More Exciting News!

Apparently we are just full of good news lately...

BEN GOT ACCEPTED TO A MEDICAL SCHOOL TODAY!

He got accepted to Ross University, it's an American Medical School with a campus in the Caribbean. We would live in the Caribbean for the first 16 months of med school, then move back to the US (Miami) to finish the last two years. It isn't our first choice, although it sounds like an awesome adventure, but we are thrilled that he got accepted somewhere! He's worked so hard the last three years and it paid off!

The most exciting thing to happen at our house since 2008

Baby Hugo is coming January 4, 2011!

Happy Father's Day!

In honor of Father's Day I have to give a shout out to this amazing man. I grew up as daddy's little princess, my dad would drop everything and be there for me the moment I needed it. When I ran track in Jr. High I would get super nervous before every race. At one track meet my dad had told me ahead of time that he wouldn't be able to make it to the meet, which I was fine with at the time. An hour before my race I was so nervous I felt like throwing up, so I called my dad just to talk to him. He asked how much time I had before the race, I told him about an hour, and he told me he'd leave work right then so he could be there. My dad was standing at the finish line when I crossed it having just run my best time of the year. Another time when I was a sophomore in college I realize at 7:30 on a Tuesday morning that I had left my iClicker (a little remote used to answer quiz questions in big lecture hall classes) in Kaysville. I had a quiz in my 9:00 Chemistry class that morning. I called my dad and he found it, drove 65 miles to get me the iClicker so I could take the 6 point quiz. I'm so grateful that I grew up with a strong Priesthood holder in my home and such a loving, fun dad. He's pretty amazing, and I love him!
I'm also grateful to this man who raised my husband to be the man he is today. Ray set a great example of working hard to support your family and balancing church, work and family life. Ben looks up to his dad so much, and I'm grateful he has such a great role model to pattern his life after.

She did it!

This amazing, beautiful girl GRADUATED from Dear Old Davis High School! She's ready to take on the world now.

This is Des, Heidi's other half. And Heidi pretty much refused to wear that hat as soon as the actual ceremony was over. It was particularly reminiscent of the time she was a bunny in her dance recital and refused to wear the ears.

I sure lucked out when I got this girl as my sister. As a four year old I knew I wanted a sister and prayed and prayed that the new baby would be a girl. When my dad called from the hospital to say I got a new sister I was speechless. I had no idea then what an amazing girl she would grow up to be. She is funny, smart, talented, charming, stylin, happy and is just the best little sister a girl could ask for. She makes me laugh every day.

With our dad and Grandparents

My mom was a little sentimental that her baby was graduating from high school. Now these two are traipsing around Europe together. Anyone else jealous they got left behind?

I love her

This woman is amazing, here are just a few of the reasons why I love her:

• She taught me about hard work. She gets up at 4:45 every day to go to the gym and be home in time to make breakfast for the family, do laundry and get everyone off for the day before she heads off to work. She considers 6:30 am sleeping in. She just keeps going all day long serving other people.
• She taught me about time management. Right now she teaches 2nd grade, is 1st Counselor in Young Womens, is a wife and mother to four kids, and she still makes time to get her visiting teaching done every month, visit other people she knows are in need, throw a few bridal/baby showers, and come to Provo for lunch and shopping with her daughters.
  
• She is an amazing cook.
  
• She is lots of fun. She picked me up from study abroad in London a few years ago and we had such a blast traveling around Europe together for two weeks. I have always loved spending time with my mom.
• She is my cheerleader and my hero.
  

LOVE YOU MOM! Happy Mothers day!

Washington DC

This spring semester I'm in a required class called N400: Nursing Global and Cultural Awareness, or something like that. Basically, I got to pick which of the many sections offered, each studying a different unique population. I chose the class focused on Veterans Health, which began with a week in Washington DC with the two goofiest, funniest, most relaxed professors in BYU's nursing program. They also happen to be veterans and are very passionate about caring for our veterans. They planned the most amazing week in Washington DC for us to really immerse ourselves in learning about our Nations history and the contribution of our vets, along with their unique health care needs.
This week was packed full with visits to the various monuments, museums, the VA hospital and VA central office, a tour of the pentagon, a full day visit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a trip to the DC temple, a tour of the capitol and meeting with one of our representatives, and Arlington Cemetery (which was probably my favorite part). I learned so much about our Vets and my gratitude for them and their sacrifice grew immensely.
Because I was mostly too lazy to take out my camera to take pictures, here are a few of the things we did via pictures.

This is Corinne, we grew up together and now we miraculously are in BYU Nursing program together, live in the same apartment complex and are in the same ward. Basically we are living the same life. This is in front of the monument to Iwo Jima. A veteran who served there met up with us and told us about his experience first hand. It was incredible.

Corinne and I again in front of the Capitol building. I love this building, I think it's beautiful and the picture really doesn't do it justice. Our first night in DC we ended at the Lincoln Memorial and watched the Capitol building as the sun set. It was breathtaking.

This is the Potomac and the restaurant Charthouse. Our professors treated us to dinner here the last night, and it was amazing. Alyse and I split a lava cake that was so amazing her husband dreamed about it the night after she described it to him.

The Washington Monument
We got to go to the top of the Washington Monument, which was an incredible view. (And just a small tidbit in case you are ever on some trivia show, this is the only one called a monument, because Washington was still alive when it was conceived. The rest are called Memorials (Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, etc.) because their honorees died before the structure was made.)

Corinne and I with the sun in our eyes at the World War II Memorial. This was a first for me, it wasn't built the last time I was in DC in 2001.

Julie and Julia anyone? This is Julia Child's kitchen. Its in the Museum of American History. We were pretty excited about it. The other girl in this picture is my friend Alyse. She was my roommate and gave the best footrubs and backrubs. Also, she's an amazing cook, in case you were wondering. She basically IS Julia Child.

With Corinne and Alyse at the Korean War Memorial. We were required by BYU to go everywhere in groups of at least three, luckily we are all friends. It was pretty convienent.

The beautiful DC temple

This is with my friend Jessica at Arlington Cemetery. I think this is one of my favorite places in Washington DC. There is such a neat spirit there. We went to the tomb of the unknown soldier and they played taps while we were there, which was a moving experience. It's powerful to see the graves of so many who have given their lives for our country.

Addendum

In addition to the recap I posted about the semester, I now have even more exciting news to share. In the nursing program the "A" is set high, 95% pretty much non-negotiable. Almost every class is out of 1000 points, if you get 950 points you get an A, 949 points you get an A-. This irritated me beyond belief during the first four semesters I was in the program. I had to get A's to keep my scholarship. However, the deadline for scholarship applications for next fall was really early this year, like in February, and so this semesters grades were not included. This let me relax a little in these challenging classes, all I needed to do was pass. I was slightly disappointed when my grade in Critical Care ended up being a 94.2%, just shy of the A. Oh well, it doesn't count for scholarships anyway. Also, at some point (like this December) I am going to be done with school and thus must stop measuring my success in life by my GPA.

Completely out of the blue, this morning I received an email from my Critical Care professor:

"After careful review, you were rewarded for the excellence you display and your final grade is an A. Way to go!"

Thank you Ron! You just made my day.