No more Olympics but there is FOOTBALL!!!

If you know me you know I LOVE football especially college. I'm sure Rebekah (the roomate) is getting excited that that is what the TV will be tuned to for the next several months. She might start scheduling clients on Sat!!!
But I love the Olympics too and I love that Michael Phelps won 8 golds. Rebekah, Carlos, and I have had this argument about whether we would rather win and Oscar or a gold medal. I'm all about the gold medal. You just have to come up with a super wierd story to win the oscar (ok that really isn't fair because I love movies to but...) to win a gold you have to have pure sheer athletic talent well except for maybe the sword fighting or whatever they call it. Although that is probably the "sport" my brother would choose. I could get on a soap box about how you can consider ping pong and that sword fighting stuff a sport and not softball or baseball but I'll steer clear.
Its nice to look forward to actually having Labor Day off. For some reason ACU the last two years didn't think it was necessary to give us a break that day!!! Oh well I get it off this year!!

Oh and wow what a bold move on McCain's part. I don't discuss politics much but I guess it is going to be a historical November no matter who wins.

Oh and one other thing - the Brasil photo album is finished and on its way so for those of you who have been dying to hear the rest of the story - just come by - or maybe one day I'll get around to finish blogging about the trip!!!

Well that is about all for what is going on in my really exciting life. (note if I wasn't bound by confidentiality this could be a really exciting blog but I'll keep those stories to myself)

Work Got Much Better

Tuesday was much better and really the rest of the week at work. The other crisis manager is out for two weeks and so I am training with the girl who I am taking her place but because there is only one of her to take care of all the crisis this week has been pretty busy. But I am not complaining because for the most part it was a rescue from the important but BORING training. I got to see a lot of different things and I really think I am going to like this job. And I'm home at night and have watched more TV even if it is the Olympics than I have in the past two years!!!

I also finally figured out how to post the graduation banquet post from last week. Apparently, a picture got hung up or something but its on there now.

It has been wierd this week. I haven't been lonely but its wierd that if I want to call someone to hang out they aren't here anymore. Well actually a couple still are; so Steve thanks for having lunch Friday.

I guess since I'm just chilling I should finish posting about Brasil. Maybe one day!!!

First Day of Work

Well today was my first day at the Betty Hardwick Center also known as MHMR (Mental Health Mental Retardation) Services. I guess I expected paper work and some training but this is basically what I learned today through a series of very boring computer tutorials and 3 equally boring videos:

1) how to correctly lift a box with my knees as opposed to my back

2) which type of fire extinguisher (A, B, or C) to use with which type of fire (paper, grease, or electric)

3) My benefits don't start until December 31

4) and I should not have sex with my the "consumers" of MHMR services or with my fellow employees

Needless to say not exactly what I expected but I am home at 5 pm with no obligations and am finally getting paid so....

One other thing: for some reason my blog on graduating did not post. Had this same problem with Brasil so hopefully I'll get that figured out soon.

Banquet and Graduation

For a year I have dreaded this weekend. The end. The tears. The goodbyes. But it is over and really it was awesome. A lot of fun. I won't say the final goodbyes weren't hard or that I didn't tear up with those last hugs and last pictures at the graduation reception but really I had a blast this weekend. Of course the family was here to distract me from the realization that my family I've formed over the past two years were mostly leaving but it was amazing to spend our last two nights together as a family in a cheery and happy mood. That is what my class has always done - find that perfect balance of sentiment, happiness, sadness, fun, seriousness - I think we are all experts at it.

Some highlights from the weekend-

1) Steve's speach at the banquet - Steve that was amazing just the words we need - we will be used as we leave, molded throughout the rest of our lives

2) going to the zoo with my neices especially seeing Karlee's excitement at the bears, lions, and all the animals

3) Amy Gunn getting to the graduation rehearsal ontime (or at least before most of us); too bad that didn't happen at the banquet but its ok we waited on you for the picture.

4) Saying most of the words together as a class/family of the Serenity prayer. Hey the words we made up was what was on our hearts and that is what really counts huh?

5) Holding my little neice Brooke she is so cute but I won't say I enjoyed changing those diapers.

6) THE VIDEO

7) Seeing Karlee have the time of her life jumping from the chair in the living room to the blow up mattress over and over and over again!!! I was exhausted watching her. And then there was when she sat spell bounded by the fire works at the end of the opening ceremonies. She was not happy when it was over and kept doing the sign language sign for more and saying "mo mo mo"

There are so many more. Some memories that might fade but more that won't ever fizzle out.

Over the past week I've helped friends pack and then said goodbye as they leave. This is when I'm grateful for our society where we have email, blogs, cell phones, text messaging where I know I can keep in touch with my friends that I've spent so many hours with over the past two years.

It is wierd. For two years we've shared so many details of our lives. We have laughed together, cried together, plotted our Office video that was awesome by the way together, studied together, prayed together, yelled at each other and reconciled with each other, shared our hurts and joy, our pains and triumphs. Oh did I take for granted that time in class for prayer requests when we shared what was deepest on our hearts. It has been the time of my life. It is surreal that next week I won't just be able to call and say hey lets go hang out.

But a new chapter is starting and so I think this weekend has not been as hard as I thought because its like saying goodbye when you go home for the holidays. Yeah its goodbye but you are family and you know you will be in touch and keep up and see each other again. Its that hope that brings the joy to this weekend.

So yes I will miss all of you but we are family and so it is ok!!

Wierd Times

The past couple of weeks have been crazy but not crazy in the same I'm too busy and don't have enough time to get everything done and I have a huge paper due crazy but a craziness because in our hearts we know these two years are soon coming to an end; yet it seems we all are in denial. Maybe we are at the beginning stages of grief and maybe that is too much thearpy talk!!!

We have had fun showers over the past couple of weeks for marriages and babies that are going to happen over the next year when we won't be together as a family anymore. Everything seems to be "one more" or the "last one" but nobody wants to say those words. However, no one minds saying the words the last loop of the chain that my class mate Christi made to cut off each day counting down the days. Ironically, the first years already have their chain made!!! I've crammed a lot in the past couple of weeks. I found out I passed my National Exam, I've gotten a job at Betty Hardwich which is an MHMR Center, I've gone to Austin to see my friend Jenn who has moved to near Vienna, Austria, I've gone to Camp Blue Haven for about five days, I've gone to the lake Brownwood for the weekend, I've gotten my 500 hour (and my 501 just in case they want to tell me one of my hours is bad I've got an extra), I've gotten my final evaluation and cleared everything through my supervisor and closed or transferred all of my cases and I've cleaned the house (of course with Rebekah's help) which is no small feat. It is wierd being up in the clinic and not seeing clients after over a year of that being my life. I won't lie and say I haven't enjoyed the break because believe me I have but I loved what I did at the clinic. My life was changed and I hope that I was able to help hurting people tap into their resources to begin healing.

Now the fam is coming in fact will get here tomorrow around noon and we will have a great fun banquet tomorrow night and graduation Friday night all of which will be a relief its over but sad as the family I've grown to love and see at least every week if not everyday is going many many separate ways. It will be joyous and sad but it has been an amazing ride and I am so glad that I made this decision to go back to school when I did because I am blessed to be a part of one amazing class - the MFT Class of 2008: Oh and Steve I can't wait to see that Video!!!!