Pumpkins

The Halloween decorations and ideas I've seen this year have been darling.  But, let's be honest...I don't have time nor the home to go crazy with Pinterest projects.  It's such a fun time of year for the kids, but we're short a few of those around here.  I did decide this year that I wanted to carve pumpkins.  I don't remember really doing this as a kid....my mom assures me it happened, but that I didn't care too much about the yucky part of the carving.  Makes sense.  Regardless, I think it's something you need to do at least once. It turned out to be a really soothing Thursday evening at our apartment.  

 The final product:

I had some motivation to get this done, because I wanted to try a cinnamon sugar recipe for the seeds.  They turned out pretty tasty, but what isn't edible when it's coated in those two ingredients?

Disclaimer: I had more than a few people tell me that we were carving too early.  I kinda laughed it off, thinking they would survive.  Boy, I was wrong.  Mine definitely started collapsing by the second day.  Tonight, when I tried to lift on one of the lids, I was greeted by some really weird white mold.  Yick. We didn't want to wait, but I've heard that coating them in vasoline or sprinkling those silicone packet pellets helps the slow down the decay. 

At least the seeds are safe in tupperware :)

TOUGH MUDDER 2011

12 miles

29 obstacles
Team of 5

People I know crazy enough to do this
Tyler Graham, Mike Gomez, Me, Juanita Britton, Summer Tarver

This was one of the most intense days of my life.  About a week before the race, the creators changed it from 10 miles to 12.  I took that news very hard and wondered how that was going to be possible.  I was worried about my knee and the fact that I've never run more than 7-8 on my own.  But, I'm here to tell you that after about 5 hours....we finished.  Here's a few pictures for proof:

ice mud bath. not enjoyable.

12 foot army walls with NO ropes

despair

teammates for life - from tennis to mud

absolutely my favorite picture of the day

"The Shocker" - Mikey is always a gentleman ha.

If  you are thinking you might do this someday, I would recommend it.  I would recommend a small team like this, a few friends to take pictures of you (hugest thanks to Paige and Russ for being our photographers and cheerleaders), and some pretty good training.

1. I was jealous of those who wore camelbacks.  We were soooo thirsty.

2. You will never get "rinsed off".  It's just mud, sludge, muddy water or more mud.  Put that in your mind.  I didn't.

3. I never thought about the running.  That was the easy part.

4. There is no shame to skip an obstacle if  your gut tells you that you will surely hurt yourself.

5. You WILL fall. I would have felt better taping my ankles.  Got lucky.

6. Wear clothes that are 2 sizes too small so they don't stretch off.

7. Eat a big breakfast. BIG.

Finally, I think once is enough.  Please don't ask me to join you in 2012, because I think I'll still be rinsing the mud out of my ears and using icy hot.  

Thanks for a great day, team.  "Mo Muddy, Mo Problems!"

i neglected my blog

Somehow, I'm on rotation #3!  The days are going by so slowly, but the weeks are flying!  Here's a recap:

1. Completed retail pharmacy down off Lamar in Austin....independent pharmacy is better than corporate, but it's still not my niche.  It's a bizarre feeling being the final check on prescriptions.  And, South Austin patients are more loony than you can ever imagine.
2. Headed to Temple, TX and completed Ambulatory Care.  This was FUN!  I provided 30 minute appointments with patients who were monitoring their diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.  Diabetes is terrible....take care of  yourself!
3. Currently working at the Central Texas Poison Center in Temple!  Bet you didn't know that when you call the poison number, you get a real-life pharmacist to talk you through the situation!  People do strange things, scary things, and some things that I still can't explain.  Enjoying it...especially the 4 day work week!  

you should memorize this number...you never know

So...that explains my lack of blogging.  I feel like I'm on a road trip everyday.  In a blink of an eye, I'll be back at home working in Arlington through December.  

I've been battling some knee problems and painfully taken some time off of running.  I am hoping it is well rested for this Saturday....because it's time to go run 12 miles and battle 29 obstacles in the 'toughest event on the planet'.  TOUGH MUDDER 2011 here we come!!!  I've got a really random, fun team of 5 who decided it was totally sane to enter this event.  I'm a so thrilled to be running with my ex-teammate, Summer Leigh Tarver.  She's known me since I was about 10, so you can only imagine us trying to pretend we are still college athletes. My dad is coming into town and will be watching, along with the dynamic duo of Paige Schmidt and Russ Guild. I have a parent and two emergency trained personnel ready to provide aid :)  The shirts I made came in last night:

Expect a post soon when I recover!

Have great weekend!

making time

Now that I'm a member of the working world again, I remember how exciting it is to look forward to the weekends.  I also know that what you carve out time for becomes much more special than when your calendar is wide open.  That being said, I am so excited for the weekend ahead!!

It's time to celebrate Julia and Baby Perry!!!  I'm writing in PINK for her.  She will probably make her big arrival sometime in late August and we can't wait to meet her.  It's time to steal the mom-to-be away for one last time and have a relaxing girls weekend with the gang!  I would fill you in on the plans, but it's a surprise.


In honor of our reunion, I thought I'd post a few quick pics of our past...hard to believe I met these crazies all the way back in 2002.

Can't wait to see you!!

good news x 2

I have good news.  Before I tell you, here's a rather boring discussion of my Pharmacy Monday:

Today was a bit of a long day after the lazy and blissful summer schedule I've been keeping.  Woke up at 6:30, then drove to school at 8 for an all day orientation for rotations.  We stayed until 4 and part of the day consisted of actual clinical reviewing.  I know, I know, it's like I actually signed up for pharmacy school or something.  It was all fun and games with paperwork until they had to start throwing around calculations and dosing and 'of course you remembers'.  By the looks of my 30 classmates in that room, you would have thought we had just taken the state board test we were so tired.  I will say, that I finally felt like this was what pharmacy school should be!  We don't have much of a clue of how our year will look, but we do know that 7 different healthcare sites are going to teach us a LOT about pharmacy.  I know that a week from today, things will get real.  I don't quite remember the last time I stood on my feet for a full 8 hour (maybe 12) work day, counted pills that don't include my own vitamins, talked to real patients, or even drove in rush-hour on purpose.  I'll take all the prayers and well-wishes out there as I start this new chapter.  So excited!

During the course of the day, I found out GOOD NEWS #1:

        I will be spending Nov.7 - Dec. 16 at a wonderful pharmacy in Arlington!!  Some of you know that this has been a 6 month process of creating my own rotation outside my assigned region.  I am thrilled!  Mostly, because this little place is doing great things in the world of Long Term Care Pharmacy, and somehow I was lucky enough to be introduced to this opportunity.  Thanks to those of you who prayed about this for me and always wanted updates!  And yes, I said Arlington.  That means hello, parents' house!  Hello, DFW! And hello to a great workplace.  See you really soon!

I came home to some snail mail that introduced GOOD NEWS #2:
       I do NOT have any food allergies!   I've spent about 2 years avoiding eggs and a few other foods due to some unknown stomach issues.  Even though I don't have all the answers, I do know that I am confident in reintroducing the foods back into my diet since they are not the culprit and I have blood work to prove it.  It sounds silly, but I have missed eggs more than you can imagine.  You know what I'll be eating for breakfast!

I know it's often easier to be thankful when things are going well.  Good news = things going pretty well.  But, at the end of today I got word that a friend of my family had passed away this morning.  He was a sweet man and a good friend to my father.  Others around me have also suffered great losses this month.  I hope that you find comfort in the midst of the grieving.  And I hope that you are thankful that we have a loving Father in Heaven who will make all things new.

Last trip home

My mini-summer is FLYING by!  I went back home for about 9 days, and was in heaven!  I give Aurora, TX, a hard time, but it's high up there on my getaway spots mostly due to my parents.  I really need to take the time to thank them....THANK YOU!  I am happy to be an only child, and they spoil me in their own way, but I know they would do the same for 4 kids if they had them.  I think it was different coming home this go-around because, finally, there are no classes and tests looming.  It's a great feeling.  If I ever have kids, I know now that it takes time to be appreciated for everything that parents do.  Love yall so much!

10 things my parents' home provides without asking:

1. coffee ready and waiting....blissful

2. cold water and a towel ready after you work out

3. laundry accommodations

4. laughter and love*

5. incredibly delicious homemade food (some from the garden)

6. shopping

7. cats to enjoy without feeding or scooping litter box

8. 10pm bedtime willingly (it's already 11 here and i'm still up...why?!?!)

9. time spent with my uncle from dallas

10. antique-ing and snow cones!

*included in this love was 2 cans of mace from the father.  that's another story!

If you ever need to get away....I know a place. call me for reservations.

Also, after a sudden and unexpected passing, I had to say goodbye to my Dell yellow laptop.  I had hoped for 4 years together, but 3 was all allowed.  I still don't know what a 'motherboard' is, but I'm mad that they take it upon themselves to crash.  Doesn't seem very 'mother-like' to me.  In transition, my mom and I decided that it would be fun to sew a laptop case for the new computer. Another DIY adventure.  My mom is not even a huge seamstress, and she made this really cute case out of a quilted pillow sham for 2.99 at Ross.  We looked at patterns on the interweb, but this here beauty came mostly from her ingenuity.  

front

 back

final result....i learned how to sew my first button at 27 :)

with computer

We're not huge picture people in my family, but I managed a few out at my Dad's house that he built.  It's also for sale, if you are in the market for a secluded spot near a golf course with a pond 20 feet out back. (shameless plug).  We had fun fishing during open house, but didn't catch any.

Susie Girl

neat shot of daddy jack fishing

I was also able to sneak in a little Borecki time in Ft. Worth.  I'm telling you, there is nothing better than seeing a friend who knows you best.  Second to that, is watching her 2.5 yr-old grow when you pop in and out of his life.  I am now referred to as La-La Lauren.  Bridge has a huge thing for proper names, but he still uses the nickname and it makes me so happy.  He is so grown-up.  He repeats lots of things, so you have to be super careful.  He still gives huge hugs, does that contagious toddler laugh, is obsessed with any kind of animal, and has an adventurous appetite.  I hope to one day teach the kid the beauty of sleeping in late, and I hate leaving them.  We went to NRH2O....which I haven't frequented since my junior high days on movie nights in the lazy river.  What a trip.  He is a fish and loves everything about the water.  I just love him.  

It's going to be weird having to run home for quick weekends once rotations begin.  But, how could I not manage with the memories like those up there?

See ya soon, DFW.

DIY headband fail

I see crafts all the time that I want to make while I'm studying or busy with school.  When finals ended (all went GREAT and no more school), I decided to try to make a headband that I saw on this tutorial: link to cute headband tutorial

If you look at the site, the headband appears, at least in my mind, to be so cute and wearable.  I blame the tie dye and gray combo for suckering me in.  Still, I somehow conned my mom into helping me scrounge up some t-shirts and join me in the fun....aka help me cut fabric.  Love you, mom.

Here's where I went wrong:

1) did not scroll down to the end of tutorial to see how bad directions were

2) picked terrible colors of t-shirts (i don't even wear red)

3) made my mom work really hard on cutting shirts (i get nervous around sharps)

4) did not stop to think that a 8 strand braid is really wide

In the end, I don't think my mom and I have laughed that hard in a long time.  Here's a play by play of why I should stick to buying crafts, or maybe do better research next time.

my mom studying the directions....she's good at this

laying it all out

still hopeful at this point...

what is this?

yes...they told me to add the extra single braid...too far in to stop now

not what i imagined. at. all.
you should be scared

still nope.

In the end, I recreated the tragedy of a 'headband' into a cat toy.  That's the only creative thing that happened this evening, but I think Zoe the cat loved it.

If anyone has any legit headband ideas, I would love to share in the fun.  My mom may pass on the next one :)

closing the books...

this post is a little premature...BUT i don't care.  

why?  

in 3 days i will be done with my last final....

last class...

last EVERYTHING

 of the 'school' part of pharmacy school.  

can i get an AMEN?!  

you can't imagine the relief that comes with this chapter ending.  

and please know that i'm not yet to the point of saying,

"wow, golly, that time flew by!"

nope.

not yet.

but i'm thankful.

as much as I have struggled,

these past 3 years have been filled with just as much

  

so, that leaves the 'pharmacy' part of pharmacy school.

it's going to be a fun different and interesting year.

i'm excited.

still, it's time to enjoy the present. 

i found this quote and fell in love.

and you know I love being on time... :)

last but not least:

i found a journal entry with 1 Peter 5:7

from the VERY beginning of school here in Austin.

i know that i need to constantly re-learn this no matter what journey i find myself on.

He cares for me....

that means you, too!

image found here

past busy month in 9 pictures

Went to visit Lindsay and Clark in Mckinney!

Decided to enter this in October.  Want to join me??

I've studied so much.  Last semester of books.

went to a hat party looking like this

Saw William Fitzsimmons again with Paige.
He's the bald head, and my camera failed me that night.  His music did not. 

spent more time with these friends

summer is here!

Found out that both my friends, Channing and Julia,
are having girls about a week apart!  I can't contain my excitement!

Ran 6 miles for the first time.  On purpose.