Rocky Rollercoaster Highs!!

Happy Halloween!!

I can't believe it has been forever since I have updated!! I look back at my last blog post and wish I was back in summer clinic with no worries in the world. Yeah right, that would be a dream come true. This semester has taught me so much so far.........

1) When things get tough, and I have done all I can do, I need to just put my trust in the Lord 100%

2) I have an amazing husband who is so patient

3) I have amazing classmates who will do anything and everything to help everyone get through this program.

4)I have an amazing family and friends that support me 100% and encourage me to keep on going

5)Besides all my flaky patients that have made me lose 5 years off my life, I do have great patients that I absolutely love and adore. Especially the ones that will make it to their appointments no matter the situation. Thank you to one of my patients for coming to the appointment even though his head had a gaping 1 1/2 inch bleeding wound he got on his way to see me!!

6)Fasting and Prayer is extremely powerful

7)I absolutely positively Love cleaning teeth!!

I LOVE LIFE!!

I LOVE-

My career choice

All my patients

Being able to administer anesthesia

My forever friends

My wonderful, supportive and patient husband

My instructors

The memories made and in the making

Changing the way people feel about themselves

My LIFE!!

The after effects of receiving over 20 injections in one day!

Syringe Prep

I can't believe I am able to administer anesthesia!! It is so fun and so exciting!

Summer Recap

Wow I can't believe I haven't updated this for over 2 months. You would think I was still in school and too busy to update but the truth is I have had so much time on my hands that I am just too lazy to blog. Facebook has also gotten the best of me and it is easier to Facebook and see what everyone is doing, so blogging has been on the back burner. Well we haven't had too much of a productive summer but it has been very relaxing and fun. It has been so nice to spend so much time with Cody. I am, however, taking two classes over the summer so I haven't been totally lazy. :)
Here is a little recap of our summer so far:

Senior's Pinning Ceremony- we were able to go and support the outgoing seniors at their pinning ceremony. It was so exciting to see them finally finish and we become seniors. I can't believe I am going to be there next year. Less than 10 months. That is so exciting!! I truly enjoyed my 1st year and am so excited to start my 2nd year. I look back on how much I have grown and learned and the great friends that I have made and I have realized that the GOOD definitely outweighs the BAD. This has been an amazing experience and I would never give it up for anything.
Forever Life time friends. It is amazing the bond that we all have gained while going through this grueling program. We are with eachother more than 12 hours a day. It is crazy and I love it.
Anna, Caitlin, Bri, and Me! These are some of the greatest girls we know. Anna and Bri were seniors and took Cait and me under their wings. They are such great friends and I will be forever grateful for all they helped us with and the encouraging words they gave us to get through our first year!!


Home Sweet Home- We were able to go up and visit the family for a little bit after school got out. It is always so nice to go back home. There truly isn't anything better than Reno and family. We were able to spend time with both my family and Cody's family.

I spent time with my sisters and their kids
Cody spent quality time with his dad doing what they love best: Jeep rides and shooting!

We went to the lake, soaked up the sun, and showed off our mad waterskiing skills.

We loved being able to spend so much time with the family. We truly miss them and can't wait to move back up to Reno.

Jason Mraz and Dave Matthews - Cody suprised me with Jason Mraz and Dave Matthews tickets. It was such a fun date night since Cody and I haven't really seen much of eachother the past few months. I absolutely loved Jason and was not much of a Dave fan. Jason was a better entertainer.

Las Vegas 51's Vs. Reno Aces- We have been wanting to go to a baseball game since we moved down here and the one that we picked just so happened that they were playing the Aces! It was so fun. This was only the second baseball game that I have ever been too and I absolutely loved it. The game was exciting and the food was so delicious. Nothing better than stadium food!!

Being a Hero - We decided we wanted to Donate Blood on the 4th of July. I think it is a pretty fitting service to do on the 4th of July! It was Cody's first time and I was not able to donate, but we both still got the free buffet and a half hour golf lesson. Not too shabby.

Chillin' Poolside - One of the perks of being in Vegas is that EVERYONE has a pool. We have a pool in our community so we have been going to the pool just about everyday. It is so nice to be able to go to the pool when it is 110* outside. I do love this Vegas Weather.

Fourth of July - We have made some good friends down here and we went to their house for a BBQ. They live on the Nellis Air Force Base so we were able to go and see the base, eat amazing burgers and grilled chicken, and spend time with great friends! It is crazy down in Vegas because fireworks are legal here. They set up Firework stands on every corner. That night when we were driving home fireworks were going off in every direction. It was so cool to see so many fireworks at one time.

In front of the Base

This is Heidi. She is going to be starting the Dental Hygiene program this fall. I am her "big sister" and she is so great. She is already freaking out about this program. She is going to do just fine. If she has been through Boot Camp I know she can get through this program!!

Pigeon Problem - We have had a major pigeon problem. Las Vegas is full of these flying rats and they have decided to nest under the eaves of our house. They make a huge mess right in front of our door and it makes me so mad. I absolutely hate them. I have tried to spray them with water and Cody throws rocks at them but nothing happens. Finally cody brought home a pellet gun and is getting rid of the problem. Oh how I love that little pellet gun!!

Well that is about it for now. I start school in a couple of weeks and am so excited!! I can't wait to start and to get things going again. I love what I do and I can't wait to gain better skills!!

Mom and Annacy are in Las Vegas!!!

My mom and Annacy came down to Vegas to be my patients!!! They came down saturday afternoon and we have done so much already. Simon ( Annacy's little brother) was really sad he couldn't come down to Las Vegas with Annacy so this blog is dedicated to Simon so he can know what Annacy is up to. We went down to the Dolphin and Tiger Secret Garden at the Mirage and had such a great time. It was so awesome. I could have stayed there all day just watching these magnificent animals!!! We got to go to yogurt land, she took a ride on the scooter with Cody, played golf and pac man on Cody's XBOX, visit some friend's horses, got 5 $ at albertsons from the nice cashier, and went to a pet cemetary across the street and found out that an elephant is burried there. Crazy. She loves her mom and dad and misses them but is having such a fun time and being such a good girl. We are so excited that she gets to come to my school tomorrow and be my patient!!i love yousimonandezraandmomanddad ( Annacy wanted to send a message to Simon and mom and dad) She loves you and misses you guys.

Annacy loved cody's scooter and loves to just sit on it and pretend she is driving it.

Mom and Annacy eating at Yogurt Land. We let annacy pick whatever she wanted and she had a ton of sugar. Nothing better than being spoiled by grandma and Jenny

Annacy's sexy pose!!

Outside the Secret Garden

Mom and Annacy watching the llamas

These white lions were beautiful. Their manes looked like they were shapooed and blow dried this morning. Mr. Roy really takes care of his lions!!

Looking at the map figuring out where to go next

Annacy wants to be a Veterinarian and be a Lion trainer.

These lions were so active. There were three of them in the cage and they would wrestle with eachother and get a little frisky with eachother.

Watching the Dolphins

They had 6 dolphins one was just 5 months old and stayed by its mom's side the whole time. They would come up out of the water at the same time

Annacy watching the Dolphins

Mom and annacy watching the baby dolphin swim right next to her mommy. The dolphins name was Bella.

We love you and miss you Simon. Annacy will be home in just a couple of days!!!

Life is Good!!

When we were in Reno Amber wanted to get a family picture since Cody was in town. He isn't able to get that much time off of work so it was really rare that the whole family was together to take a family picture. I can't believe how big our family has gotten within the past 6 years. It is crazy. I can't wait to get more nieces and nephews and add some kids of our own. I love love love my family. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Well another week has already flown by. It was a great week and I am very very happy with the way things went. I found out last week that I passed the hardest clinical test with 100%. That is really good but I am not thinking I am all that because of a score. I know I have to work hard and do better every day. It was definitely a booster though. I learned a lot this week and I had my big final exit exam in clinic tonight. I think I did ok. My instructor said I did great but she can't tell me if I passed or not till tomorrow!!
I got home after clinic tonight and Cody was home. We decided to go on a little date. We went and hit golf balls at the driving range and to my surprise I hit pretty well and had a lot of fun. Cody was extremely impressed and shocked at how well I was hitting the ball. Maybe I will be able to go and play a round of golf. :) We then went to an outdoor shopping center and looked around and ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant. It was so good. I ordered a california roll and cody ordered a chicken bowl that could have fed four people. It was huge. We had so much fun. It was so nice to spend some time with Cody alone. It was a perfect ending to a great week! Only 3 more weeks!!! HOLY COW!!

Update

Its been a little while since I have updated our blog. We have been doing well these past couple of weeks. The time is flying by way too fast and I wish it would slow down, as crazy as that sounds.
I had a bad bad couple of weeks a few weeks ago that were filled with many tears, doubt, lack of confidence and frustration, but last week and this week have been so great that those bad weeks are fading fast from my memory. My tests have gone well, my patient's have shown up and I have had successful clinics. I have gained greater confidence in myself these past two weeks and feel like I can actually get through this semester successfully. There are only 4 more grueling weeks and then I get to enjoy the summer!!
Last weekend we ended up going to Reno because Cody's dad had open heart triple bypass surgery last Friday. We got to spend time with his family and my family. It was nice to spend time with the family and it was really great to spend so much time with Cody. Cody's dad is doing great and is recovery extremely fast. He went home only three days after his major surgery. The weekend flew by and I didn't get much done but it was worth going up there.
I came home last night and Cody had made homemade sweet potato soup and sandwiches. That was such a nice suprise coming home from a long day of clinic. Not only did he make a wonderful dinner but he cleaned the bathroom too!! I haven't done any cleaning for the past month and I am not going to clean until the end of school. I know I know it is disgusting but I don't have time to waste cleaning. If I do have time I like to relax or take a nap.
Well that's about it for now. I have a huge competency test tomorrow in clinic and I hope I pass. The instructor that is grading me is very particular and catches everything. Wish me luck!!

Family - Zions - Hoover Dam = Spring Break!!

I know it has been forever since I have updated but we have been so busy with school that there hasn't been anything to update. This past week was spring break and it started out with my parents and Amber and her two kids coming down to vegas for a little visit. We had so much fun. It was a full house but it was well worth it. Geoff also drove down from SLC for a little visit. I drove up to Reno with them and spent a few days up there playing with the kids and having a ton of fun. I got back into reno and spent a couple of days doing homework and getting ready for school to start. Then after going back and forth on whether or not to go to Zion's we decided to just go and enjoy the last couple days of our spring break. Cody also had the weekend off which never happens so we had to do it. The first night we got there about 12:30am so we stayed at the Zion's Lodge and Camped the next night. Geoff met us down there and was worried about his brakes on his car. He knew a mechanic in town and called him up and we took his car saturday morning to get the brakes fixed. It was perfect and the guy was so nice. We hiked around all day and had a good time with eachother. It was a perfect little relaxing trip. I loved the camping too. I was a little hesitant because I thought it was going to be cold. It wasn't too bad so it was more enjoyable. We had so much fun and are so glad that we went!!! I absolutely love zion's. Cody and Me on our first hike
Hiking up Angel's Landing

Geoff, Jen, and Cody hiking up Angel's landing

Cody and I hiked up Angel's landing about 5 years ago and have a picture taken in this same spot. Cody is in desperate need of a hair cut!!! :) :)

Geoff and Cody were pretty impressed with how big this log was!

I tried to do a little rock climbing. That rock is slick

Mom, Jen, Megan, Amber, Wyatt, and Dad at the Hoover Dam. It was beautiful weather and it was so fun to be with the family. Unfortunately Cody had to work that whole weekend they were in town.

Mom, me and Megan during the Dam tour.

Good News!!

I PASSED!!! I was feeling so sick until I found out I got a 95% and the sickness went away all of a sudden!! One down Four to Go!!

I passed

I PASSED!!! I was feeling so sick until I found out I got a 95% and it went away all of a sudden!! One down Four to Go!!

Anxiously waiting

Oh the anticipation of waiting for the results of a test. I took a clinical competency test yesterday and have been anxiously waiting to see if I passed or not. I don't feel confident about it, but then again I never feel confident about any of my clinical tests. It really sucks having to wait to see whether or not I have passed. That is all I can think about. The grades won't be posted till after 5 tonight. AHHHHH!!! Time will tell. I will let you know if I passed or not. I am hoping for at least 80%. This is how I felt all week long. I was exhausted after taking 8 tests this week. Good thing I have a 4 day weekend!!!

Just Get Through the Day

Yay!!! I made it through this long long week. I got sick on Sunday at 10 o'clock! I felt it hit me while I was studying. I have been dreading getting sick during this semester because so many of the girls have been sick. Last semester I only got sick once and it was during the weekend which was great!! This time I had to be sick the whole week where I have to stress about finding patients and studying for 6 tests not getting much sleep when sleep is so important right now!! But I got through it.
I woke up this morning looked in the mirror and said "Get through today" That was what we all were telling ourselves all day. We started out at 7:00am where we had to go to the school and set up our clinic. We had a test, went to clinic and worked on eachother for four hours, turned our units over and set them up for our patients, had about 30 minutes to get ourselves ready for clinic, eat lunch and study for a test after clinic, then had clinic for 4 hours. (which turned out to be very good because one of my best friends Debra asked her brother to be my patient for me) He turned out to be able to be a testing patient for me for next thursday. The Lord does answer prayers. I then had to rush to class and take my test and sit for a two hour lecture!!
I am finally home and so happy that today was a major success!!!

Dr. Wonka and the Tooth Factory

Amongs all of our studying and school and trying to find and book patients we had to organize and set up for a Children's Health Dental Fair. It was a lot of work especially thursday starting at 7:30 in the morning with classes and clinic and then we had to set up for the health fair. We finally left the school after 10:30pm. Then we had to be back at school early the next morning to get things going once again. We did have so much fun, but we are glad that it is over!! It was so great to see all the kids and teach them about the health of their mouth. I was in charge of the tooth toss where they had to tell me one thing that they learned so far. I got the usually answers like to wash your hands, don't smoke, brush your teeth and then I got "well water is made of two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen." Wow!!! That was pretty impressive. Another kid told me that we shouldn't eat drugs. So it was really fun to see all these little kids. In the end we had a raffle and gave one little boy and one little girl a bike of their very own. That was really cool and fun to see their reaction. The little boy went all around to everybody and gave us a hug and thanked us. It was so sweet.
Oh yeah I forgot to mention that our theme was Dr. Wonka and the tooth factory. It was actually a really hard theme to decorate with but we made it work. We had a tooth forest, a fruit tasting wall ( the snosberries taste like snosberryies).

We had a toothfairy, a cavity creep, Ms. flossy, and a crest toothpaste. We taught them about flouridated water, nutrition, what drugs do to your body, how to wash your hands, and how to brush your teeth. The whole oompa loompa clan

Cavity creep and the Tooth fairy

The welcoming committee. Caitlin, Celeste, and Sam

Nichelle, Victoria, Mandi

The tooth toss. Me and Blaike

I forgot to mention. We had a test right after the fair so during our 3 minute or so down times we would pull out our notes and study.

The mad scientists taught the kids how to wash their hands.

Me and Sara Beth short like Oompa Loompas.

We got so many donations for the bikes, fruits and vegetables, popcorn and milk. Thanks to Erin W. who found all those wonderful donations.