Whirlwind Weeks

The past few weeks all feel like a blur. Somehow, I made it through my fifteen week internship. I made it through all of the negativity and walked out of the hospital feeling free. Totally and completely free. Like when you don't wear a bra or like a bird soaring in the wind or like a used and abused child life intern that has completed her internship and feels accomplished even with all of the struggles she had been through. Oh wait. It was definitely that last one. 

It was even better that I was able to go home and see my mom and dad that very night. That is when the fun began. I was able to go shopping, take my mom tubing for her first time, take both parents to see the lights on Temple Square, and explore the new light show at Thanksgiving Point. And, the best part of it all was that I was still counting down the days until graduation, going home, and Christmas where I will be able to Skype my little missionary brother. 

Tubing is always an adventure, and mom was willing to take this one on and go head first. We laughed as we played in the snow and as it flurried around us as we flew down the hills on our tubes. So cold. So fun. Another night we went to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point. They were amazing. They had different themes in different areas, and in some there were even smells to go along with the themes. And, I loved that in the center there was a nativity scene and my favorite sculptures of Christ surrounded by lanterns. It truly reminds you why we celebrate Christmas and brings you back to what really matters. I also got to take my parents to see Temple Square. They have seen it numerous times before but never when the Christmas lights were up. And oh how we love Christmas lights! I loved watching them as the lights reflected in their wide eyes as they tried to take it all in. Once again, it reminded me the true meaning of the season. 

At the end of the week we headed to Arizona where I was able to see the first family of kids I ever babysat. All of them are all so grown up!! It is amazing. The youngest, whose first words were Spongebob and Megan, who was still so tiny when we moved is all grown up now. Also, he is so funny! I loved getting to see all of them and how much they have grown and changed and who they are becoming. We also got to see my cousin Ami and her cute family. I love getting to see friends and family that we do not get to very often. It makes trips more fun and worth it. We even got to see the Mesa Temple lights on our trip. Two sets of temple lights, each very different, and each being beautiful in their own way.

Suddenly, it was graduation day. The actual ceremonies were so fast. It was such a whirlwind I don't even remember them all that well. I do remember walking out of the second day's ceremony to be silly stringed by my ever so loving parents though... I finished my internship, and I am all graduated and stuff. Does it feel real? Not at all. I know it will hit me at some point though! 

We made the trip from Arizona all in one day. When I woke up the next morning I had the worst sinus infection I've ever had. I think I had been fighting it for a couple weeks, but after that tedious drive my body couldn't handle it anymore. I'm still recovering but feel much better than before. I was even able to decorate our house so it feels a little more like Christmas now! 

I hope everyone has a merry Christmas. Fill your time with those you love. Remember why we celebrate Christmas and try to keep the true meaning in your hearts even with all of the commotion of shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, and everything else that keeps you busy. :) 

Thankful for Us

This week during my internship I got called "just an intern" by one of my supervisors. As if that isn't bad enough, that same supervisor then had to fill out my final evaluation for my school class. She rated me low on respectfulness, being professional, and being able to make relationships with my coworkers. I have never been rated low on any of those things. I always try so hard to be respectful even when we don't see eye to eye, I always work on being professional, and I am the one who writes thank you notes for everyone that does any little thing to help me along my way. She wouldn't hand me the evaluation. She put it in my mailbox and made me go get it. It hurt. It still does. I now dread going to my internship on Monday even more than usual. I am not just an intern. I am a future Child Life Specialist. I am the future of child life.  So you can try to break me, you can try to lower my grade in my Master's program, and you can just be flat out mean to me, but I am going to try to be the bigger and better person and move on.  

I woke up early on Thanksgiving Day still with that hurt in my heart. All day as I cooked, talked to Becca, watched movies, talked to my family, and feasted the pain ebbed away. I had to put things into perspective. I only have a week left. I get to go home to a loving and family. I have sweet friends who are always there for me. I have my baby girl who I love so much. I am thankful for each and every one of them. I am so excited to see my mom and dad in just 10 days. I am thankful for us.

The Only Political Post I'll Ever Write

I know a lot of people are upset about the election. There have been riots, burning the American flag, protests, petitions, marches, etc. I'm not writing to tell you your beliefs are wrong. I'm not saying that any one political party is the right one or that one candidate was better than the other. I am telling you all that really neither candidate was the best. I do not support either of them fully. Both have said and done things that they shouldn't have. I am telling you all to stop being sore losers and start acting like the strong nation we are and working on supporting each other. You may not believe in Donald Trump. But you have to believe in our country. You have to believe in democracy. You have to believe in the way our nation and government are organized. If you want something to change stop whining about what happened during the election and go out and work to make the world a better place. Help others, volunteer, give of yourself and your time, help the refugees, actually go out and vote for your community leaders, work hard, continue to pray for our country, teach your children what you believe. This poem is on the Statue of Liberty. Maybe we all need to take the time to actually read it: 

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Maybe if we all stopped fighting and saying things we don't mean to people we love we will be able to actually make America great again. Two candidates ran, we voted, one won, and now it is our turn to gather together as One Nation Under God and support the one who won regardless of who we voted for because he is now president, he deserves our respect, and the only way our country is going to thrive is if we work together to make it better and welcome those who are different and think differently than we do with open arms. 

Faith in the Middle

It's interesting that it's the hardest times in which one reaches out to Heavenly Father. Then, sometimes after a while and sometimes almost instantly things become so much better. In this case, things got better quickly. These past couple weeks went especially well. I celebrated Halloween by going to a place called Gardner Village which is known for their holiday decorations, little shops, and witches! This week started with Stake Conference at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. That is such a beautiful building to have church in. The mom of the first kiddos I babysat told my mom that I was always their favorite babysitter. The senior director of the hospital I used to work at talked to my mom and told her to have me call him when I started looking for jobs. The social worker I work with on the floor brought me a chicken fried steak because she knew I missed it. My Texas girl heart almost exploded from happiness. My mom's Plano counterpart texted her and said the child life team there had nothing but good things to say about me. I RSVP'd for my graduation, and I found out because of my GPA I get to be in a slideshow before the ceremony. As I was leaving work my supervisor told me I had done a really good job that day, but she said it again as she pulled me to look into her eyes so I would know that she really meant it. I walked out to find surprise, beautiful, and delicious treats in my mailbox. Every day I get to come home to the sweetest and happiest puppy I have ever met. And, after this week I will only have three weeks left of my internship! So yes, sometimes we are going to go through tough times. But, I know I am supposed to be here for a reason, and because I had faith through the middle of the tough times, He helped me through it and brought me to the other side.