds like he is covering the bases pretty well, he has definitely earned my confidence so far. He really listened to everything I was saying at the appointment versus just blowing me off and telling me it was some common cause (which it probably is, but it's nice to be certain). He said he wants to check and make sure nothing else is going on before throwing drugs at me, not knowing what the cause is exactly, so I really appreciated that.

Hopefully I will get my clinical placement soon, I am so excited for the first one! Nervous too...I hope I don't screw up! I am so excited for my new niece or nephew! (random thought day, I apologize for the seemingly random changes in subject) I haven't gotten a hold of Hershal or Michelle since I heard the news though so I don't know any of the exciting details like when they are due! My maternal urge has been poking at me lately, I've REALLY been wanting a baby! But the time will come some day, and now is definitely not the right time!

Well, family, I hope you are all well and enjoying life. Let me know if you have any more educated details about MRI dye :) MISS YOU!

Still kickin'!

Not much new. Just finished week 1 of term 2 and not too bad so for, just TONS of READING! haha. I started work study this week today, it's pretty cool and flexible so that's nice. It was WONDERFUL to go to Spokane and see Poppa, Becka, Mandi and Mike. I cried a lot when I had to leave :( It was hard. I almost bolted out of the security line to go give Mandi another hug. Got to see Mom and Dad for a few hours too so that was nice :) Hoping to go hiking this weekend, and have a bucket party next weekend for "margarita's" birthday! Gotta have a little bit of fun before the schedule gets TOO crazy!

To my family!

I really like that all us siblings (and families) have blogs so I can write stuff just to you!

I finished my last final today. It was anatomy and holy crapola was it hard! I'm nervous about all the stuff that I don't remember all the details for. I'm forgetting things already and it's only the first semester! I suppose it'll come back to me after we start applying it more...lets hope so anyway! Maybe I can practice some stuff on Mandi when I go visit :)

So tomorrow the in-laws come (yay!) then Monday I leave on a road trip with them up to Spokane. It'll be really nice to see Poppa and Becka and I am SO excited to spend some quality time with my SISTER! Then I'll come back and get a couple of days of relaxing time with my honey then start all over again :)

Tomorrow morning I'm meeting with one of my professors to talk about research assistant positions I can do for my work-study. Next semester is supposed to be a bit more low-key compared to this one, so I'm going to do about 10-12 hours a week. It'll help us out with the FOUR weddings we have to fly home for between now and February (3 of them within a 4 week time period). Plus, I'm really excited that there are options for getting on a research project so the work will contribute to my education rather than just being a source of income. So, hopefully there will be something fun and exciting, and I'll get that lined up beforet my vacation gets fully underway :)

Okay, time to go be productive before company comes :) I MISS YOU ALL!

Boring Update

I guess it's been awhile! Not much has gone on, just the same ol' crazy studying. We had a random day off of school yesterday so I went to Water World with some friends and it was a lot of fun. Especially since it was 103 degrees, the water felt nice. Matthew and I went to see the "Dark Knight" in IMAX for my birthday and it was pretty awesome. A little more disturbing than I had expected though. If I saw it again I might enjoy it more, I was just too squeamish that that something painful was going to get cut most of the time! And I was a total nerd...when the guys' face got burned and you could see all of his tendons, all I could think was that that was not at all what the face REALLY looked like underneath the skin, haha. I can't help it, we just did the face dissection a couple weeks ago.

Only one more week of school before finals, I can barely believe it! I am definitely ready for a break though. We're trying to get the downstairs all unpacked for our company. It's a good motivator, but I kind of wish the timing were better! That's what we get for procrastinating :) It is coming together really well though, and it will be nice to have it finally done. Then EVERYBODY can come visit and stay in the elephant room! Well, I suppose I should get back to studying. Two more tests next week then finals!

Happy Anniversary!

Our first anniversary was amazing :) I woke up to a few strategically placed, sweet gifts around the house with "Happy Anniversary" written on them. Included was a huge stack of printer paper (I've been printing A LOT of notes lately) since it is the paper anniversary. We got all dolled up and had a wonderfully romantic dinner at a nice restaurant. The Denver Broncos football team was there. After a wonderful dinner the waitress brought us a huge AMAZING piece of strawberry cheesecake and wished us happy anniversary, then several other staff came to do the same. It was so sweet to see the way Matthew responded when people asked how the first year went. I always feel so loved and cherished when I'm with him, and it was wonderful to have a night to celebrate us. The first year has been incredibly wonderful, and I can't wait for many more. I don't know how I got so lucky to have a guy who takes such good care of me, but also respects me, believes in me and supports me. I'm not sure I could be doing what I'm doing without him, or at least I'm glad I don't have to. This year has felt so natural, I can't imagine my life without him in it. I feel incredibly cheesy and hopelessly romantic writing this, but it is just so wonderful to be married to such an amazing man, who I can trust and love with all my being without any reservations. Tomorrow we go home for the wedding, and I get to see a lot of the family again. I am so lucky to have such amazing extended family. A couple girls in my class were talking about their in-laws who they don't much care for, and I felt so incredibly blessed to have the amazing in-laws that I do. Not only do I care for them, but I love them dearly. Oh, and I just found out I received an A on an INSANE paper I wrote a couple of weeks ago! Today, I feel like the most blessed person in the world :)

I'm a genius

Half way through the first term and I'm acing tests left and right! And now it's time for a beautiful 3 day weekend :) I spent most of my time this week studying for my test this afternoon so I need to catch up on some other things, but I think it will be okay. I'll be great to see the family next weekend, even though it'll be a really quick trip. Hopefully I'll get to see Mandi sometime soon too, I get to see Lysha and the kids when I'm home :) Sounds like they are growing really fast. Oh! And I just remembered I get to go dress shopping this weekend! That'll be fun.

I was planning on doing the Denver marathon in October, but I am so worn out lately I'm thinking of doing the half marathon and focusing on my speed. I'm hoping to finish in two hours. I feel kind of lame, but I figured I did one marathon this year already, so a half should be okay :) Then maybe I'll do the Colfax marathon next year. It's mid-May I think...

Anyway...just thought I'd check in :)