11 Pounds

I didn't believe it for myself at first.As most of you know, I have been trying to lose some weight... a lot of weight! My goal is to be in a size 7 or 8 by February of 2012, which is when Cody comes home. So far, I have lost about 10 or 11 pounds since the middle of August! Honestly, I am so proud of myself. I never would have believed that I did it if it wasn't my own body.
I couldn't ever tell that I was actually losing weight at first though. People that see me everyday at work have been commenting on how loose my scrubs are, and even my family has been noticing. That makes me so excited! I can never tell just by looking at myself in the mirror every day. But I can tell when I look at these two pictures.

The first one was taken in the first of April of this year. The second one was taken the first of October of this year. Look at my belly. That's where you can really tell. (Just so you know... I stayed at a pretty normal weight since I graduated high school. I've been at 198 since I graduated... so all of my pre-weight loss pictures look like the first pic.) I am amazed at my progress! I have just been adjusting some things that are a part of my lifestyle, and look at what a difference it has made. I laugh when I hear of these girls who go on twenty different diets and are on a new on every week and aren't losing any weight, and then there I am... changing habits in my daily life and I'm 11 pounds lighter.

I'm lovin' life!

My Tough Decision

I have been stressed with this decision for a while now.
Remember when I decided that I wanted to get my dental hygiene? Well... my decision was trying to decide whether or not I actually wanted to. Reasons for my dilemma:

Being around it all day and watching what the hygienists do, I was trying to figure out if I would get bored with doing JUST cleanings and sealants ALL day for every patient. I would get bored with perio or regular cleanings. I enjoy doing assisting! I love having lots of different procedures to do during the day. For example, today I did a root canal, 2 extractions, a stainless steel crown, a few fillings and some exams. I love having all that different stuff to do! I don't get bored and I love the variety! I am so happy and content right now with just assisting. I make good money as it is now, I'm not in debt, the only thing I have to pay is my car and I'm more then halfway done with that.

I'm not in debt. Like I said, I only have my car to pay. I would get scared getting $60,000 in debt which I would have to pay back for the next like 20 years or so, and only working for a few years, then stopping and having kids around and then getting into a situation where I wouldn't be able to pay the rest of whatever I couldn't pay off. I would rather stop now, paying $2000 for this semester of school that I would quit then get halfway into school and not liking it, then having to finish and be in all that debt. My parents said they would rather me do it that way too. I was having such a hard time deciding too because I have been building myself up in my mind that I was such a terrible person wanting to quit school already having paid $2000 or more just for this semester. I came to find out from several people that I am not a terrible person for that. Yeah I'm out $2000 but it's better then $60,000!

I didn't talk to anyone about this for a few weeks because I thought maybe it was just a "I don't wanna go to school" mood... but it ended up being for real.

If you are my friend on Facebook, then you already know my decision. For those of you who aren't, here it is....

I am NOT getting my dental hygiene.

I am just going to stay an assistant, because I love it!

Extractions

So for those of you who don't know... I had my Wisdom Teeth extracted this month, my left side at the beginning of the month and my right side just last Thursday! May I just say that I am soooo glad that I don't have anymore that I need to take out! I don't know if I could do the shots for anesthesia again or getting sick on the Lortab. Ugh! Anyways, here are some funny pictures the girls at work shot of me while I was getting these teeth pulled on Thursday.

I look dead. Good old Dr. Ashman! :D

Minda doing the thumbs up! Classic Minda, love that girl!



BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This is me smiling after Dr. Ashman numbed me! Kinda scary, I know!

Hahahaha... I debated putting that last picture up on there ;D

I'm also debating if I really want to do my hygiene.... I really just love assisting and the more that I watch the hygienists do their thing at work, I'm worried I'll get bored. I love having a variety of stuff to do everyday and I love keeping busy.... hmmmm.... what do you guys think?

Wisdom Teeth and The Lion King

Ok so... this post is super late for when I told you I was going to put it up. But here it is...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnQgwJpuJWc



Sorry I had to put the link up, it wouldn't let me embed the whole movie. It's sooo funny! I peed my pants about 30 times! :D


I went and saw The Lion King on broadway at Capitol Theater with my family, Deb, Linds, Claude, Nash and Dalene on Sunday. It was ssssooooo amazing! Oh my gosh! I loved it! Here are some stills from the internet since I couldn't take pictures there...

Timon and Pumba

Simba and Nala

Opening scene

Rafiki

So much fun! And on Saturday, Parker and Lindsey and I went to Lagoon with Nick! It was such a blast! I had such a great weekend!

Birthday Fun and More Holly Pictures

Yesterday was my birthday! I can't believe that I am 20 years old. Wow! Crazy! What did I do? Well, I went to work first of all. I worked until 3 and then I came home and watched Les Miserables with my beautiful Madre! Then I met Holly and Julie at Olive Garden for dinner. It was so much fun! Holly was boy hunting the boys on the table across from us and she actually gave them her number! haha! Oh how funny! Here are pics of dinner...

Me and Hollster

Me and Julie

Then afterwards, we went and did one of her amazing spontaneous photo shoots. Then we went back to her house and just hung out for the rest of the night. I hadn't hung out with them for a long time and so it was good to be able to talk with them and laugh and have fun. Here are the beautiful photo shoot pictures:

Well it's only some of them. But it's a lot and I love them all! I'm not trying to be vain and say that I am amazing haha I've raving over Holly's photo skills and tell everyone about them because she loves to take peoples pictures! Let me know if you want some done by her! Love ya'll!

Don't Know What to Call This Post... haha!

Well. Parker graduated from Seminary today! It was soo cool to see the spiritual accomplishments that he has made. It was so fun to see all my football buddies, like Shaun Johansen and Sean King... aka Mr. King hehe!... and many others graduate!

I also got to see my favorite seminary teacher ever... Brother Goss. I had Brother Goss my last semester of my senior year, and what a great experience it was! I really looked up to him and his advice, especially when I had my not-very-good-we-don't-talk-about-him boyfriend haha. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew I was having a hard time with something with him and he always made sure to let me know that he was there for me if I ever needed to talk.
I also think that during that semester, I started to gain my testimony for Christ. I always thought that I had had one, but I didn't. Brother Goss simply "planted the seed" (sorry that probably sounds cheesy) and it has grown now that I have the greatest influences and faith and help in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed Brother Goss' class, and hearing him speak again tonight at Parker's graduation filled me with the spirit and made me miss seminary.

I also got to see my favorite... Michelle Gren! haha! I love her! I really got to know her during YW camp my last year when I got to work with her while she was in the stake and while I was a YCL. She's grown to be a great friend of mine and I look up to her so much! I hadn't seen her for a while so it was good to get to talk to her for a few minutes. :D

Anyways... I have to work tomorrow so I'll have a 4 day week this week! But that's alright! hehe! I gotta get to bed, acutally I have to email Cody first and then start a letter to him and then I'll read scriptures and go to bed! Loves!

I Luv My Job :D

Sorry I didn't blog last night! I was so tired from a full day at the office that I fell asleep super early!

Well, all went well yesterday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work with a dentist named James Ashman. And guess what? He's 77 years old and still in there doin dirty work! Haha! He is so adorable! And so funny, so patient and so helpful. He didn't mind that I wasn't used to working with him and he was very patient and helping giving me tips on stuff. The other assistant that helps Dr. Ashman, Renette, told me that he is like your grandpa. And it's true. She also warned me that he is very old school and that he will do things and ask for things that I've never even heard of. Haha and it's so true! But he was very patient and very helpful when both of us had no idea what he was asking for. (Example: Reverse Plugger? haha I had never seen one but now I know what one is!) My x-rays are looking... G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! I was so worried that I wasn't going to be able to do my x-rays right because I had the hardest time with Dex in school. But! They are so much easier on real people, and everyone kept telling me that but for some reason I didn't believe them. Now I do haha! I love taking x-rays! To me it's so much fun!

I don't dread going to work anymore. I always wanted to call in sick to Sam's Club, but not at the dental office. I think it's because there is so much different stuff going on every day that it's not the same lame thing like at Sam's. I am so excited to get in there and get working on people and get better at my skills.

Yesterday, I did get to watch the hygienist, Laura, for a little bit. And... I was a little nervous at what I saw. I am so excited to get my hygienist, don't get me wrong, but I didn't realize that I would have to learn how to numb people for procedures... with a NEEDLE! AHHHHH! If you don't know me very well, then you don't know how scared I am of needles for myself and having to stick a needle in someone else. I can load the needle, hand the needle, watch it being administered, take it back and unload it. But I'm scared of doing it myself! I don't know how good at that I will do! AHHHHHHH! My hands are shaking just thinking about it! :(

Well, nothing else really going on. Tomorrow is my last day of work until Tuesday! I actually get weekends now. Who knew they existed!? Definately not me. :D Have a good night everyone!

My How Time Flies

How crazy is it that May is pretty much almost over? I can't believe how fast time is going! Parker graduates high school in a week and a half and Lindsey graduates in 2 weeks. I've been out of high school for 2 years. Cody's been gone for 3 months. Parker turns 19 in November and will be leaving on his mission this year. I'm almost 20. Oh my gosh I can't even think of all the things that are milestones that don't feel like they should be happening. I swear that times goes by faster when you graduate from high school. Honestly. Haha!

I found more pictures of Cody to scrapbook. I remembered that him and Elder Gormus (his companion) sent pictures of them and their apartment and one of the activities they had as a ward/branch. I had to figure out a way to copy them so that I could make copies of them at Walmart.com to have them print it off for me, just because they had copy and pasted them to a word document. It was quite difficult! But I got it figured out. They are smaller pictures but they worked out great for a different type of page! I like working with smaller pictures! Anyways, here they are.

I must say that these two have turned out to be my favorite pages so far! I have no idea if it's because I got to experiment with smaller pictures or what. But I am becoming more and more comfortable with being creative, although these pages are super simple.

Got an email today from Cody. He had this to say about their work, "We had an amazing week last week. 4 people with baptismal dates, 5 in church, wow, we are stoked to be able to be doing this work haha, we plan on putting 5 more baptismal dates just this week sweetie. But we are so pumped to be doing this work." When I was over at his house yesterday, his dad was telling me that when they got to talk to him on the phone that you could tell he was so so happy and that he sounded like he was having the time of his life. I love hearing that! I love knowing that he is enjoying every bit of what he is doing out there. I know that when it gets time to come back, he will be glad to be home but he will miss being out there and talking to people.

Well, I gotta go! I have to read my scriptures and stuff still before I go to bed! I have to be up early for my new job! :D

Job Results and Cody Update

Cody update:
I got an email from him today! I love getting emails from him, even though they are forwarded to me by his dad because he can't directly email me anymore haha but I still love getting them. He's told me that while being in Canelones, he's learned the lessons of patience and obedience. He said, "...obedience is key on a mission i have discovered. Without it we are unable to do the work that the lord has put in front of us to do for him." Oh what a cute, inspirational missionary! :D I'm glad that he's learning a lot out there, and I'm grateful for his companion trainer, Elder Gormus, who has helped teach him a lot. Cody will be a great trainer companion one day, all with the help of Elder Gormus and also with the help of his other companions.

I decided that I am going to make Cody a mission scrapbook (hehe!) with all of his mission pictures that he sends me so that he can look at them later in life and remember lots of memories about his mission. I made the first page today.



It's really simple, but I figured it doesn't need to be too elaborate, at least right now. The pictures are pictures that his mission president in Montevideo sent to Shawn who sent them to me. The lettering in the top right hand corner is the letter that the Da Silva's emailed with the pictures. I still need to make farewell pages for it. That is the next project.

Job update:
I GOT THE ASSISTING JOB! YAY! Oh my goodness! I am so excited! I had butterflies swimming around in my stomach all weekend because I was so nervous about it. (hahaha! Swimming butterflies? Don't ask. :D) Anyways, I start training Friday morning before work, and then I will work Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with alternating Fridays. SOO EXCITED! Goodbye Sam's Club! But thanks for keeping my on my feet for a little while!

Food, Interview and Other Nonsense

Oh my goodness! I am so excited! Tomorrow I have an interview with College Dental Clinic, which is the clinic that I worked with while going to school. One of their assistants is leaving to get her hygiene, which I will eventually do as well, and so they've asked me to go in and do a working interview with them. I'm a little nervous because I haven't done asssiting since December haha! But I know that once I get going it will come back to me. I'm reviewing my book and stuff too hehe I think I might worry a little too much ;D But this will give me my years experience that every other dental clinic wants. I'm planning to still go to school and get my pre-reqs while I'm working there. Hopefully it all works out well! I hope I get it because I'm getting tired and too stressed out over Sam's Club.

I don't know if i ever told you about my positive month... haha well Ann, my COS supervisor at Sam's Club that I absolutely love!, challenged me last month to do a month of positivity. She did it in March simply because she wanted to try to be more enthusiastic about things and have a positive outlook on things. She challenged me to do it in April. I did well, except for like the last two weeks, in which she told me I could bag it and start over again in May. She's doing it with me this month. I've done super well so far! I did have a little break down last night but I got over it quickly and back on track. I challenge everyone to have a positive month! I've noticed a little difference in the way things are going in my life, and I'm sure the better I get at it the better things will get and the more that I will notice. I don't wanna be annoyingly positive, because obviously everyone has those days where it just isn't cutting it, but try it. See how you do.

I've also made another decision haha. I've been wanting to work on some church related things... like reading my scriptures better and praying and such. I'm raising the bar for myself I guess you could say. Actually I'm just working on being a better person spiritually which I know will help me temporally. I decided that I wanted to work on one specific principle every month. This month I'm going to do scripture study. I want to read my scriptures every day at least once, if not twice. I'm gonna try to incorporate prayer in there as much as I can to get used to it but right now my focus is on the scriptures. I'll see how it goes too :)

Do you wanna know what sounds super super yummy right now? The Turkey Bacon Avocado sandwich from Kneaders. MMMM!