Goodbye and Hello

After weeks of applying to multiple positions and COUNTLESS interviews, I am happy to report that I finally got a job! I will be working at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) in San Antonio as their full time Speech Pathologist. I am working with a traveling company so it is only a 9 month contract. Which is PERFECT! Because it allows be to finish my clinical fellowship to become completely certified AND it gives me a chance to decide whether or not I enjoy working in that setting. I like the freedom :)

I've never even BEEN to Texas before but I feel really good about this opportunity. Luckily, my aunt and uncle (Elaine and David) live in San Antonio and are allowing me to stay with them for a bit until i find another situation. Everything is just working out! Hopefully it stays that way ;)


After, I received the news that I got the job, I started packing and planning my trip to Texas. My car wouldn't make it to Texas so my little sister Samantha came and took the car with her to Idaho.It was fun spending a few days with Samantha before I left. Love that little sister of mine! After lots of changing plans, I bought a plane ticket and left two days later to visit my family in Ohio. Luckily, before I came to Ohio I was able to say some goodbyes to friends before I left. I have enjoyed my time in Utah SO MUCH! I have learned and grown so much since I moved there almost three years ago. It was a bittersweet goodbye. Although, I am excited to start this new portion of my life, I am going to miss my friends in Utah. I told all of them they should come visit me...AND I MEAN IT!

Coming to visit my family in Ohio before I head out to Texas has been the BEST decision! I love  being home. Its the first time in a long time that I feel truly at home since I graduated from high school. Ive spent most of my time with Katrina and her children. Carson, Grace, and Noelle. They are just the cutest! We have gone to multiple water parks, picked strawberries at a fruit farm, went to Youngs Dairy, and hiked at nature parks. We also went to Canada for a few days which if you know me is a BIG DEAL! My parents have a cabin on Echo Lake and growing up we went there every summer. It is our "happy Place". It is the one place where the outside world doesn't exist. There is NO cell service or Internet. We get a few Canadian channels on our TV but mostly we just spend time outdoors fishing, swimming, and going on walks. And  then at night we play games and watch movies. I have so many memories sitting on our dock listening to music with my feet in the water, or sitting all cozy in my bed reading books while it rains. I love that little cabin! SO yeah, after not visiting in three years, it was a treat to go back with my family. AND we made sure to stop at our favorite sights on the drive up there. Like Mackinaw City and Tony's restaurant....because it wouldn't be the same of we hadn't ;)

Another cool thing about being home is that I got to be here for my niece Grace's 2nd birthday! She is just adorable! She kept walking around yelling "Happy Cupcake" in her squeaky voice. We did simple activities that day like going to a pet store and playing with puppies and we went to Dairy Queen for lunch. She is at the fun age where she is curious about everything and she LOVES princesses. Everyday when she gets ready she always says "princess" and twirls in a circle. It melts my heart!

Oh I also bought a car to drive to Texas. Its the first car that I actually own myself so it's kind of a big deal. Its not a brand new car but its new to me. It was really important to me that I was able to find a car that I could pay cash for because I don't want to have to bother with a car payment when I have school loans to pay back. My "new" car is a 2008 Ford Focus and I love it :)

Ive also loved getting to see and spend time with my cousin Arielle and my high school/college friend Stephanie Walker.

Today is my last day in Ohio and I already know I am going to miss all the hugs and cuddles I get from my nieces and nephew. There is just something about kids...they make everything okay. I'm also going to miss my girl time with Katrina. Painting nails, watching chick flicks, eating ice cream talking about books and "the good old days". I love spending time with my twin...she is my best friend! And she is so crafty!!! She made me a shirt with her silhouette machine and helped me make a craft gift.

My time in Ohio has been good to me! And now tomorrow I start my journey to a new portion of my life. It sounds so daunting! And I admit it is a little daunting, but really exciting! :) I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

When did Grad School become a memory?

I've had a lot of extra time recently since I finished both of my externships in Ogden. You'd think it would be fun to have all this "extra" time, but after two years of non-stop craziness, I have a hard time keeping my sanity. I've done a lot of job searching lately. Ive been applying pretty much all over the west and a couple places back east. Ive tried doing some soul searching too...that's much harder. I don't know what I want!!! Well I do, I just don't know how to get it...or where to go. :)


Since I've had free time, I was able to pick my sister up from the airport and drive her to BYU-Idaho :) We made a day of it. My mom rented us a rental car (my car wont make long distances). The car was SUPER nice. It basically had every new gadget you can think of. We were spoiled :) After I helped Samantha unpack and buy her groceries, we went out for lunch at Costa Vida.

Its hard when most of my friends work during the day, but Katherine had a few Fridays off so she and I went on a couple of hikes.
Our first Hike was to Bell Canyon. We got lost a time or two and ended up hiking further than we were supposed to. We went so high that we started walking in snow a couple feet deep. My shoes aren't hiking shoes so I was slipping all over the place! After we found a random hiker, he directed us back down the mountain to the waterfall that we were looking for. :) There was NO snow at the waterfall. Haha

Bell Canyon Reservoir (no filter)

When we started walking in the snow. It only got worse from here...

 I think this was an accidental picture. But I think it looks cool because it shows you how steep the ground was.

At the Waterfall

Our second hike was to "The Living Room". This was a shorter hike that is just behind our speech building on campus. At the top, people have built furniture out of the shale rock and you can sit back and enjoy the view.  We hiked this two days after it snowed. The snow had mostly melted but it made the trail SUPER muddy. At one or two points we had to hold onto brush on the side of the trail to keep from sliding down hill. It made the hike a bit intense. But we laughed through it!

After the hike, we went to "This Is The Place" park and walked around. It's set up like Nauvoo or any other old time city that has people dressed in pioneer clothes. We bought these homemade doughnuts and snacked on them while we walked around the park. We didn't realize it cost money until we noticed a few people wearing wrist bands. We asked a local worker if it cost money to walk through the park and go inside the buildings and she looked at us like we were crazy. Once we realized we were supposed to pay to look at the rest of the buildings we left. We are poor college students. We don't have time/money for that :)

 Sitting back and enjoying the view.

The beginning of the trail...doesn't look so bad down here.

Mary and Colton also came to Utah to go on a hike. We planned on hiking to Secret Lake but the trail was closed because there was too much snow. Which was funny because this was BEFORE it snowed in Utah. That just shows you how high in the mountains we are at the moment. We ended up driving back down the mountain and we hiked Ensign Peak instead..

At the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon (where the secret lake trail begins)

 

See...NO SNOW! At the top of Ensign Peak.

Now before you think that I hike all the time, therefore I'm an expert. Just know that that isn't the case. I'm actually a SUPER slow hiker. I like to go at my own pace and enjoy the nature around me. My breathing gets really heavy in higher altitudes so I take quite a few breaks. But I love it! The view is always worth it!

I also went to Provo a week or two later for Colton's Graduation. After the graduation, we celebrated with Colton's family and I got to play with his mother's puppy!

A few Sundays ago, there was a CES fireside featuring Lynn G. Robbins of the seventy. It was broadcast on temple square. My roommate and I sat in the very front! The Logan Institute Choir sang. And they were amazing. Like always. :)

Speaking of graduating...I GRADUATED!!! On Friday May 8, I received my Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. My parents, sisters, nieces (Grace and Noelle) and my nephew Carson came to visit for the graduation. They were only here for two days but I loved having them here!

 Mary and Colton joined us on Thursday. I loved being surrounded by family.

Families are Forever!

My dad and I picking up our pizza at THE PIE :) I had to make sure they got the "Salt Lake" experience.

Grace and I bright and early at 5 am. Sam and I spent the night with  the family at the hotel so I could help drive them to the airport the next morning.

 Noelle and I matched during our hike of Ensign Peak

My dad with Carson and Gracie

 I got some pretty nice graduation gifts from my parents and siblings. I hadn't expected anything so that was super nice. My favorite gift was this quilt that my sister Katrina made for me!!! She said she picked each fabric thinking of me and I love it. Roses, Book, and Pearls...my kind of quilt!

Also, Ive been sick the past couple days so it has kept me nice and cozy :)

After my "Ohio Family" left, Samantha and I drove up to Logan for my friend Julie's Wedding Reception. The weekend before I was able to make it to her bridal shower. I feel so blessed to have known her. Who would have thought that 6 months ago we were both single and headed on our road trip to Nauvoo? Crazy how fast Love happens. :)

The bride and I

Liz, Me, Julie, and Julie's Man (Monte)

Here are a few pictures of my Graduate School Experience! :) Memorabilia of sorts...

A sign hanging up in the Clinic :)

Outside our speech clinic in the fall. The leaves were so pretty!

Selfies taken in the clinic while I avoided studying/writing SOAP notes :)

Kassi and Katherine. My study buddies since the very first semester.

I met Katherine the very first day of class. She and I were both late to our very first class. We sat in the back together. (The one and ONLY time I sat in the back of the class)

I met Kassi a few days later when she put together a study group that would be meeting on Labor Day.(You start out pretty dedicated at the beginning)

Best Study Buddie ever since!

Studying at Kassi's cute home

Last July, Katherine and I went to the Pioneer Day Parade

The University of Utah...That's our school!

Kassi, Kitara, and Katherine at our department banquet last year

 

Story of my life.

The therapy team threw me a going away party my last day of the externship at the Rehab site :)

Studying, studying, studying

Graduation Pictures

 Me waiting to walk into the Huntsman Center with my classmates. We were all so jittery and excited.

 My hood and my diploma. I did it!

My parents have been the BEST support throughout my time in Graduate school. I couldn't have done it without them. 

Some of my friends in the program. Once classmates, now colleagues. :) We are all officially Speech Language Pathologists!