What a Difference a Year Makes!!!

This morning, which happens to be Christmas Eve, I'm sitting on my couch under a warm cozy blanket sipping my tea and watching Zoey sleep beside me. As I wait for my husband to get home from his 1/2 day of work I got to thinking about how much has happened and how my life has changed in the past year. Last year at Christmas, if you can recall from the blog I wrote, I was very depressed. I had to work all through Christmas so did not get a holiday at all. I was able to see my family the week before, but it just wasn't the same. Steve was a sweetheart and came into work with me to keep me company, and Sue was a wonderful friend inviting us to Christmas dinner, but all the same it didn't feel like Christmas to me. I won't recap everything because you can go back and read it, but what I really want to focus on is everything God has blessed me with in the past year.

This Christmas paints a very different picture than last year. Steve and I are living in Texas, where I don't think either of us ever expected to live if you would have asked us a few years ago, but we absolutely love it here! It is weird not having snow but our "winter" here is like fall is up North which is our favorite season, so we are loving the weather! The people are super nice here too. Steve is doing a phenomenal job balancing both work and school (and excelling at both!) and still finding time to hang out with me and play his beloved video games :) I just finished my first semester as a clinical pathology resident and I can't even put into words how much I love my job - I actually sort of miss it now that I am on break for Christmas! I don't think I have ever worked for such wonderful and compassionate people, and Karen, Mark and Mary are such incredible clinical pathologists too! They are not just my bosses but are quickly becoming my friends. One of them (Mark) even plays World of Warcraft with Steve and I, which is loads of fun :) They are happy with my progress thus far which is so great, and I am gaining confidence so quickly with reading cytology - I have never been so sure in my life that I am definitely in the right profession! :) I enjoy teaching the vet students too - I even gave a lecture to the second year vet class (about 120 students)! I was really nervous at first but once I started lecturing I was totally comfortable. I hope my enthusiasm rubs off on some of them and maybe sparks an interest in clinical pathology, like Dr. Jenny Thomas at MSU did for me. My resident-mates are awesome too, they are so nice and were so helpful to me this past semester! I hope to be as wonderful to the new resident coming next year (Congrats again Jessica! :) ) as they have been to me. Thank you Gwen and Kathrin! I also am fortunate to be able to work with the anatomic pathology residents pretty regularly, and all of them are great people and super helpful to us clin path folk ;)

Another difference between last year and this one is Steve and I are off until January 5th which gives us time to visit both my family and his for the holidays! Classes don't start up again until mid-January, so I really have time to thoroughly enjoy the holiday and not worry about studying. I miss my family a lot and it is nice to be in an environment where I am able to travel and see them more often. I also can't wait to see Steve's family and hopefully Sue to when we are in Michigan :)

As you all know, Steve and I have also become homeowners this year. It is even better than we ever expected, we love our house as do the pets! In the process of buying things for our house, we discovered RockBand. For those of you who don't play it, it is a video game similar to Guitar Hero, and you can play guitar, bass, drums, or sing. I caught onto the drums super fast since I have played a set before, and Steve the guitar. This game is such a blast and is an awesome game to play on study breaks. We have even formed a few "bands" that go on tour - one is just Steve and I ("The Texas Transplants"), a second is with my sister-in-law Andrea ("Coke Zero"), and we have a third band with our friends Bud and Cat ("Sparty On"). It's one of those games you can play for hours on end and it never gets old. I always wanted to play the drums and now I can lol :)

Last but definitely not least, I feel much healthier than I did last year! I am almost 50 pounds lighter than one year ago and have completely changed my eating habits, thanks to Weight Watchers. I never realized until I started WW last March that so many things that I thought were "healthy" actually weren't! I have learned how to make good choices and love experimenting with recipes to make very tasty but low point dishes :) I actually tried on a dress I wore to a winter formal in high school last weekend and it actually fit for the first time since 11th grade lol. That made my weekend :) Steve has been successful with the program too, and for the most part we have been doing it together as a team. It feels great to be healthy, and if I can do it anyone can lol :)

Since this blog is getting really long, I'll wrap things up. At this time last year, I never thought I could feel this happy and fulfilled in life only a year later. So to God, my husband, family and friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything - I don't know what I would do without you :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!

Quick Update

I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in awhile, things have been very busy for me lately! Texas weather is slowly starting to cool down a bit - it has been in the 80's steadily instead of the 90's! I'm looking foward to 70's weather - that will be perfect :) The residency is GREAT still, I love it. My first semester has been crazy busy, but I am really enjoying it and the clinical pathologists think I am doing an outstanding job which makes me VERY happy. Getting compliments from my superiors is very very nice :) It's funny how I am a better clinical pathologist after 3 and 1/2 months than I was a small animal vet after 2 years! I have truly found my niche and am so grateful for that! The people I work with are wonderful and we have a lot of fun :) Steve is doing well too! He also has been complimented a lot at is job and is doing very well in school too! He actually is taking a class about video games this semester which I'm sure he will love and breeze right through :)
I have officially joined TAMU's Women's Ice Hockey team. It is a lot of fun. Here is a picture of me in all my gear - unfortunately the only picture I have is after practice so I am all sweaty and look like crap lol. I'll post more pictures once we start having actual games!
The pets are very happy in Texas also - the picture is of Aslan and Zoey lounging on the new couch :)
Back to work for me - hope everyone is well! :)

I Wish God Could Explain......

This week is my first week teaching hematology to the 4th year vet students by myself. But before this week, I had the pleasure of sitting in on 2 other rotations (to see how the other residents teach) and getting to know the students. One student in particular really stood out to me, not only because she was really bright and worked hard, but because she had such a vibrant and positive personality, one that could light up a room. Her name was Cassandra, and she was killed in a car accident this past Sunday night. When I found out about it I was numb. I remember having a conversation with her not even 2 weeks ago about the veterinary board exams, jobs, etc. I can't even describe the range of emotions I have felt since I found out about her accident yesterday morning. Growing up I was always taught that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and that sometimes it is hard to understand, but not only do I not understand it, it makes me so angry and really tests my faith. I hate how much pain and suffering happens to people in this life, and I hate it even more when wonderful young people are taken from us. Cassandra had so much love for the veterinary profession and so much drive to pursue her dream. She was so close to earning her DVM and had so much life ahead of her. My heart is breaking for her fiance, her family, and her friends, some of which are my current students. Please keep them in your prayers during this extremely difficult time.
It is times like these that really make me take a long look at my life and focus on what is really important. Don't focus on petty crap, it doesn't matter. Take pleasure in the small things - a smile, conversation with a friend, a hug or kiss from those you love the most, your cat purring in your lap. Cherish every moment you have because life can be taken from you in an instant. Always forgive, and love with your whole heart and soul.

I Never Thought This Day Would Come......

This is going to sound crazy but for once in my life I am truly HAPPY to go into work every day, and as a result am slowly turning into more of a morning person. There are no doubts, nerves, or "ugh I wish I could just stay in bed" feelings , NONE. Even though I've only been there two weeks now I truly LOVE my clinical pathology residency. I have been crazy busy trying to study all the topics I am going to have to start teaching in a couple weeks but I love every minute of it. And not only have I found something that I love, but I dare say something that I actually have true potential at being good at! In the past few weeks I correctly diagnosed (some were current cases others old cases that have since become teaching files ) things such as a melanoma from a dog's toe, an osteosarcoma (bone tumor) from a dog's shoulder blade, a squamous cell carcinoma in a horse's belly fluid (which is REALLY RARE - the tumor was actually in the horse's stomach but it seeded into the abdomen), a couple of mast cell tumors, and a few fungal infections. That is just some but I have so much fun doing it - it's like every slide is a mystery that I get to try and solve. I am fully aware that I probably sound like a total geek at the moment but I am so excited and happy about my residency. I know with 100% certainty that God has led my husband and I to the right place. Steve is doing phenomenally well in school and his job is going great as well, I am so proud of him :) Well back to a weekend of studying and then comes Monday that I actually look forward to now! Wow, God is good :)

WOOOHOOO!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to my Detroit Red Wings, the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup CHAMPIONS!!!!!! WOOOHOOO the cup is HOME in HOCKEYTOWN where it belongs :) What a tough series but the boys pulled through!!!!!! YAH!!!!!

In other news Steve and I are getting settled in Texas - almost all the boxes are unpacked and Steve has started both his job and school. I start my residency July 1st so currently I'm keeping the house clean, running errands, relaxing, and reading clin path textbooks. The weather is HOT so we mostly are staying indoors for the summer! We are REALLY happy here - everyone is so welcoming and friendly, and I know in my heart that we are in the right place :) We really love our house (pictures will come very soon I promise) and so do the pets - the cats settled in really quickly as did the bunnies. The bunnies are right by the kitchen window which extends down almost to the floor so they are getting a lot of natural light and seem to be happier than they have ever been before! The cats are constantly exploring when they aren't sleeping :) Zoey has been getting into everything so we have recently nicknamed her "Trouble" :) Steve's job and school are both going really well and I am really looking forward to starting my residency. Everyone I will be working with is awesome - a GREAT group of people :)

Well off to bed, and once again I must say YAAAH WINGS!!!!!! :) :) :)

I'm Done!!!!

Last weekend was my last day as a small animal vet! Now I am lucky enough to be on "vacation" until July 1st! Then I start my clin path residency, and I'm soo excited. I'll be keeping myself busy studying and doing a ton of cleaning and packing. I'm most looking forward to going out to Oregon to see Wes! Less than 4 weeks to go!

Steve and I are now officially homeowners! We closed on our house early last week and we're really excited. We love our house. Also, Steve was accepted into an online degree program where he will be able to get a bachelors degree in video game design. He starts classes at the end of May, right after our move to Texas, and starts his job at Reynolds and Reynolds June 2nd. So he'll definitely be keeping busy. Fortunately I'll have some time to set up house and learn my way around College Station considering I have absolutely NO sense of direction whatsoever lol.

In other news, I am LOVING Weight Watchers. I've lost 13 pounds now! I have approximately 32 to go, so hopefully I'll continue to be successful.

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

So it appears that my life is truly changing for the better.

Texas:
Steve and I found a house in Texas that is really a perfect first home for us, the kitties and the bunnies :) It is a brand new home, newly built, and comes with stainless steel appliances! It is a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house, 1638 square feet with a fenced in backyard, fireplace, and huge garage. We love it! I'll post pictures soon!
Also I have had two opportunities to spend time with everyone I will be working with at Texas A&M - both my bosses and my fellow residents, and everyone is absolutely wonderful. It is a very laid back and friendly group of people and the clinical pathologists genuinely care about their residents. I am really looking forward to the next 3 years and learning as much as I can. I have already started reading clinical pathology textbooks (there are about 12 or so that I have to read that are going to be on my board exams at the end) and I love what I am learning, I really enjoy it!
Other GREAT news is that Steve also has gotten a job in Texas! He will be working for a company called Reynolds and Reynolds and he will be doing graphic design for them :) He starts his job in the beginning of June, I start my residency July 1st. We are moving towards the end of May and are very fortunate to have my parents, Steve's Dad and my Uncle Tommy helping us with the move. We are so excited to start this new phase in our life! We will keep you all updated.....:)

Work:
My boss at the clinic has selflessly given me the opportunity to leave the clinic sooner than the end of April if I so choose, and I have decided to take her up on the offer. It is really kind of her and the other doctors to have allowed me this opportunity, and now my last day as a small animal practitioner will be Saturday April 12th (instead of the 26th). This has taken a HUGE load off of my shoulders because there is just SO much to do between now and when we move to Texas and in addition my head and heart just aren't in it anymore - I am grateful for everything I have learned in clinical practice and the friendships I have made (especially Sue, I love her dearly and she will be my friend always), but I am ready to move on with my career. Having the end in sight only 2 weeks from Saturday has really made me feel much relief and happiness.

Self:
I have made a couple of personal advancements recently as well. The most significant has been joining Weight Watchers - I just couldn't deal with being overweight anymore, not only for self confidence reasons but for health reasons, especially having diabetes and heart disease in my family. Today marks the 2 week mark and I have already lost 7 pounds and made significant lifestyle changes. I feel like I am in control of myself more than I ever have been and I feel better in general. This sort of leads to the second thing - I have started reading a book called Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins that my sister-in-law Andrea gave to me - it is a book that helps you to take control of your life - physically, emotionally, and financially. The last 2 years in Midland have been an emotional roller-coaster for me and there were so many times I felt so lost and out of control. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without the support from Steve, my family and friends. Although I have only started this book, I hope it gives me some good pointers about dealing with any future stresses that may come along.

Friends, etc:
I am really looking forward to having half of April and all of May and June off - not only to have the time to pack, move, and settle in a new place but also to have the flexibility to spend time with family and friends that I haven't had for a long time. I can't wait to be able to spend a ton of quality time with Steve when I'm finally not stressed out all of the time! Also I hope to spend as much time with Sue as I can before I move, I will miss her most of all when I leave. Also we are going out to visit Wes in Oregon for a week in May before we move and I can't wait!!! We are sooo excited to see him and have some fun in Portland where we have never been before! I'm also looking forward to spending some quality time with both mine and Steve's families.

Steve and I are testing for our Green Stripe in Taekwondo in a couple weeks! Next step is green belt which is half way to black belt! Yay!

So in a little over 2 weeks comes vacation, lots of good times with family and friends, a huge move to Texas, and I'm on my way to becoming a specialist! Thank you God :)