I enjoy creating to-do lists. I love the thrill and feeling of accomplishment when I cross something off of the list. This summer I have had the same to-do list since June. One of those things is updating this blog. Since my other option is vacuuming my bedroom floor, I think I'll upload some pictures now...
This summer has been mighty swell. Preschool ended in May and summer semester started June 6th. I had three classes this summer. Voice Disorders, Stuttering, and a Severe Communication class. My favorite was the stuttering class for sure! I loved the teacher. I mean I really liked the other two teachers, but I loved Professor Elsweiler! It was hard work, but I got my overall GPA up to a 3.8 after getting all As this summer. Being around all type-A personalities in my class, it creates a sense of motivation for me to do my best. I hope I can keep the momentum for my research class this fall. Yikes.
After classes ended in July, I started my externship in Brigham City working at Pioneer Care and Willow Glen Nursing and Rehabilitation Facilities. I'm super lucky and I got to work a little bit with
Tanja at the VA Home out by Golden Spike Arena. I just happened to be working with her CFY (Clinical First Year) supervisor. We were meant to be BFF from the beginning. I have learned a lot. For example, loose dentures and crisp string beans do not work well together, milk mixed with thickener is chunky, sometimes dementia patients hide silverware in their pants, but mostly I have learned that I don't really want to work with adults. I did it and usually enjoyed working with the clients, but my heart definitely belongs in the preschool. I think I give better therapy while sitting cross-legged on the floor. My externship will continue throughout the school year until I have completed the required hours in the medical setting. Please let it pass quickly. :)
Along with school and my externship, I got to do some fun stuff this summer, too! I wish I was better at taking pictures. But alas, I am not. And I broke my camera a couple of weeks ago when I was out on Willard Bay. Splashing water on cameras does not help cameras continue performing correctly. Here are the pictures that I managed to take before and after the water splashing.
Ashley (Amber's little sister) went from Mead to Steed. Happy Wedding! Breauna likes it when I post pictures that she didn't even want to be in.
After class one day, I drove up to Bear Lake to hang with my girls from the preschool. We spent the evening gorging ourselves with Lakeside Pizza and then busted our guts watching Who Shot Juanito Bandito at
Pickleville Playhouse. I HIGHLY recommend the play. I couldn't breath at times because I was laughing so hard. Then we played a round of
Quelf and once more busted a gut laughing at the outrageous things we all had to do. We spent the night at LaDean's beautiful cabin. I had to book it back in the morning for class, but it was worth it to spend some time with the ladies and enjoy me some beautiful Bear Lake.
Stella Luna has enjoyed her summer vacation as well. She spent a couple weeks up in Idaho with her Mama Breauna and I'm sure loved the freedom of running around the potato fields and swimming in the canal. She has been back and forth with me to and from Logan all summer. The poor girl is probably so confused as to where her home is. She even hung out over at my mom's house a bit this summer. One of her favorite things to do is stick her head through the blinds to watch the "excitement" happening in the neighbor's driveway. Haha! I love it. She used to do the same thing at the Logan condo. Oh, I love my puppy!
Vicky's aunt and uncle took us boating on Willard Bay. It wasn't the best day for boating because of the weather, but we had fun anyway! Russell and I got really good at encouraging and coaching each other through the turns on the tube. My favorite was when he said, "Paula, I think we're spooning." Ha! If you know Russell, then you know that he is the most celestial soul on this planet and so it made me laugh out loud when he said that. Vicky almost got up on the wakeboard and I tried for the first time and ate lake, as well. Thanks Mike, Helen and Tayla for sharing your boat with us!
For Vicky's birthday we went to the Drive-Inn in West Valley and watched Captain America. We decided to re-name him Captain Sexy. It was a good movie (even the second time around). Vicky had a dance party with her mission buddies at intermission. Get it, girl!
Okay, this past weekend was a blast!! Vicky and I were going to go on a roadtrip to end our summer, but we bagged it and instead I spent the weekend in Salt Lake at Vicky's place. She lives behind the capitol building and so it is the perfect location to explore SLC and the trax stop is just a 15 minute walk away.
Once again, I failed at picture taking... but my camera was on its last leg. On Thursday we went to the Twilight Concert Series at Pioneer Park. Bright Eyes was performing. The music was great, the amount of grunge/indie people was sufficient, and the weed was abundant. We had a good time watching the weirdo in front of us with his shorts hiked up to his boobies doing an "ants in the pants" dance the whole time. Vicky got an extra special treat when the naked man on mushrooms rubbed his hairy chest against her arm as he paraded around shouting who knows what. Seriously, the guy was hallucinating.
On Friday, Vicky wanted to do my makeup and hair. She did a superb job and so I needed to document it. Oh, and I burned my pinkie finger on her hair straightener. Ouch! Ha.
I don't think that Vick checks this blog so I'm posting this picture. She would kill me. I think she looks hot, but she did not likey this picture.... I love it. Ha!
After we got all made up, Vicky and I went to Beyond Spa in Layton where Vicky used her birthday massage gift certificate and I got a pedicure instead of a massage because my back was peeling from a sunburn so badly that it would have been wrong to make someone touch it. It was delightful. Vicky was so relaxed on the drive home that I thought she might fall asleep at the wheel. :) After showering and napping, we made our way over to the capitol building to save seats for the outdoor movie on the hill. The movie, Better Off Dead, was still as dumb as it was when I first saw it in fifth grade, but we had a good time cuddling and eating free popcorn.
Saturday morning was my favorite. We went to the Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park. It was super fun, and I loved seeing all of the cool things that people made and were selling. Vicky bought some Brazilian cheese bread and I bought a couple pairs of earrings and a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of fresh wildflowers. I would like to go back again and again. After the Farmer's Market we made our way across the street to
Bruges Waffles and Frites were we devoured delicious waffles while conversing with a nice old man saving seats for his family. His son served a mission in Holland and so they came up to SL just to eat at the waffle house. Good choice.
Later Saturday, we accidentally ended up at the Tour of Utah bike race. Part of the course was through downtown and up around the capitol. It was really fun and we got free water bottles, bananas, and cow bells. I LOVED cheering for the cyclists. Something about the sweat, dedication and athleticism excited me. Vicky said that she might want to pick up cycling as a hobby. Good luck to her.
We wandered down the hill to Gateway. Vicky was looking for some sandals with no luck and so we ended up watching
The Help at the Megaplex. Oh. My. Goodness. That movie is incredible! I hope it wins all the awards. I cried, chuckled, sobbed, laughed out loud, wept and cheered all through the movie. I bought the book later that night. That's how much I loved it. See it. Believe it.
There are so many other things that I wish I had pictures of. I loved living back up in Logan with Breauna for a few weeks (even though we only got to hang out a couple of times). I loved studying up on the fourth floor at McKay Dee Hospital with my mom until two in the morning. I loved sleepovers with Tanja while Brad was in Maine. I loved my weekly movie nights with Kjersty at the Cine Pointe 6 and all the buckets of buttered popcorn that came with them. I loved my afternoon with Helen in Logan. I loved my ward camp out up at Powder Mountain and Pineview Reservoir. My legs, arms and back are still peeling from that day on the lake. I still couldn't get up on the wakeboard, but I was so proud of myself to swim knowing there were GIANT fish swimming close by! I am enjoying my house and even more now that we finally have an air conditioner! I truly love my calling as a Relief Society teacher. Life is good and I am so blessed. Work at the preschool starts in six hours and 47 minutes. I am actually excited to get back to it. I love the kids and I miss my peeps.
Well... if you are still reading this you are a good friend... or really bored. :) Oh dear.. I still need to put away my laundry. Goodnight!
