Update

Sorry we've been a little scarce lately. I've been busy with classes, and it's so hard to believe there's only a little over 1 month of classes left until I begin my final semester of graduate school. That also means, I'll be taking the state licensing exam in 2 months, so I've been preparing for that as well.
We're heading out of town for the weekend. Donald has to go out-of-town for work, and Jackson and I try to tag along when we can so we can see some new things. So, I've been trying to figure out what Jackson and I will be doing while Donald's working. Not sure yet, but we'll be close the Blue Ridge Parkway, and many other things, so I know we'll find something interesting to do, and it'll allow us to spend some good quality time together. I hope to post some pictures soon of some other things we've been doing, but it may be next week after we return. We'll be leaving Friday night after trick-or-treating and we'll return on Sunday, so hopefully I can get back to blogging more regular then.

NC State Fair 2008

So, Donald and I debated heading to the State Fair because of the rain that would be rolling in today, but decided to make the best of it and head out anyways. We had a great day together as a family! It didn't rain the entire time we were there, and the crowds were minimal. We didn't really have to wait for any of the rides that Jackson wanted to ride, and we had no trouble getting from place to place because the crowds were easy to navigate in and out of. Because we spent less time waiting in lines, we were able to do and see many of the things that Jackson wanted to do, but his favorites were definitely holding the baby ducks/chickens, riding the pony, and riding the rides. He saw this interesting robot while waiting to ride one of his rides, and it came over and talked to the kids, and scared him so much he wanted to get off the ride. He says now it was a nice robot talking to the girls, but he was a little upset by how large it was at the time. Here's a few of my favorite pictures.

Realizations of an SLP

I've had the priveledge of working in an acute care hospital this past semester for grad school. I've learned so much in this setting, and have really enjoyed it. I knew going into grad school that this would be the hardest semester for me because I didn't know if I was ready to face an internship like this. I didn't know if I was ready to face death because emotionally I feel so vulnerable after the loss of my precious dad, and even after almost 2 years, it still feels so fresh. I think this internship has been one of the best things to help facilitate the healing process even more. Anyone who is hurting and healing, I encourage you to give of yourself and you will gain so much more.
Here's a few of my realizations I've had:
1- Death never gets any easier to deal with. It will always be someone's loved one, someone's husband/wife/dad/mother/child/friend, and making the decision about end of life measures never gets any easier, but what a family needs most during this time is empathy and education. That's what I can offer to a family with a loved one who is dying. I have been in their shoes, I know what it's like, and I can give of myself because I can empathize.
2- This is the absolute perfect profession for me. I feel honored to be a part of such an honorable profession that helps people every single day, and the impact you can have is profound. Each day when I walk out the hospital doors, I know I have made a difference in someone's life that day. The information I share may not always be positive or may not be what the family had hoped to hear, but the manner I present it in, the empathy I can show, and education we give encourages families, inspires patients for success, and make an impact in that individual's life.
3- Medical intervention is so wonderful, but despite what we know as healthcare professionals, the Great Physician can intervene at any time as He sees fit. We will never understand His plan, but I'm so glad that I can see His hand at work each day.
4- I have so much left to learn. I learn so much each day, and I'm so thankful for the doctors, nurses, and other speech-language pathologists who take the time to explain various medical conditions to me, various therapeutic techniques, and diagnostic techniques.

What a great weekend!

We had a great weekend this past weekend. I have been wanting to see my good friend Brooke for some time now. It'd been quite a while since we've been able to get together. She's such a busy woman with work, and she's only lived within driving distance for a while now, so we planned to get together this weekend, and have fun and catch up for ole times sake. She drove down, and stayed with us and played with Jackson. He had such a great time with Miss Brooke. He's still enjoying all the toys and the book that she brought for him. Jackson loved her, and had a wonderful time with her! We enjoyed a girls night out with a nice dinner at my favorite Greek restaurant, and watched "Nights in Rodanthe."
So glad she was able to visit. Some friends will remain friends forever no matter the distance between you, or how long it is between visits. That's how you know you're true friends! I'm thankful to have such wonderful friends.

Crazy busy...

So, it's been a little bit since I posted, and things have been crazy busy! I'm in the middle of midterms, so I've been so busy studying away for these midterms. There's a lot of things going on right now with school, so it's keeping me busy. I'm preparing all my documents for graduation. Crazy that it's only 7 short months away. WOW! I'm filling out all the graduation paperwork for ECU, and also trying to prepare my resume' and document clinical experience to submit to ASHA who is the licensing body for Speech-Language Pathology. They require a lot of paperwork and documentation to show that I have had a variety of clinical experience, and competent to work with various individuals with a variety of speech disorders. I'm also working hard to make sure I have all the required experience necessary, so it's crunch time!
Also, since this weather has been so beautiful, Jackson and I have been spending lots of time outdoors doing fun things, and working in the yard. He really is a great helper to have, and he enjoys working so much, so we try to find helpful things that he can help with because he enjoys that.
Donald and I went to see the movie Fireproof last night with some friends, and it was really a good movie with a great message. I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to definitely see it as it presents a great message about marriage and how God's love enables us to love differently than we could were we not saved. With divorce as rampant as it is these days, it's always great to have a reminder of how God views marriage, and that marriage isn't easy, but you never leave your partner in the middle of the fire!