apparently i have to title this before i can express my thoughts

15 books in 15 minutes?? -- there was a post from a friend on facebook about writing down 15 books which have changed your life in some small way or another. i was intrigued. i love to read and i'm sad that i only got to 8 in the first minute or so, because i ran out of steam, being that i haven't read anything for FUN since i started PA school. Two more months and I'm free to begin feasting on the written word! (don't let this make you think I don't spend time in my scriptures. they are the only books I can rationalize spending any time on at all that aren't medical) so sad!
so here it is, I know, who cares really??

1. east of eden, john steinbeck
2. catch 22, ??
3. the brothers karamazov, dostoyevsky (i'm sure thats spelled wrong)
4. ethics and infinity by immanuel kant
5. zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, robert pirsig
6. seven principles for making marriage work, john gottman
7. the book of mormon: another testament of jesus christ
8. catcher in the rye
9. anthem, ayn rand (the one that is written entirely as "we")
10. into thin air (the one about climbing everest)
11. endurance (the story of ernest shackelton and his trip across antarctica)
12. as a man thinketh, james allen
13. his needs, her needs; how to build an affair-proof marriage- ??
14. mere christianity- CS lewis
15. the great divorce - CS lewis (this one will change you!)

family practice? practice for a family?

Moments ago I took a gander at the contents of my blog (which I am using as a journal, i'm so bad at using the paper and pen) and I realized that I've been using this "board" of sorts to complain! Oops.
Well , let me start over. My life is fantastic right now. I have a loving cat purring in my lap this very moment. Hes laying on his back belly up with his paws up by his face, eyes closed. cute. He's a total furball. Randy is on his laptop too and we're watching our evening Dr. Phil episode. This one is about some really backwards dysfunctional family, there to make us all feel better about our own small problems. Something about deceit, drug use, prostitution, and infidelity. Messed up!
I am so grateful for the gospel in my life.
I love the Ensign; I've been reading it recently, filled with the words of modern phophecy- angels are among us. I love the work to which I am assigned right now. I am a Sunday school teacher for the 12-13 year olds right now. I'm back in Relief Society with the beautiful ladies I missed. Now I miss my precious youngwomen. I need to just be happy with where I am I suppose!
Right now I'm 1 week into my family practice rotation. Among the knowledge I'm gaining, I've gained two infected ears, one painful swollen throat, and a runny nose. I'm like a 5 year old. When I get home after "work" (I work for free) all I want to do is be fed and put to sleep. Lucky if someone wants to bathe me first.
I remember an ear ache I had when I was a kid-- sharp pain and crying in the middle of the night, a visit to the ER and them draining out my middle ear after my ear drum perforated. We like to call that kind of red "angry" in the medical field. Well, it feels angry.
Other than my sad little ears though, I have been infinity blessed with my handsome knight in shining armor who has really stepped up and taken care of things this week. I came home to meals prepared, candles lit, and dishes done. Laundry clean.
How impressive! And he's good with MONEY. ha. Who needs money, eh?
In love and ready to improve this year. Marriage gets better all the time!
I highly recommend it.
John boy is engaged - i'm so excited for him.

it's a brand new year

january 2nd already! 2009. i wrote it last night for the first time: 1/1/09.
it is funny that it takes a new year to get me out to ride my bike, out to jog, reading at night, etc. studying for the PANCE. i guess i needed something.
randy and i have had a great month. my last rotation was an elective--one i enjoyed. not only was it more laid back but i was less burdened somehow by the absence of an exam at the end of the 4 weeks. then followed 2 weeks of vacation. glorious sleep. sleep filled the majority of my time off. it almost scares me how much i love to sleep. i arose at roughly 1pm this entire week.
i'm feeling refreshed and ready for something new.
randy and i decided to take a step toward welcoming life into our family.
i wonder what will come of it.
my christmas was different this year. each of my brothers and sisters came into town. we made gingerbread houses and GASP-- we sang. we SANG together. hymns and Christmas songs filled my hearth room surrounding my mother's old piano which she so graciously asked me to "store" in my home. it's been one of the most beneficial additions to my life recently.

gotta go to the store.

home from school home from school

so today randy had an important day. i decided (at about 6:50am) that it would be ever so thoughtful of me to blow off my responsibilities to support him-- you know, lay in bed with him, cuddle, spoon, sleep. then when it was time for him to get ready, I jumped up and offered breakfast. I think he liked it. It wasn't a bif production or anything. I asked if I could make him some oatmeal or something as he was shaving and donning the shirt and tie. He said he wanted toast.

But here I am at home, should be at school listening to a lecture about connective tissue disorders. This was probably a bad day to do this.

HOWEVER...

now I am up, ready for the day, and prepped for studying and making the most of today. Tonight there us a crawfish boil for the allied health school, and it will be Randy's very first crawfish boil. This is exciting! He had his first crawfish a couple weeks ago when we went to this seafood restaurant. They let him peel it himself (just one little guy). I will try to post some pictures later because for those of you who aren't familiar, it's kind of a daring adventure to get an enitre cardboard crate filled to the brim with these mini lobster looking things, then squeeze the tail off and peel it (where theres a tiny little scrumptious piece of meat in there) and eat it. yep. just eat it.

We are excited. because as "southern" as he is, he hasn't quite gotten the CAJUN experience.

On a different note, Wednesday afternoon our amazing PA intramural team the PAralyzers headed up against the 1st year PTs (Kickin' Acetabulum). But just before the game, as I was practicing fielding some balls on the infield, I went down and POP I felt and heard a (now-all-too-familiar-sound) pop. STUPID stupid stupid ME! GOSH I can't stand this GIMP thing. It has been a year and 3 months since that fated day on the field when James Tippets' knee (Randy's old college roommate) and my knee collided. Its over. You know- all the worry free sports play of your whole life. - over. and me, I thought I could play now, without my knee brace. the one with the metal hinge that doesn't let me overextend or twist funny.

GRRR!

The swelling was down alot today. It's a little less stiff.

I'm mad.

randy and i took a much needed break from life a few days ago and went to one of my favorite spots in shreveport- the norton art gallery. the flowers were in full bloom and there were lots of cute families with little kids in easter clothes taking photos. it was more refreshing than i though it would be on this perfect 70 degree day with clear skies and gorgeous spring. i love my life, especially when i'm not studying!

birthday party 24

So on march 29th 2008 We had a Mast-Jacinto-Shahan family showdown BBQ BIRTHDAY party. It was so much fun. Randy was ridiculously amazing on my birthday. He listened to everything I said I wanted. I said I wanted my family to have cake and I wanted Strawn's strawberry pie. And they had cake. And I had pie. I said I wanted my family to come over to barbeque, and they did. I mentioned that I LOVED the tennis shoes that I had but they were getting kind of worn out. He bought me the same shoe, new model: Aasics Gel Kayano. JOYOUS day I love those shoes. My parents were ever so thoughtful in their gifts, as were Jessie and Eileene. It was a really good birthday party. I love my life.