Graduation Day

In an attempt to catch up on my blog somewhat, I'll be posting a little of what happened last month...

First off, on May 9, 2009, I officially graduated from ECU with my Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology. YYYYEEEESSSS!!!! I'm not sure who was happier, me or Donald. Donald has been such a huge support throughout this entire process, and said he was so happy to have his wife back. He's thrilled that I accomplished this, but also thrilled that I have more time to spend with our family. Here's a few pictures from the day. I'm so thankful for all of the love and support from my family and friends throughout this process. I definitely didn't do this alone, but rather did it by God's grace and strength, and with the support of my family and friends.

Graduation

Well, the day has finally come where I graduate from college! Tomorrow is the big day! I don't know if I really ever knew this day would come, but I am thrilled that it has! I've been the student for so long, that it can be a bit overwhelming to actually be the clinician and be the one making the decisions, but I've had great mentors along the way, and am confident in the things that I have learned so far.
This day is such a special day for me because it means I can give back in such a special way. A way that a Speech-Language Pathologist impacted my family years ago, and there is such a significant meaning behind that for me! I am passionate about the profession, the patients, and the families that this profession touches every single day. I am encouraged because I know that I can make an impact! I don't feel like I am simply going to work each day because I really enjoy what I do, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others. Don't get me wrong...there are some depressing days. Days where you wonder why individuals and families are experiencing the grief that they are experiencing; however, I know that ultimately medicine, medical professionals, nor anyone else on this Earth are the giver or taker of life, and I am also reminded that all things can be used for His glory if we only allow them to. So while there are depressing days, they are far outnumbered.
I plan to enjoy some time off for a little while so that I can spend this time with Donald and Jackson. Donald has been the most supportive husband that I could've ever asked for. I feel truly blessed to be married to such a selfless individual who constantly prays for me and has encouraged me every step of the way. This degree really belongs to him as well because he has sacrificed and worked very hard right along side me to make this a reality. I love that man more than words could ever say!
We leave next week for a 9 day vacation, and I couldn't be more ready! We are thrilled to be taking some time off to enjoy some family time.
Thank you all for being a part of this journey!

April...Where did it go?

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the planet; however, April was an extremely busy month for us (photos to come soon I promise). We celebrated Jackson's 3rd birthday with a small get-together because of how chaotic and hectic everything has been. We feel so extremely blessed to be this sweet little boy's parents, and can't imagine life without him. He adds so much to our family, and are so grateful that God blessed us with him! Donald had to go out of town for work 2 weekends this month. Jackson and I tagged along for one of those weekends in Charlotte, and had a nice time exploring and shopping =) I also had to complete everything for graduation during the month of April. There were a lot of loose ends to tie up and paperwork to be completed, but I'm happy to say that it's all finished!
I will be posting pictures of our events for the month of April soon as I'm trying to catch up on everything now that things have slowed down a bit.

Roller Skating

Today we celebrated birthdays for 2 special little people in our life! At 1 of the parties, Jackson got to try out skating for the first time. He enjoyed it, but after falling numerous times became a little discouraged, and figured it was more fun for daddy to skate and carry him than it was to keep falling. Here's a few pics of our time today. We'll definitely do this again soon! Thanks Nicole for the opportunity to try something new, and for allowing us to celebrate this special day with Sophie!

Bedtime prayers

Donald is out of town this week for work, so Jackson and I are on our own. Boy, do we ever miss him after just 1 night!
Last night I was putting Jackson in bed after his bathtime and storytime. I asked him what he wanted mommy to pray about tonight, and he listed off: Daddy, Mommy, Mimi, Granny, Papa, Giz, me, and Daddy. He made sure to put daddy in there twice since daddy is gone, and I thought it was cute he asked me to pray for him. So, we closed our eyes and said our prayer, and when I was finished, I asked if he wanted to say a prayer. So we closed our eyes and this was his prayer:
Dear God, watch over me, Daddy, Mommy, Mimi, Granny, Papa, Giz. Protect us. We sat there for a minute and I peeked and he still had his eyes closed, so I asked if he was finished, and he nodded his head yes, so I rounded it out by saying Amen.
Oh it was precious! I love that child that God has so richly blessed me with! Parenting isn't always easy, but there's just some moments that make up for the difficult moments to encourage you to stick with it, because it's all worth it!

FEES Certification

What a weekend it has been! I went this weekend to a course to enable me to get my FEES certification. FEES stands for fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. It's a swallowing evaluation we do on patients who may have difficulty swallowing. I have to get a special certificate that allows me to perform these evaluations because it is in invasive procedure. I've completed the first part of certification now which was the course I took this weekend, and so far I've performed 17 evaluations. I will have to complete the other swallowing evaluations in the presence of an ENT or a priveledged endoscopist, which I hope to have completed in the next month and a half.
WOW! Everything is really falling in place for graduation and the job search. This is all becoming so real as I anticipate graduation in only 5 short weeks. It'll be here before I know it, and I only have 2 more papers to write before grad school is over! YES =)

It's Official!

I officially began the job search today! I submitted my first application for a position that I am interested in as a staff acute care Speech Language Pathologist at a local hospital. I'm excited about what the next few months may bring in our life. I've been praying for months and months about this decision...Seems like such a daunting task to look for a job, to figure out exactly what arena I wanted to use my degree in...did I want to go work in a hospital, school system, inpatient rehab center, outpatient rehab, home health, etc...the list goes on. The great thing about this profession is there's so many possibilities, and I'm not limited by 1 arena or 1 population. I can work in acute care primarily with adults now, and could later begin working in the school systems with pediatrics. In my heart of hearts, I know why I went into this profession, I know why I love this profession, and I know where I can make the biggest impact; however, with so many choices, the way is not always clear. I have been prayerfully considering my options for some time, and have been quite reserved in my choices and job search; however, I'm finally ready to begin this job search, and pray that God opens the right door for me. I think I know what I want to do, but I pray that if that is not God's desire that He will close those doors, and open only the door He intends for me to pursue. So, please be in prayer for us as we embarq on this adventure!
**What a rambling post! That's how all this seems in my mind right now too =)