Drumroll please.....

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!

We found out this past Saturday morning, and Dean and I couldn't be more excited. We have been trying for 5 months and our countless prayers have finally been answered by our loving Heavenly Father. We feel like the luckiest people in the world, and can't wait to experience this miracle together.

2 lines = baby Sheldon

SO EXCITED!!! I was still crying from sheer joy.

The proud parents-to-be.

Halfway party...

Honig and I went to a party at The Lodge this past Saturday to celebrate him being halfway done with Palmer. It was fun to get to dress up and seeing everyone looking so snazzy. We had a good time with our friends, ate too much food, watched a hypnotist work his magic on some of his classmates, and then we had to leave because I wasn't feeling so hot.

This is the only picture we got of both Dean and I the whole night! We're with our friends Brett and Amy.

Dean, Tiff, Keven, the back of Matt's head and the side of Nate's face.



I'm sure Dean and Brett were talking chiropractic. They're both smarties.

Radiant Tiff and handsome Keven.

Teeter Totter...

My mom was rockin' out on a teeter totter. How awesome is that!?!?

Graddy party...

Can I just say that I have the sweetest husband in the world? He threw me a surprise party for graduation at the institute building on the 18th, and there were over 50 people (with the kids included) who came and I was so incredibly touched and crazy surprised. Robyn and Emily, two AMAZING women who need to become party planners, helped throw it together and I can't thank you two enough. I was told it was a "party for Joseph (Robyn's hubby) for doing so well at Palmer" so of course I was going to go and support him for working so hard in school and then when Dean and I showed up, the lights were off and I thought we were in the wrong room but then the lights got flipped on and everyone yelled "SURPRISE!" and I about wet myself. I couldn't believe that so many people got together on my behalf, and I immediately started tearing up and started running around the room hugging everyone. I felt such an overwhelming feeling of love and appreciation for everyone there and I still get a little emotional just thinking about it. Once all the "thank you's" were said, we had a Mexican food buffet which was like a glorified Mexican Thanksgiving. There was SO MUCH food and it was all so delicious. Thank you everyone for bringing something nummy. We had such a good time chatting it up that night and I can't thank everyone enough. I've never had a surprise party in my life, and I must say that I am a fan of them.

Beautiful Emily.

Sister Atchley giving ME a massage. Now the tables have turned...

Allison and Dave, the happy newlyweds.

Gangsta' Robyn, Tiff telling a story, Keven looking bored, James and Jessica listening intently.

Pregnant Katie getting some nourishment for her baby.

Some of the wonderful people at the partay.

Graddy Time...

I officially graduated from massage therapy school this last Friday and I just wanted to share a couple of pictures from the school and ceremony with ya'll...

Since I was late to school almost every single day (I like to sleep in until the very last possible second, so what!?), why would it be any different on graduation day? I was supposed to be there by 2:45 but guess who didn't even leave her house until 2:41? It's all because I roasted my face with a curling iron and I couldn't find my lip gloss anywhere to save my life. Come to think of it, I still haven't found it. Anyways, I left at 2:41, called Jerrie to let her know I just left and to have her tell the teachers I'd get there as soon as I could. I had to race over to Palmer to pick up honig, and then we got stuck at pretty much every red light between Palmer and Capri. So what should have been a 7 minute drive was a 15 minute drive. And Jerrie thought it would be hilarious to text me that they started the graduation ceremony without me. You're a riot Jer. It's okay though, I would have done the same thing to you. I still love ya.

There's me all camoflauged in black, Mike's dome (Jerrie's hubby), and Jerrie in the blue. We're doing the, "OH MY GOODNESS! WE'RE ABOUT TO GRADUATE? CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?" chitty chat with eachother. The ceremony started. The teachers give their talks. They ask any of the students if they want to say anything so naturally I volunteer Jerrie to speak. She begrudgingly gets up and says thank you and praises the teachers and all of the students. It was a good speech. Then I figure, "What the hey!? I'll get up." I was going to present each of my classmates with certificates that were more on the humorous side of jokes that happened while we were in school, but my printer decided that it wanted to run out of black ink so I just gave the awards verbally and gave a little bit of a story behind each of them. It was actually pretty fun to do. Then Karie gets up after I do, and immediately starts crying while giving her speech and my classmates start tearing up too but I'm pretty sure I somehow burned my tear ducts with my curling iron too because I just couldn't cry. I wanted to but the tears just wouldn't come. I think I was just too pumped up for the day. Then they present us with our diplomas. And then came the part that Jerrie and I were dying for...

The best grades award. Jerrie and I had any and everything would could have crossed because we both wanted that award more than we wanted our diploma. Jer and I are kind of competitive with eachother in the friendly way, and when it came down to it, she beat me by less than 1 point all because I slacked on studying for 2 A&P tests, and of course now I'm kicking myself for not putting in just another hour or two of studying and I would have been singing a different tune. But I am so proud of her. She has worked so hard throughout the entire program.

Oh wait. I look a little excited there, huh? That's because the teachers decided to give me a best grades award since Jer and I were so stinking close. She still beat me by a smidge but they decided to give out 2 best grades awards for the first time ever. So now we're both officially smart. And we both need that in our back pocket.

Honig and I after the graduation ceremony.

Isn't my wonderful friend Robyn the cutest girl you have ever seen? She needs to model. I will be her agent and take 60% of everything she gets.

Me, Jer, Sasha, Heather, in front are Amy and Karie. We were all looking at different cameras because so many family members were taking pictures of us.

In our classroom before we had some cake.

Jer is suggesting to me that I bust out my transcript and we compare grades in each class. Game on sistah.

Who knows what we are laughing at. We know we're funny and that's all that matters.

Just because I wanted to put that picture in. No story behind it. Sorry.

Awww, Kare Bear and Jer Jer. I wish I had a name that rhymes.

What we normally look like. No posing what so ever.

Dr. Brooke, Jer, Mrs. VenHorst, me, Mrs. B

The Smarty Party.

Dr. Monkey Face and Mrs. Pseudo-Emaciated Face and Mrs. B (she refuses to make funny faces)

Austin Powers.

And the best picture of all. Honig was my biggest supporter and fan through all of my schooling, and he was the biggest help in answering any questions I had in A&P since he's already taken more A&P at Palmer than I will ever take. He is everything I never knew I needed. Words can't express how much I love him, and how lucky I feel each and every day. He is my life.

Scabby face chelle...

Reason #1 to not dance while curling your hair...

I was getting ready for graduation on Friday, and instead of pulling my hair back into a messy ponytail like I do for the other 364 days of the year, I decided to actually curl it and try to look like a girl. So I crank up some music in the other room and start rocking out and dancing in the bathroom while curling my lovely brown locks. I was just about finished when I got careless and whipped my head to the side while shaking my money maker, and I sauteed my cheek with the end of the curling iron. It didn't hurt very badly, which I should probably be concerned about, but the patch of skin where I sizzled my face gradually got darker and darker over a couple of hours until it looked like I had smeared eye liner on it. It barely rubbed it to make sure it wasn't eyeliner on it and then the whole top layer of skin rips off. Cute, huh? So now I am stuck walking around with a big old scab on my face. I don't really mind it, I just want to make sure it isn't going to scar, which it shouldn't since it's only a 2nd degree burn.

~

So what is the lesson here people?

~

Wear your hair back in a ponytail ALL 365 days of the year.

Ohhh, THAT'S how you're supposed to wear a skirt....

So all was fine and dandy this past Sunday in church. Just another normal Sabbath day. Dean and I get up, he goes to choir, I finally get my butt in gear and start getting ready at 12:45, I'm at church by 1. Sacrament meeting goes just fine. The cute little girl in front of us ends up having a toothbrush down her tights unbeknownst to her parents (it was awesome), you know, normal church happenings.

~~~

Next, it's time for Sunday School which also happens in the chapel. About 20 minutes before it's done, I run to the ladies room, and then return back for the rest of Sunday School. As soon as class is done, Dean and I stand up and start walking to the next class where I am going to be teaching the Young Women. We chat with a couple of people along the way. Just as we almost get to the classroom where I'm supposed to teach, Dean goes, "Ummm, honey, let me untuck that for you" and he's laughing his head off. Me-"What? What are you talking about?" He then grabs the back of my skirt and untucks it from my tights. THAT'S RIGHT, I HAD BEEN WALKING AROUND CHURCH WITH THE BACK OF MY SKIRT TUCKED INTO MY TIGHTS!!!!!!!!

~~~

I am only wearing pants to church from now on. Or at least skorts.

Oh, and...

I am over my sinus infection. Thank you leukocytes.

My clinic experience paper...

My absolute last project for school was to write a paper on how my clinic experience was. So here you have it....

~~~

Two words. “Purple underwear.” That pretty much sums up my clinic experience. Or wait, no, that sums up my reasons I need to go to a therapist. See, I somehow thought that clinic was going to be a walk in the park, I would have the worlds most normal and relaxed clients and I would fix everyone’s aches and pains with my magical hands and they would sing my praises. But purple underwear proved otherwise.

~~~
January 7th, 2008, a day that will live in infamy. It was my first day of clinic, and I came bounding into the school rearing and ready to go only to find out that my first client had cancelled, much to my dismay, so I sulked back to the classroom to work on homework when after a little while Mrs. VenHorst came back and said a gentleman had just walked in, he’d never been here before, and she was wondering if I would do his massage since my client had cancelled. “SURE!! OF COURSE!!!” I go get his paperwork, introduce myself, he fills it out, and then we walk on back to the couples room where I ask him if he has any specific areas of discomfort that he would like worked on. “My neck and back.” Ok, I can do that. “Alright Mr. ---, get undressed to your comfort level and lie down on your back, and I’ll be back in just a minute.” I close the door and go make sure my lotion is filled all the way to the top because heaven forbid I would run out during my first massage. A couple of minutes have passed and I figure that by now he is all settled in and I can get this show on the road. I knock on the door and ask through the bitty open space if he is ready and he says he is. I walk in and there is my first client, laying on the table in just his purple underwear. No sheets on top of him.
~~~
Now, the human brain is an amazing thing because within 2 seconds I had at least 10 different thought processes go through my head as to what I should do about my near-naked client. My internal conversation went a little something like this, “Yikes!! What is this guy doing? Did I not tell him to lay under the sheets when I was telling him what to do? Crud, come to think of it, I don’t think I did. Still, what kind of a person would lay on top of a massage table? Sheesh, this isn’t a massage parlor because if he thinks it is, he’s got another thing coming! Purple underwear!?!? I wonder why a grown up professional man is wearing purple underwear?! At least I can thank my lucky stars that he’s wearing those and didn’t decide to strip down to his birthday suit. Man, how can I ask him to cover up without making him feel embarrassed? Look at how uncomfortable he already looks. Oh well, I can’t look at those purple underwear one second longer…”
~~~
So partially in the interest of self preservation, I kindly tell him that I’m going to cover him up with the sheets so that he can be warmer, and it was no surprise he looked a little relieved. I start the massage, and I’m making sure I do every movement 3 times just like I was taught, I use correct body mechanics, and I ask him how the pressure was every 5 minutes. Even though the purple underwear situation was remedied, he still couldn’t completely relax throughout the massage and my little philly heart was broken because I thought I was going to have the most sedating and relaxing effect on every one of my clients and yet my very first one looked and felt like he was about to be buried six feet under. Oh well, at least I got a $10 tip. I’m kidding Mrs. B! (but I really did get a $10 tip from him which was much appreciated)
~~~
Well, Purple Underwear client pretty much set the stage for some of my clinic experience. I had the lady who wanted her breasts to be exposed for her entire massage (yeah, I was having none of that), another lady who informed me partway through the massage that she was having green discharge from one of her nipples, another who told me her life story and it would even make Oprah cry, and another who started crying on the massage table while telling me about how her husband passed away recently. I had the gentleman who I am pretty sure watches movies and takes scenarios from them and thinks that he has all the knowledge and capabilities that the character had and makes up situations and puts himself in them when he really wasn’t. I had my lady who pretty much screamed and scared all of the other clients in the building while I massaged her. I had a lady who I cannot even begin to describe the body odor and just general smell that she put off. I had the sweet 20 year old who had just gotten back from his second tour of the Middle East and was suffering from severe PTSD as he had just recently seen some of his friends killed in combat and he himself had been hit with schrapnel on 2 different occasions. Another one of my clients lost her brother and her friend in 2 different accidents within 2 weeks of eachother. I had many I-want-to-beat-my-head-against-a-wall moments, but for every uncomfortable or frustrating situation or client, there were 3 other clients who were perfectly normal and I came to love and look forward to our sessions.
~~~
I had my wonderful 70-something year old lady that came in weekly for her half hour back and foot massage, and she was so sweet that I wanted to adopt her as my own grandmother. I had another sweet lady who loved to chat throughout the massage and she loved to talk about how she is involved in her church and how she lives to serve people. I had the worlds sweetest pregnant lady who was about to give birth to her first baby and she talked and talked about how excited and nervous she was for labor and the responsibility of raising a newborn. I had my 80-something year old lady who was so kind and loving that I had to give her a hug at the end of the session (when she was clothed of course!). I had my esthetic student who wanted the worlds deepest pressure and she was so willing to tell me where she wanted more pressure or where she wanted me to ease off and just had the overall best attitude. And I can’t forget about the gentleman who has the worlds most ticklish feet, we had a good laugh together. And of course I have tons more stories and clients that were wonderful and I couldn’t wait for our next appointment because they all made me want to be a better person.
~~~
All jokes set aside, I had a wonderful clinic experience. I learned how to better communicate with clients to make them feel more comfortable and at ease since they are being put in a vulnerable position. I made sure to call every client “friend” which I could also see many people visibly put at ease because who doesn’t like to feel like they are someone’s friend!? I made sure to end every extremity with a light feather stroke which almost every single client seemed to love and respond positively to. I learned how ask questions about their health history and I even was able to explain to some clients why they were hurting where they were from information they told me about their habits and jobs. I learned that saying, “Thank you so much for letting me work on you” to every client made them feel like it was time well spent even if they didn’t find instant relief from their problem areas. I learned to leave the room as soon as I told someone to dress down to their comfort level because they are going to start getting undressed right then regardless of whether or not I am still in the room. I learned more or less what a tight muscle feels like which I never thought would happen. I learned that correct body mechanics really are important and can make or break your day.
~~~
On top of having either odd or wonderful clients, my classmates and teachers made the difference. Mrs. B and Dr. Brooke, you two are absolutely amazing. You both are so understanding and you have an sharp wit and sense of humor which the world needs more of. I love that I could laugh and joke with you guys and yet we could be serious when needed. Mrs. B, I’m glad I didn’t have to do go that WalMart chair massage day because it wouldn’t have happened; I would have gotten there and someone probably would have shoplifted my chair when I was turned around to grab a face cradle cover, and then I just would have gone shopping like I do every time I walk into that market-dominating store. So thank you for not making me do that! And as for my classmates, what a diverse group we had but we sure had fun. Of course we had our annoyances and clashes, but that comes along with spending so much time with each other. Honestly, one of the greatest lessons I learned at school besides A&P and Theory and Business, was I learned how to stand up for myself and my beliefs even more. From having a confrontation with a classmate and calling her out in front of the whole class because I was just done with her, to calling out a previous teacher and classmates on the unnecessary potty language, I learned that I just need to say what’s on my mind instead of penting it up inside. I know those 2 experiences may not sound like a big deal but they were huge for me because it took some serious guts on my part to vocalize my opinion and realize that I was going to be offending some people. It gave me a new level of self confidence that I didn’t know I had. I made wonderful friends and I am so thankful that I chose to come to Capri and I haven’t regretted my decision to become a massage therapist or where to get my schooling for one second. It has been a wonderful road. I wouldn’t trade purple underwear for the world.

I already miss it...

It's bittersweet. I just finished up massage therapy school last Thurday, and while everyone was all but doing back handsprings as the final seconds of class were winding down, I am over in the corner moping and sulking because I didn't want it to end. I loved going there everyday and loved being challenged to learn new subjects and techniques. I loved my classmates and teachers and, of course, most of my clients. At the end of the day we had some fun taking pictures, and then we left and all went home. I came home to an empty house since Dean was still at school and then I got really really sad. I was so sad to be ending a chapter of my life, and I needed my husband right then. So I went to Palmer, picked him up, we had to run back to my school to drop something off, and then he and I went to Texas Roadhouse for a just he-and-I celebratory last day of school dinner. Well, I was so sad that I started crying in the middle of dinner 2 seconds after they brought us our food, and of course I don't want to have a million people watch me cry so we quickly ask for a box for our food because I suddenly had no appetite, and then we drove home and I cried the entire way. I was so happy and proud of myself that I was done and passed and did pretty well in school, but I was still so sad because I loved going to school everyday. So now it's time to focus on studying for boards in May and finding a job. It sure has been a good road.

I didn't take very many pictures at school because I kept forgetting to, but I managed to snap a couple. So, voila!....

Jerrie and I acting like angels. Because we are angels.

WE'RE FILLING OUT BOARDS APPLICATIONS!!! You don't understand, this was a REALLY big deal for us. We talked about this day since the first day of class.

Jerrie, Karie, me, and Mrs. B just doinkin around.

Nervous finger bite.

Jerrie LOVED to position the skeleton in different positions. She lived for that.



'boutsa be getting some action.

Practicing Shiatsu massage on Jer.

All 3 of us had a good time.

I don't even know. Don't ask.

Awww, Jerrie and Karie showing some love.

It's been proven that if you smile and sing a cheery tune while doing CPR that the patient is more likely to survive.

Wow, my eyes look like they are going to burst out of my head.

DON'T YOU DIE ON ME NOW!!!

Jer giving some mannequin lovin.

And of course, who can forget Dr. Brooke's monkey face. Awesome.