Sunday, February 26, 2012

Freshman Year

All my life I dreamed of going to BYU for college. In fact, I was so set on going there that I didn't even apply anywhere else before I graduated from high school. Thank goodness I got in. Everything went according to my plan. I was living with a friend from high school and I had an All-Sports Pass, what more could I ask for?

What I had not anticipated was my homesickness. I had no idea how much I would miss my family. The summer before I went to college my little sister, Krista, and I spent almost every waking minute together. We worked all day together and hung out all night. She was my best friend and I didn't realize how much I had come to rely on her companionship.

My bright dream of going to BYU was dimmed by my feeling of loneliness about being away from my family. I hated the idea of missing things, even little things like everyone getting together for dinner. My nieces were growing up so fast and I was missing all the cute things they were doing.

Not only was I feeling lonely away from my family, but it is easy to feel alone and insignificant when there are so many talented, smart, pretty girls at BYU. Everyone was Laurel President, sang in high school and graduated with honors.

Because of these things, my freshman year was not everything I had hoped it would be. I did well in school, I had a job and supported myself. I became best friends with two of the best people I know, my roommates, and I learned so much from them. I also learned a lot about myself. I learned how important family is to me. I learned the things that I need to do to keep myself happy. I learned how to go to college and live on my own. And lastly, I learned how to love what I had chosen for myself. Even though I was away from my family, I was still doing a lot of fun and important things that I wanted to do. I wanted to be at BYU and experiencing college and going to football games and staying up all hours of the night and crying about boys and stressing about classes.

That's what college is all about. Learning and growing. So, I'd say my freshman year was successful.

31 Years....Almost

Peter and I went to the temple on Friday night to do sealings. One of the couples who was in the room with us told the group that they had been sealed in that very room 31 years ago. Just a couple minutes later, the sealer asked Peter and I how long we had been married. I almost said, "31 years, too!", but instead I told them the real time of a year and half.

I should have said 31 years as we were teased the rest of the night for being newlyweds.

The sealer asked my permission to have Peter leave my side for a few minutes. I told him I thought I would be ok. He only had Peter away from me for about 10 minutes and then had him come sit by me again because "I needed him".

We had a good laugh. I wonder when we'll get past the newlywed stage.

Clinical Week

Every other week I have two days of clinical in a row. Here's how it usually goes.


Monday
3:30- go get my patient information 
6:00- eat dinner 
7:00- pre work
9:30- 15 minute FHE and bed


Tuesday
4:15- wake up and get ready
5:00- leave for clinical
6:30-clinical 
3:30- head home
5:00- dinner
6:00- try to do homework, but really veg because my brain is gone
8:00- bed


Wednesday
Repeat
Plus add in trying to get my quizzes done for Thursday


It is insane! And exhausting! But, it is great to actually be doing things to help patients and see your interventions making a difference in their progress, so I'll take the long hours and no sleep. 


And the best news is: I'm almost half way through the semester and spring break is in 2 weeks!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

McCall Winter Carnival 2012

We went up to the Winter Carnival in McCall, Idaho with Peter's sister Jessica and her family the last weekend in January. One of the main attractions of the Carnival, besides the beer, of course, is that a lot of the businesses make snow sculptures. Some of them are really amazing. We had a good time going around and guessing which ones would win prizes even though none of us were very close at all to what the judges thought.



 These dinosaurs were incredible and so huge. They won the grand prize.
Buzz won "Most Photogenic". I think he should have gotten something better.

We also had a lot of fun just hanging out with the Bairds. We played a lot of games and went sledding a few times, too. Carolyn really loved the sledding, Megan liked it as long as she wasn't cold and Sarah just liked being there, watching the action from the sideline. Here are a couple funny videos we got.

 Another highlight is the Pancake House where they give you absurd amounts of awesome food. We had to get a plate sized pancake, but the crepes were the best!


I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of Jessica and baby Paul, but they were there, too! Better luck next year, I guess. We are excited to keep this tradition going!

The time I got called to be Primary President

This is going to be a long post because I want to remember the details of this experience, but I hope it will be fairly entertaining, as well.


One day, on the way back from Stake Conference, Peter and I were talking about how the ward we live in is such a great ward to get leadership experience in and how there are so many people to learn from, mostly referring to Peter because I was planning on teaching my Primary class until we moved. Coincidentally, the Primary President in our ward had just got called to the Stake Young Women's Presidency during this conference. Cindy and I have become great friends and I tell her she is my mom in the ward because I still need one. I had told her how sad I was that she wasn't going to be in Primary anymore and then went on my merry way.


Wednesday, Peter got a phone call from the first counselor in our bishopric, asking him to speak. I had a great time laughing at him that he had to speak and I didn't. Little did I know that he would soon be the one laughing.... And much harder.


Thursday, our Bishop called on Peter's phone and asked to talk to me. He asked if he could come over. While we waited for him to come over, I was telling Peter that there was no way that he was calling me to the Primary President and that being a counselor wouldn't be so bad, that I felt like I could handle that, etc. I was pacing the whole time and had butterflies like I do when I'm watching the end of a close BYU vs. Utah game.
The Bishop came over and after a few minutes of small talk that I have absolutely no recollection of due to my nerves, he laid it all down. He asked me to be the Primary President. He then proceeded to tell me everything that I would be in charge of. As the list kept going on, Cub Scouts, Activity Days, the Primary Program, a ward activity, managing teachers old enough to be my parents and grandparents, handling the mutiny-YES MUTINY, I had to fight back the tears. 


Peter kept trying to make jokes about how funny it was that this was seriously happening by throwing in references to my age-I am only 21 people!, and how I am just a little busy with nursing school-thank goodness I quit my job! I was laughing, perhaps mostly out of nervousness and overwhelm for what was taking place or because Peter thought he was being super hilarious, but our Bishop did not find any of this humorous.


When I told my mom, looking to her for some sympathy, she said that I should be grateful that it wasn't Young Women's because that is a lot more time. I told her that yes, I was grateful, especially since I am only 3 years older than some of the girls!


In all seriousness, after 3 1/2 months of experience, it really hasn't been that bad. Some Sundays, like today, I come home with my brain feeling like I have been studying for 10 hrs straight and my body feeling like I have just run 10 miles, but I really do love the kids. I have always heard that when you get a calling, your love for the people you serve is so natural and full, but I had never experienced it until now. I have been humbled many times as I make mistakes, forget things, and plan the occasional sharing time that goes horribly. But I have also learned a lot. To delegate (I'm still working on that one), to trust in myself and my abilities, but mostly that I really can do hard things. And I can do them well.




Two funny events from today: 
After shushing a Sunbeam multiple times while I was teaching sharing time as he made really loud noises with his tongue, he said to me, "Why are you being so naughty with me today?" I guess I need to be more compassionate with my shushing.
After church one of the teachers came up to me and said she had a funny story to tell me. Someone had asked her who the Primary President was because she had no idea who I was (I have been in Primary since week 3 of being in the ward). This teacher told her that I was the one who looked like one of the kids. Nice....

BYU Football

Peter and I got season tickets to BYU football games this year and it was so fun to go. We were a little high up, but we still had a great time. We sat by Spencer and Amy or my mom and dad when they had extra room by them.
 Lyla with her best friend, Peeta!
We had to get hot chocolate in the cute BYU mugs the last game!
Somehow, I managed to not get one picture of Peter and me together... I promise we were both there!