Week One...fifteen to go!

I'm ALIVE!! That's important!

Going into my second to last semester, I was expecting it to be easy (maybe one hard class) with spare time in the morning (I get to sleep in) and in the afternoon...WRONG!

Monday-Class is at 11:50...sleep in, take it easy...at least that worked out as planned. Then I headed off to class (IND 316-Industrial Design History), sat through a VERY long lecture from the teacher I've had before...he's long winded and BORING, but easy. Then I had an hour break to check my email and stay indoors as much as possible. Then my second class, (BIS 402-Interdisciplinary Study Core Class) my teacher is kinda weird...doesn't suprise me too much since 301 and 302 I was stuck with the psychoEST teacher...maybe BIS attracts them...

the difference, I like her craziness because she makes sense and picks a topic that's interesting-the desert.

After class on Monday, I should have tonz of time but I don't get home til 5:30.

Tuesday-I go to the dentist at 7:00AM in the morning!!! Then to my internship where they started me on creating a manual for their guides so for 6 hours straight I read TONZ of info. Then I went directly to my class at 4:30 til 5:45 and listened to very interesting but also boring lecture (INT 310-Interior Decorating History)....tues and thurs are LONG days!

Wednesday-I had an interview with Guthrie for the Respite job working with an autistic child. I got it and had to plan into my schedule when I will attend four four hour classes...let's just say next week will be the week from hell, but the training will be good for three years and I can pick up more clients and make this my full time job for next semester AND after I graduate. YAY! This is what I wanted to get into!

Thursday- a little better because I wasn't reading quite as much at the internship and I was a little more comfortable around those people. Then I went to class and thankfully found a more comfortable chair so it wasn't quite so painful.

FRIDAY!!! I only had one class...the weird part was the night before, there was lightning FILLING the sky and they recorded about 100mph winds....so friday on campus, all the large trees were ripped out and across the parking lot and others were broken and on the walk way. It looked like a war zone. Apparently they are still cleaning up the area.

So that's week one! Stay tuned for next week!

'And the Thunder Rolls!'

Last night, after a VERY long day for Lyle 'n I, I fell asleep and after many times of waking me up to make me roll over due to my snoring (I'm already like my dad! NOOO!)...and aside from Lyle's sick stomach...Lyle FINALLY also fell asleep.

(Enter storm)...scenery:dark night, lightning n thunder three seconds apart, house shaking...story begins.
I was woken up by a REALLY loud noise like someone was rolling off the roof. Notice the ROLLING part. It wasn't too long after that I realized a storm rolled in. Normally, I wake up to the lightning and thunder but I lay there and enjoy it...not this time. The storm was right over the house. It was the loudest, strongest, most un-nerving thunder and lightning show I have EVER experienced! Since I knew that Lyle had just barely fallen asleep I didn't want to wake him (how could he sleep through all the noise?!), but it would make me feel better...well...he WAS awake and we laid there for almost 30mins with the thunder shaking the house and the lighning making us worry where it's striking...the neighbor's backyard...the front lawn...AND of course all the neighbor dogs were unsettled (couldn't the lightning hit them? Sorry Jill, I don't have much of a heart when I am sleep deprived!).
FINALLY after the 30min, the heavens opened and it POURED for a good while and that was our cue to fall into a deep-but not too deep since morning was just around the corner. Let's just say it was a slow morning...and we woke up to a clear morning and no water on the ground like nothing ever happened. Welcome to the desert!

Oh!...i'll update later on school...so much going on...such little time...I'm SO exhausted and it's ONLY my third day! But good news on the job to come! Will post more later...thank goodness for three day weekends! I know what Lyle n I are doing! Want to join our recouping sessions?

RanDomnESS

I finally got new glasses. I have had my glasses for about five years and the frame is VERY thin so they were ALWAYS out of whack. The other day I was mentioning to Lyle that I really

ought to get new glasses soon when I picked them up and the spring broke.

Next day, I went and chose my new glasses and ordered them.

I decided to get a different style and went from oval to rectangular...

So...here's how they look...don't laugh at my big nose and how I look in the pictures...humor me!

Before

After

No laughing!! :) Now my eyes just have to adjust with headaches until then.

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Next...school starts tomorrow...I'll keep you posted, but just so you know, my intership class is requiring me to keep a weekly blog (instead of writing three large papers...YAY!). It'll be a different link, but I will add the link to my 'Friends and Family' list so you can read it if you feel like it...this is mainly for Mom since she enjoys knowing what's going on. Love you, MOM!

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I have a possible job...a sister in the ward has asked me to be a babysitter/respite worker for her autistic child. I can go through the training in a week and then I will be watching the kids in the afternoon and some Saturdays. It's the perfect job while I am in school. It's very easy, great experience, and only 10-15 hours a week. Cross your fingers!

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Sickness is going around! The beginning of the week, I came down with a nasty cold...it was bad. I finally got over it by Wednesday, but now Lyle is coming down with it, Brenda is in it full blown, and Doug started last night...No fun! We'll make it through.

That's all! Love you all! I'll keep you post in the many weeks to come.

Final Lap! Soon to be ASU Alumni!

I am in my final lap with school! I was officially accepted into the BIS 401 class (it was a lengthy process and I even had to redo my project proposal). That means that I am good to go on my internship! So school starts a week from Monday and that will be my last year of schooling!! It's about time! My semester will consist of four classes and my last semester will be two...then the WONDERFUL day of graduation...I have been a senior for WAY too long (3 years). Wish me luck in my last year. Go SUN DEVILS!

Hanchett Reunion

We're BACK! It was WONDERFUL to be in ABQ where the weather was COOLER and beautiful. We also got to see family and friends. I always feel like there's so much to do when we go to ABQ since we only make it there twice a year. At least we got family and a few friends. The sad part we didn't get to was horseback riding...once again! Next time for sure.
Anyway-
the reason for the trip was because of the Hanchett 29th Family Reunion. We missed seeing some of the family (love you guys!), but the ones that were there we really feel like we were able to connect with.
Grandma and Grandpa wanted to start a new tradition from their mission (it's one my family already does so now both sides will do it)...chimes.
Then Grandpa handed out walking sticks that he cut from a tree in Alabama. Next year we will have a competition to see who decorated theirs the best.
We then enjoyed games and talking...and bowling! I bowled the worst game of my life (30 and compare that to Lyle's worst that day 130) , but I really had a great time with the girls.

Brittoni and I really connected. The proof...on Monday, Lyle, Wes, and Logan all went to bale hay from 7-2 and the whole time what did Brittoni and I do?...exercised our jaws. It really was great and also great to find someone that loves watching olympics and in particular gymnastics...just as much as I do.

Sadly, we had to leave on Tuesday, but we really had a great time...even if Wes killed me MANY times at Settlers...I did still cream my family in Monopoly...that's history!

Oh! Also...the drive down...yeah! That was crazy! First of all, I was driving...I hate driving in the rain, dark, and snow...well, we were driving at night AND it was raining...so I was very focused on the road that I missed our turn and took us to Snowflake...at least we got to see the BEAUTIFUL temple, but added thirty minutes to our trip.
THEN, I was craving ice cream...went to Holbrook at 8:00 pm and their DQ was closed. So we continued to Gallup...never try getting ice cream in Gallup at night.
McDonalds was open 24/7 but apperently not their ice cream machine. So we went to Blakes...closed...then Wendy's...closed...BK...no...sonic...just as we pulled up, we rolled down the window and the car next to us ordered ice cream and they announced that their machine was broken. NO ICE CREAM!!
Yeah, that was sad.
We finally made it to ABQ at 1:00 AM (we started at 5PM AZ time).

We really did enjoy the trip! It was fun to relax and play games with family and see old friends. We love you all! Thanks again!

My hubby loves me!

I LOVE the outside...especially when it's beautiful outside...cool,storm rolling in.

I have wanted a patio swing for a very long time and since we FINALLY have a patio to put one on, my sweet hubby surprised me one afternoon with a PATIO SWING! He had found one on sale at Home Depot...$60 from the normal $170.

The only problem is that it's still HOT season and so I haven't been sitting on it too often, but tonight we had a storm move in and it was cool, raining, lightning, thundering, and very windy. It was BEAUTIFUL! and perfect timing to just sit on my swing and RELAX. Thanks, babe! I LOVE my swing!

Now all I need is to graduate and get my telescope and I will be set up outside and never want to come inside.

Diagnosis: Van Vleet

Let me explain the title...

Van Vleets are very popular with the unknown/weird/out of the ordinary illnesses/inflictions. Up until recently, I have been lucky enough to be healthy and away from doctors that have no idea what you have...until now.

On Wednesday, i went in for surgery to have a cyst removed. This cyst was one of the things that added me to the Van Vleet...no clue what it is- list...in other words, the-it's there and it's doing you no harm so since we can't figure out what it is, we won't bother-list. FINALLY after MANY doctor visits (different doctor each time), I found one that knew what it was and it needed to be removed. So I went in on Wednesday to get that done. So I'm thinking, yay! It's figured out and I can be removed from the Van Vleet list...

yeah right!

The surgery went well...as well as surgery can go...recovery really being the worst part...

...going in, the diagnosis was "removal of the left vaginal wall Gardner's Duct cyst" (say that three times fast). Coming out, it's unknown because, like a typical Van Vleet, the cyst was not what he expected...name unknown.
PLUS, while I was under, my heart was irregular. So they kept me longer than planned (even though I was ready to walk...RUN out of there myself) and they ran an EKG and took (ANOTHER needle) more blood-from the hand...OUCH! Well, the EKG looked FINE and they tell me that they don't know what's up with my heart and I'll probably get it checked out and it'll be nothing...

so add me to the Van Vleet list AGAIN for unknown diagnosis. I guess I am a true Van Vleet no matter what name follows.