Grams

For some reason, Easter is one of the holidays where I miss my Grandma Ballou the most. I always miss her, but for some reason it always hits me really hard at Easter time how much I miss her, and how much I would give to be able to see her and talk to her again. Maybe it's the fact that we would always take her out to breakfast on Easter, how much she loved this particular holiday, or how many churches seem to be decorated with hydrangeas, which was her favorite flower. Whatever the reason may be, I am reminded once again how much I miss her and how grateful I am to have had her as my Grams.
Grams, I am so lucky to have had you in my life. You were one of the sweetest and kindest people I have ever known, and you had more strength than I could ever have. Despite all of the hardships you dealt with in your life, I don't remember ever seeing you without a smile on your face. You loved and cherished every moment of life, and you always saw the good in everything. You were the eternal optimist, and I wish I could emulate you in that way, see the good in everything instead of thinking or worrying about the bad. I miss hearing your laugh. I love how you passed on your coffee addiction to me :)
You were the most considerate and least judgmental person I have ever known, and had more love in you than a hundred people put together. If I could be half the person that you were, I would consider myself lucky. I love you so much and think of you every day. I miss you more than you know. I know you will have a wonderful Easter in Heaven with Jesus and that brings me comfort. Love, Jenny.

Good Friday

"They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. It was nine o' clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross." Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, "He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also kept abusing him. At noon the darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o' clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders who had heard it said, "Look, he is calling Elijah." One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down." Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" - Mark 15: 22-39

Thank you Jesus for your unending love and forgiveness, and for the sacrifice you made for each and every one of us.

Prayer requests

For anyone who reads this blog I would really appreciate any extra prayers for a couple of friends of mine....
My good friend Melissa who I have known since freshman year of undergrad at MSU has been an amazing support for her 28-year old husband Nate who is battling leukemia (AML-M2 for my veterinarian or doctor friends). Clinically he is doing much better now and is able to go home this weekend, but still has to undergo several more treatments. Please pray for them and for Nate's recovery.
A very good friend of my immediate family named Colleen (she swam for my Dad years ago at East High School) recently found out her husband Chris has pancreatic cancer. He is 35 years old and they have three young children, one of which has been in and out of the hospital because of hydrocephalus. Please pray for their family and for Chris's healing.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" - Matthew 7: 7-8

Semester Two

I apologize for my lack of updates - this semester has been crazy busy for me! My systemic path class is taking up most of my time that I am not on duty or teaching the vet students. I will be VERY glad when this class is over but I have learned a lot from it and I still really love my residency! It is such an amazing feeling to know you are exactly where you should be in life - it is such a breath of fresh air!
Steve and I were able to take a short trip to San Antonio recently (that is where the picture was taken) and it was SO much fun. What a beautiful and fun city! We are considering going back there for our anniversary since Maui isn't an option financially at the moment! ;)
My parents visited recently as well - the NCAA swimming championships were here at Texas A&M and my dad is an official for that meet every year. It was great having him and my mom here for a little while! In May we will be able to see Steve's family and Wes (yay!) for a quick weekend when we go to Drew's wedding up in Michigan. That will be a quick but fun weekend and I'll be sure to post pictures when we get back.
So that is all for now....I'll leave with the thought of how proud I am of the MSU Spartan basketball team for making it to the NCAA championship! They played so well this year and were a pleasure to watch. I'm so proud to be a Spartan alum! Go Green!

Wow

So I recently finished reading all four books of the Twilight series. Wow, what phenomenal books! Definitely one of the best, if not THE BEST series I have ever read. I highly recommend them to anyone! The movie was very good too! Looking forward to the next movie and hoping a fifth book is a possibility :)

What a Difference a Year Makes!!!

This morning, which happens to be Christmas Eve, I'm sitting on my couch under a warm cozy blanket sipping my tea and watching Zoey sleep beside me. As I wait for my husband to get home from his 1/2 day of work I got to thinking about how much has happened and how my life has changed in the past year. Last year at Christmas, if you can recall from the blog I wrote, I was very depressed. I had to work all through Christmas so did not get a holiday at all. I was able to see my family the week before, but it just wasn't the same. Steve was a sweetheart and came into work with me to keep me company, and Sue was a wonderful friend inviting us to Christmas dinner, but all the same it didn't feel like Christmas to me. I won't recap everything because you can go back and read it, but what I really want to focus on is everything God has blessed me with in the past year.

This Christmas paints a very different picture than last year. Steve and I are living in Texas, where I don't think either of us ever expected to live if you would have asked us a few years ago, but we absolutely love it here! It is weird not having snow but our "winter" here is like fall is up North which is our favorite season, so we are loving the weather! The people are super nice here too. Steve is doing a phenomenal job balancing both work and school (and excelling at both!) and still finding time to hang out with me and play his beloved video games :) I just finished my first semester as a clinical pathology resident and I can't even put into words how much I love my job - I actually sort of miss it now that I am on break for Christmas! I don't think I have ever worked for such wonderful and compassionate people, and Karen, Mark and Mary are such incredible clinical pathologists too! They are not just my bosses but are quickly becoming my friends. One of them (Mark) even plays World of Warcraft with Steve and I, which is loads of fun :) They are happy with my progress thus far which is so great, and I am gaining confidence so quickly with reading cytology - I have never been so sure in my life that I am definitely in the right profession! :) I enjoy teaching the vet students too - I even gave a lecture to the second year vet class (about 120 students)! I was really nervous at first but once I started lecturing I was totally comfortable. I hope my enthusiasm rubs off on some of them and maybe sparks an interest in clinical pathology, like Dr. Jenny Thomas at MSU did for me. My resident-mates are awesome too, they are so nice and were so helpful to me this past semester! I hope to be as wonderful to the new resident coming next year (Congrats again Jessica! :) ) as they have been to me. Thank you Gwen and Kathrin! I also am fortunate to be able to work with the anatomic pathology residents pretty regularly, and all of them are great people and super helpful to us clin path folk ;)

Another difference between last year and this one is Steve and I are off until January 5th which gives us time to visit both my family and his for the holidays! Classes don't start up again until mid-January, so I really have time to thoroughly enjoy the holiday and not worry about studying. I miss my family a lot and it is nice to be in an environment where I am able to travel and see them more often. I also can't wait to see Steve's family and hopefully Sue to when we are in Michigan :)

As you all know, Steve and I have also become homeowners this year. It is even better than we ever expected, we love our house as do the pets! In the process of buying things for our house, we discovered RockBand. For those of you who don't play it, it is a video game similar to Guitar Hero, and you can play guitar, bass, drums, or sing. I caught onto the drums super fast since I have played a set before, and Steve the guitar. This game is such a blast and is an awesome game to play on study breaks. We have even formed a few "bands" that go on tour - one is just Steve and I ("The Texas Transplants"), a second is with my sister-in-law Andrea ("Coke Zero"), and we have a third band with our friends Bud and Cat ("Sparty On"). It's one of those games you can play for hours on end and it never gets old. I always wanted to play the drums and now I can lol :)

Last but definitely not least, I feel much healthier than I did last year! I am almost 50 pounds lighter than one year ago and have completely changed my eating habits, thanks to Weight Watchers. I never realized until I started WW last March that so many things that I thought were "healthy" actually weren't! I have learned how to make good choices and love experimenting with recipes to make very tasty but low point dishes :) I actually tried on a dress I wore to a winter formal in high school last weekend and it actually fit for the first time since 11th grade lol. That made my weekend :) Steve has been successful with the program too, and for the most part we have been doing it together as a team. It feels great to be healthy, and if I can do it anyone can lol :)

Since this blog is getting really long, I'll wrap things up. At this time last year, I never thought I could feel this happy and fulfilled in life only a year later. So to God, my husband, family and friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything - I don't know what I would do without you :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!

Quick Update

I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in awhile, things have been very busy for me lately! Texas weather is slowly starting to cool down a bit - it has been in the 80's steadily instead of the 90's! I'm looking foward to 70's weather - that will be perfect :) The residency is GREAT still, I love it. My first semester has been crazy busy, but I am really enjoying it and the clinical pathologists think I am doing an outstanding job which makes me VERY happy. Getting compliments from my superiors is very very nice :) It's funny how I am a better clinical pathologist after 3 and 1/2 months than I was a small animal vet after 2 years! I have truly found my niche and am so grateful for that! The people I work with are wonderful and we have a lot of fun :) Steve is doing well too! He also has been complimented a lot at is job and is doing very well in school too! He actually is taking a class about video games this semester which I'm sure he will love and breeze right through :)
I have officially joined TAMU's Women's Ice Hockey team. It is a lot of fun. Here is a picture of me in all my gear - unfortunately the only picture I have is after practice so I am all sweaty and look like crap lol. I'll post more pictures once we start having actual games!
The pets are very happy in Texas also - the picture is of Aslan and Zoey lounging on the new couch :)
Back to work for me - hope everyone is well! :)

I Wish God Could Explain......

This week is my first week teaching hematology to the 4th year vet students by myself. But before this week, I had the pleasure of sitting in on 2 other rotations (to see how the other residents teach) and getting to know the students. One student in particular really stood out to me, not only because she was really bright and worked hard, but because she had such a vibrant and positive personality, one that could light up a room. Her name was Cassandra, and she was killed in a car accident this past Sunday night. When I found out about it I was numb. I remember having a conversation with her not even 2 weeks ago about the veterinary board exams, jobs, etc. I can't even describe the range of emotions I have felt since I found out about her accident yesterday morning. Growing up I was always taught that God has a plan for each and every one of us, and that sometimes it is hard to understand, but not only do I not understand it, it makes me so angry and really tests my faith. I hate how much pain and suffering happens to people in this life, and I hate it even more when wonderful young people are taken from us. Cassandra had so much love for the veterinary profession and so much drive to pursue her dream. She was so close to earning her DVM and had so much life ahead of her. My heart is breaking for her fiance, her family, and her friends, some of which are my current students. Please keep them in your prayers during this extremely difficult time.
It is times like these that really make me take a long look at my life and focus on what is really important. Don't focus on petty crap, it doesn't matter. Take pleasure in the small things - a smile, conversation with a friend, a hug or kiss from those you love the most, your cat purring in your lap. Cherish every moment you have because life can be taken from you in an instant. Always forgive, and love with your whole heart and soul.

I Never Thought This Day Would Come......

This is going to sound crazy but for once in my life I am truly HAPPY to go into work every day, and as a result am slowly turning into more of a morning person. There are no doubts, nerves, or "ugh I wish I could just stay in bed" feelings , NONE. Even though I've only been there two weeks now I truly LOVE my clinical pathology residency. I have been crazy busy trying to study all the topics I am going to have to start teaching in a couple weeks but I love every minute of it. And not only have I found something that I love, but I dare say something that I actually have true potential at being good at! In the past few weeks I correctly diagnosed (some were current cases others old cases that have since become teaching files ) things such as a melanoma from a dog's toe, an osteosarcoma (bone tumor) from a dog's shoulder blade, a squamous cell carcinoma in a horse's belly fluid (which is REALLY RARE - the tumor was actually in the horse's stomach but it seeded into the abdomen), a couple of mast cell tumors, and a few fungal infections. That is just some but I have so much fun doing it - it's like every slide is a mystery that I get to try and solve. I am fully aware that I probably sound like a total geek at the moment but I am so excited and happy about my residency. I know with 100% certainty that God has led my husband and I to the right place. Steve is doing phenomenally well in school and his job is going great as well, I am so proud of him :) Well back to a weekend of studying and then comes Monday that I actually look forward to now! Wow, God is good :)

WOOOHOOO!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS to my Detroit Red Wings, the 2007-2008 Stanley Cup CHAMPIONS!!!!!! WOOOHOOO the cup is HOME in HOCKEYTOWN where it belongs :) What a tough series but the boys pulled through!!!!!! YAH!!!!!

In other news Steve and I are getting settled in Texas - almost all the boxes are unpacked and Steve has started both his job and school. I start my residency July 1st so currently I'm keeping the house clean, running errands, relaxing, and reading clin path textbooks. The weather is HOT so we mostly are staying indoors for the summer! We are REALLY happy here - everyone is so welcoming and friendly, and I know in my heart that we are in the right place :) We really love our house (pictures will come very soon I promise) and so do the pets - the cats settled in really quickly as did the bunnies. The bunnies are right by the kitchen window which extends down almost to the floor so they are getting a lot of natural light and seem to be happier than they have ever been before! The cats are constantly exploring when they aren't sleeping :) Zoey has been getting into everything so we have recently nicknamed her "Trouble" :) Steve's job and school are both going really well and I am really looking forward to starting my residency. Everyone I will be working with is awesome - a GREAT group of people :)

Well off to bed, and once again I must say YAAAH WINGS!!!!!! :) :) :)

I'm Done!!!!

Last weekend was my last day as a small animal vet! Now I am lucky enough to be on "vacation" until July 1st! Then I start my clin path residency, and I'm soo excited. I'll be keeping myself busy studying and doing a ton of cleaning and packing. I'm most looking forward to going out to Oregon to see Wes! Less than 4 weeks to go!

Steve and I are now officially homeowners! We closed on our house early last week and we're really excited. We love our house. Also, Steve was accepted into an online degree program where he will be able to get a bachelors degree in video game design. He starts classes at the end of May, right after our move to Texas, and starts his job at Reynolds and Reynolds June 2nd. So he'll definitely be keeping busy. Fortunately I'll have some time to set up house and learn my way around College Station considering I have absolutely NO sense of direction whatsoever lol.

In other news, I am LOVING Weight Watchers. I've lost 13 pounds now! I have approximately 32 to go, so hopefully I'll continue to be successful.

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

So it appears that my life is truly changing for the better.

Texas:
Steve and I found a house in Texas that is really a perfect first home for us, the kitties and the bunnies :) It is a brand new home, newly built, and comes with stainless steel appliances! It is a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house, 1638 square feet with a fenced in backyard, fireplace, and huge garage. We love it! I'll post pictures soon!
Also I have had two opportunities to spend time with everyone I will be working with at Texas A&M - both my bosses and my fellow residents, and everyone is absolutely wonderful. It is a very laid back and friendly group of people and the clinical pathologists genuinely care about their residents. I am really looking forward to the next 3 years and learning as much as I can. I have already started reading clinical pathology textbooks (there are about 12 or so that I have to read that are going to be on my board exams at the end) and I love what I am learning, I really enjoy it!
Other GREAT news is that Steve also has gotten a job in Texas! He will be working for a company called Reynolds and Reynolds and he will be doing graphic design for them :) He starts his job in the beginning of June, I start my residency July 1st. We are moving towards the end of May and are very fortunate to have my parents, Steve's Dad and my Uncle Tommy helping us with the move. We are so excited to start this new phase in our life! We will keep you all updated.....:)

Work:
My boss at the clinic has selflessly given me the opportunity to leave the clinic sooner than the end of April if I so choose, and I have decided to take her up on the offer. It is really kind of her and the other doctors to have allowed me this opportunity, and now my last day as a small animal practitioner will be Saturday April 12th (instead of the 26th). This has taken a HUGE load off of my shoulders because there is just SO much to do between now and when we move to Texas and in addition my head and heart just aren't in it anymore - I am grateful for everything I have learned in clinical practice and the friendships I have made (especially Sue, I love her dearly and she will be my friend always), but I am ready to move on with my career. Having the end in sight only 2 weeks from Saturday has really made me feel much relief and happiness.

Self:
I have made a couple of personal advancements recently as well. The most significant has been joining Weight Watchers - I just couldn't deal with being overweight anymore, not only for self confidence reasons but for health reasons, especially having diabetes and heart disease in my family. Today marks the 2 week mark and I have already lost 7 pounds and made significant lifestyle changes. I feel like I am in control of myself more than I ever have been and I feel better in general. This sort of leads to the second thing - I have started reading a book called Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins that my sister-in-law Andrea gave to me - it is a book that helps you to take control of your life - physically, emotionally, and financially. The last 2 years in Midland have been an emotional roller-coaster for me and there were so many times I felt so lost and out of control. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without the support from Steve, my family and friends. Although I have only started this book, I hope it gives me some good pointers about dealing with any future stresses that may come along.

Friends, etc:
I am really looking forward to having half of April and all of May and June off - not only to have the time to pack, move, and settle in a new place but also to have the flexibility to spend time with family and friends that I haven't had for a long time. I can't wait to be able to spend a ton of quality time with Steve when I'm finally not stressed out all of the time! Also I hope to spend as much time with Sue as I can before I move, I will miss her most of all when I leave. Also we are going out to visit Wes in Oregon for a week in May before we move and I can't wait!!! We are sooo excited to see him and have some fun in Portland where we have never been before! I'm also looking forward to spending some quality time with both mine and Steve's families.

Steve and I are testing for our Green Stripe in Taekwondo in a couple weeks! Next step is green belt which is half way to black belt! Yay!

So in a little over 2 weeks comes vacation, lots of good times with family and friends, a huge move to Texas, and I'm on my way to becoming a specialist! Thank you God :)

Bah Humbug :(

Just to warn you ahead of time this is a bit of a vent session to clear my head.....
Yes, it is Christmas day and while the majority of the world is at home with their families, I am working (meaning being on clinic watch and pilling any border that needs meds) - oh the joys of veterinary clinical practice. The time I have spent with my husband today was wonderful, but it truly does not feel like Christmas. This is the first year that I have not spent Christmas eve - New Years with family and friends. And before I go on I want to say that my time as a small animal veterinarian has been a valuable learning experience and I have made such a wonderful lifelong friend (love you Sue!) that I would never take back the experience. And I know that this experience will make me a better clinical pathologist. However, I never dreamed that a job that I dreamed about when I was little would be so incredibly wrong for me, for so many reasons. A small part of me wonders if things would have been any different if when I fell in love with clinical pathology in vet school I just went for it then (right from vet school) instead of doing clinical practice first. To make an analogy me and being a small animal vet are like two puzzle pieces that do not fit together no matter how hard you try to force them. There are days where I feel sick about going into the clinic because I feel so burned out and so used by clients. It is so emotionally and physically exhausting. And it is so difficult to know a little bit about every possible topic/disease - my brain works so much better knowing every detail about one area instead of a little bit of everything. The most difficult thing is that I knew after just a few months at the clinic that I was ready to move on to a clin path residency but knew that Steve and I were going to be stuck here for 2 years so he could finish his degree (in a program that he is unhappy in as well but knows it needs to be done, similar to me). In addition, the city/town we live in is like living in the Stepford Wives movie, no joke its rediculous - neither of us feel like we fit in here at all. So for a long time both Steve and I have felt kind of trapped in a life that although temporary, neither of us wanted to stay in.

When I got the offer to be Texas A&M's clinical pathology resident next year AND found out that Texas is full of video game companies for Steve it was the most liberating and happy experience that both of us have had in a long time. It is so amazing to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that both of us are going to be able to do our dream jobs! I can't tell you enough how much I LOVE clinical pathology - I actually enjoy reading my clin path text books in my spare time, believe it or not it is my pleasure reading! AND I will be able to teach again which I am so happy about. If I can inspire vet students with the enthusiasm that I have for clinical pathology, how rewarding that would be :) Also I hope that I can be a mentor to the students and help advise them in making the right career choices - keeping an OPEN MIND in vet school and exploring every opportunity and field veterinary medicine has to offer. Also it is a small perk that weekends and holidays will actually be WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS, unlike my small animal practice experience. I think life may feel a little more "normal" despite the constant studying but I do that now anyway, by choice :) I am so excited for our move to Texas and both of us starting a new phase in our life that it seems like time is crawling. At this point I still have 122 days left before I end my time at the clinic (unfortunately finances keep me from leaving sooner) and it is DRAGGING because I am so ready to be done with this phase in my veterinary career I can't even describe it. Plus I am looking forward to having 2 months off in the summer to see family, visit Wes in Oregon, arrange our move and buy a house in Texas, spend as much time with Sue as I can before I move, and just TAKE A BREAK.

122 days may not seem like a long time but although it may sound stupid it seems like forever to me and I really hope I can survive them without losing my mind. I am going to miss my friend Sue a TON and will try and visit her as often as I can once I move to Texas, but I will definitely not miss my current job one bit. God grant me the strength to get through the next 4 months and bless us with a wonderful future full of happiness and opportunities. Thank you to all our family and friends for your support and encouragement, we love you all.

ITS OFFICIAL!!!!!

Well I am officially going to be able to have my dream job - I am going to be a veterinary clinical pathologist!!!! Today I accepted an offer for the 2008 clinical pathology residency position at Texas A&M University!!! And the best news of all is that Texas is the 3rd biggest state for video game companies in the US, so Steve will be able to get his dream job too!!! We are very excited :) So now I guess I am officially an "Aggie", although I will always stay a Spartan too, forever :)
Now I just have to survive another 5 months in practice.......hope it goes fast!!!

Wow its been awhile....

Holy crap I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted! Life has been crazy busy and stressful for me lately. I am half done getting my applicaitons out for clinical pathology residencies - I am applyiing to 11 programs and praying like hell that I get into one of them. I seem to survive each workweek but it is more and more difficult to continue doing something that I am not meant to do - the waiting period before starting a residency seems so long, time is dragging.
On a better note I am LOVING Taekwondo! Steve, Sue, and I just got our yellow belts and not only passed our test but all 3 of us got "pluses" meaning that we did better than the others testing at our level. We are learning our new skills now and may test for our green stripes in January.
So off to bed I go, I'm exhausted.

Yay for Long Weekends

There's nothing better than taking a drive and seeing a good movie with a close friend, getting lots of much needed rest, watching Dawson's creek reruns, and cuddling with my husband and kitties......:)

Friends and Accomplishments

Fern turned out to be a GREAT vacation as always - a fun and relaxing time with family and forever friends. It went by WAY TOO FAST though :(

Since returning from Fern I've been spending a lot of time working towards my future as a clinical pathology resident - I have been going to the Journal Club Meetings at MSU every other Tuesday and if I have neat slides to bring with me to look at with Dr. Stickle we do that too :) I really enjoy going and when I'm there I feel so happy and like I really fit in. This will be such a GREAT future for me and I can't wait to dive right into it. I hope that time comes sooner than later.

Recently Sue, Steve and I passed our Taekwondo test and earned our yellow stripes! So now we are working really hard for the next 3 months so we can earn our yellow belt in October. I am really enjoying Taekwondo even more than I thought I would, and I am definitely going to stick with it long-term. Sue and I have been practicing almost every day during our lunch hour at work, and its a blast. Despite all I have been through in Midland and at the clinic, I am SO thankful for her friendship - I couldn't ask for a better mentor and friend. No matter where life takes me after Midland, I know we will be friends always :)

I'm REALLY excited because Wes is coming to Michigan this week!!! Steve and I are going to spend all day Tuesday with him and we'll see him again next weekend. We miss him so much when he is in Oregon and are really looking forward to spending time with him :)

Well I'm off to get some more reading done - lots of Clin Path books I want to get through before I start a residency!

Majorly Overdue Update

I couldn't sleep so I thought what the hell, I would update my blog FINALLY. Sorry it has been so long since I have written - I have been pretty busy lately. The cruise was a lot of fun - good times with wonderful friends. Some highlights were "Velda" jokes, climbing Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica, snorkeling, the ice show, swimming, and our absolutely beautiful ship!
Since I have gotten back I have dove in full throttle getting ready to apply for a clin path residency. I went to MSU to visit the clinical pathologists there and talk about the residency and application process. I am going to start attending their journal club meetings since they are on Tuesdays which is my day off :) I have been reading my clin path texts on my free time (yes I am a geek but I'm loving it and learning a lot. I am starting to line up recommendations too. I have also developed a plan incase I don't get in anywhere this year. Steve and I will move back to Lansing and he will try and find a good job, I will try and find something part time at a vet clinic and spend every possible moment I can in the clin path lab at MSU and attending their meetings, etc. Its nice to have a plan either way but I really hope I can get in somewhere this year.

Sue, Steve and I have started taking Taekwondo two nights a week. It is so much fun and AMAZING stress relief!!! Its amazing how even as a beginner/white belt it can make you feel so self-confident. In a month or two we will test for our yellow stripe :)

Tomorrow (actually today since its almost 5 am lol) we are leaving for our annual family vacation at Fern Resort in Orillia Canada where we have been going pretty much every year since I was 3 years old. I love that place so much and the people even more. Kendra is able to come for the whole week this year and Liz will be there Wed - Sun so we will be able to have lots of good friend time :) They have made a lot of changes at the resort this year that I can't wait to see - for example the building we stay in was totally redone and our room will be brand new with all new things - very exiting :) Anyway I should probably go back to bed so I can keep Steve company while he is driving and I don't sleep the whole way.

I'm Going to be a Specialist!!! :)

So after much research and discussion with vets and others I trust, I have finally made up my mind about exactly what I want to do with my life as a DVM! I have decided to apply for a residency in clinical pathology - through MSU or another vet school. I am really excited about this because after a lot of consideration and prayer, I know this is the right path for me. Hopefully I will be accepted to start next July, but if not I will try and find a job at a Cat Clinic until I can apply again.
Will I miss the hands on work with animals? Maybe a little. But there are SO many reasons why general practice, ESPECIALLY corporate (I work for an NVA hospital currently) is just NOT the job for me to be in for the rest of my career. I know for a fact that if I continued on my current road I would never be happy and would eventually reach a nervous breakdown or worse. Its funny going through my whole life with the focus and goal of doing a certain thing, and then once I get there realizing it is not the right place for me. But in a way I kind of knew that since specializing has kind of been tugging on my heart strings since clinics. I am very excited about my decision and am getting a lot of wonderful support from Steve, my parents, and friends. I knew I really enjoyed clin path in vet school but I never realized how much of a passion it really was until I was out in practice looking at blood smears, urinalysis, cytologies, etc. I would love spending all day doing such things and hopefully if this all works out I will!
Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. I feel like now that I have figured out what opportunities lie ahead of me I can really just sit back and BREATHE. The nice part is, I'll be able to do so on a cruise with a group of my dearest friends - only 1 day left of work and then its off to Miami and Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas - BONVOYAGE!!! :) :) :)

Great Weekend

I was blessed not only with a 4 day weekend, but one that I was able to spend with my Dad. He flew from NY to see us on Friday and stayed until this afternoon. Saturday we went to the Tigers game with Steve, his parents, and his Uncle Don. Not only did we get to see the game but we spent the morning at "Home Plate 2007" where we were able to get up close and personal with some of the new and old Christian Tiger players. Todd Jones, Jason Grille, Frank Tanana and even WILLIE HORTON were some of the guys that gave their testimonies! It was very touching and I was so happy to be able to share this day with my Dad. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were spend just hanging out and taking him to some of our local restaurants.
I'm definitely sad to see him go back to Rochester but I'll be able to see him again Memorial Day weekend. My mom will be here in a little over a week and next comes the cruise!!! I am counting the days, it is a MUCH needed vacation. It will be so nice to get out of Midland for awhile and get to hang out on a gorgeous ship in the Caribbean with some of our dearest friends! 11 days to go......