The Checkpoint of the Semester

Thank GOD the semester is half way over. This week is what we ATS like to call "HELL WEEK" because we have so much to do and so little time. On top of the papers & tests, we also have the MAATA (Mid-American Athletic Training Association) district meetings this Friday & Saturday, here in Omaha!! It's pretty cool because its right here so we don't have to travel so I am excited about that. Also on Sunday, Heidi, Katie & I will be leaving to go on our 4 days Spring Break to Kansas City!! And boy, its can't come any sooner :) We all have VERY cute dresses to go out to the casino in, we have our "dancin' shoes" to have some fun in and we will squeeze in some MUCH needed college ball stuff as well!! Needless to say, we can't WAIT until Sunday morning!! I will post pics as soon as we get back...

It's crazy to believe that exactly one year ago (yesterday) I had my hysterectomy. I can't believe it's already been a year. I look back at that decision and admit it was the toughest decision I have EVER had to make but I don't regret it one bit. Yes, I can't have kids but I am also cancer and disease free. And yes, I had to have my L Ovary taken out shortly after my hysterectomy due to cancer cells & excruciating pain but I'm okay with that. Now, my R ovary is truly testing my patience....I had to go to my doc due to excessive pain and a few other things-he found some cysts and is hoping to decrease them in diameter with medicine so they are not as painful, however if that doesnt happen in the next 6 weeks we have to think of other options...that yet again is scary. We'll see :)

Hope everyone else is having a GREAT March so far and in less than 3 months I will officially be done with my 1st year in GRADUATE SCHOOL!!!

February Wrap Up

Wow this semester is just FLYING by. I can't believe I am half way through this semester and ALMOST done with my first year in graduate school. It's crazy how fast time flies when you are truly having fun with the people you care the most about. This month was just crazy busy and I wouldn't change it. I have FULLY immersed myself in the Creighton athletic training clinical and am absolutely loving it. I am with the volleyball team and both the mens & women's tennis teams and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I have formed bonds with these teams and they truly count on me. I have experienced one athlete from the start of her surgery all the way through her rehab process and I am proud to say that I have helped her get back to the volleyball court and also proud to say that she has shown me why I love athletic training both by being an athlete I've treated and by being my friend. We also celebrated Heidi's 23rd birthday this month and boy did we do it BIG!!! First, Cassie, Katie, Stacy and I decorated Heidi's apartment with streamers, balloons and signs. Then on Saturday we all went out to dinner (and by all I mean most of the classmates and their spouses) at Vincenzo's and then proceeded to go out to Whiskey Tango and have plenty of fun. We definetly celebrated all night long and were paying for it the next day but we had fun and thats all that counts :) Next month (technically now this month), we have our big spring break trip to KC planned which we all can't WAIT for!!! :) It is going to be so much fun and a MUCH needed break.

 Heidi & I enjoying her bday celebration

 Heidi's Sign at her house :)

 Bathroom full of 91 BALLOONS

 Pre-Game shot!!

 Nate & Heidi

 Heidi & I at dinner

 Katie, Heidi and I at Whiskey Tango

 JELLO SHOTS!!

Cassie, Katie, me & Heidi on our last dance 

Updates pics :)

Thought I would include some updated pics of life in Omaha since alot of my friends and family don't know what its like around here. And the weather here lately has SUCKED to say the least. This past week we have had a "snow/ice" storm, been down to 0 degrees out with a wind chill factor of -15 so it hasn't been fun walking to class or getting Creighton (with all the hills around there).

 this our our fav quote around here.....

 Me and my family over Christmas break

 Heidi & I at the Bemidji vs UNO hockey game

 Heidi, Cassie & Me (Cassie's FIRST hockey game)

 Cassie, Me, Heidi & Katie at the game (we had SOOOO much fun)

 Me & my other siblings over Christmas break---I am so blessed with such a great family

 Me & my VERY handsome nephew while I was home

My uncle and I all dressed up in our UW gear for the UW vs NE game

All in all, things are going well here especially since today I got measured on my knee flexion (bending the knee) and I was at 120 degrees compared to the 94 degrees I was at about 1.5 weeks ago! I am sooooo excited about that, I know it's a pretty small accomplishment but its huge to me. I am so ready for the next few months. We have things all planned out that way each month we have something else to look foward to...so for now we wait for Heidi's birthday weekend!!! :)

Winter, oh Winter....

Well, the winter has FINALLY hit in Omaha and I am NOT liking it. We have been in a severe winter weather storm watch for a few days now and driving and walking to class hasn't been easy. Plus the fact that I have to drive to Creighton every day and that is NOT an easy task in this weather because CU is on a hill and you have to go down and up about 3 to get to and from there. NOT FUN!!! Other than the crappy weather, things here have been going fairly well. My knee is recovering quite nicely actually. I'm at about 110 degrees flexion compared to the 65 degrees I had two weeks ago. I am pretty excited about that, I have also started riding the bike which is a pretty big accomplishment for someone that is recovering from a big knee surgery. So the knee is good, school is GREAT so far this quarter. I am at Creighton working with volleyball and also men's & women's tennis. I LOVE it there!! Everyone is soooo great and the atmosphere is amazing. We've got some big plans this semester. Heidi's 23rd birthday is in Feb, so we are going out on the town for a night and then a big breakfast the next day. Then in March we are going to Kansas City for a few days for spring break which will entail us going to the casino all dressed up one night. Then we're going to go to the college basketball experience which is suppose to be COMPLETELY amazing!! Then in April I turn 25 :) and then we are done in May and then just 3 weeks of summer classes and then HOME!!! here are some pics of this esmester so far :)

First semester ALMOST done!!!!

YAY for my first "real" semester almost being done. Classes are going well so far, I am LOVING everything I have learned here. I was with football this semester and although I missed part of the games due to my ovurectomy and being "sidelined" because of it, I had a BLAST with the athletes!!! We didn't do too great this year, so no bowl game for us but it was a fun season regardless. The next two weeks are going to be pure hectic life style type stuff. I have had 2 exams, 3 proficiency tests and 2 papers that have been due these past two weeks and I have a pending knee surgery that I will have to recover from as well. Surgery is Monday Dec 6th and then I fly home Dec 14th for 3 1/2 WEEKS!! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!! I can't wait to be home after being gone for 6 months, its going to be amazing! Anyways, thats the update for now! Write more soon!

My bucket list

Well, I thought this would be fun to do. Hopefully I can accomplish all of them before I die!!!


1. Not worry about my disease anymore (check off - thanks to the hysterectomy I just had)
2. Go to work everyday and have it not really feel like work
3. Go on the most amazing vacation and not have to worry about a budget
4. Make up with people that I never thought I would talk to again.
5. Get married to the love of my life and NEVER fall out of love
6. Be able to cook an entire meal without having to use a recipe (like Dave's mom does)
7. Teach someone one of my passions and in turn have it be one of their passions as well.
8. Be an amazing athletic trainer
9. Take my mom to the US open
10. Pay off all my debt from college
11. Travel all across Europe with the love of my life
12. Learn how to surf
13. Be able to bake my grandma's applie pie so it tastes exactly like hers.
14. Be loved unconditionally
15. Go more than 3 days without being completely stressed out.
16. Have a child whether that means adopting or using a surrogate.
17. Have the same best friends that I have now
18. Pretend like there are no worries in the world.
19. Peace on earth
20. Own a Jetta
21. Be cancer free
22. Write in my journal on a daily basis
23. Be the person my friends' always go to with problems
24. Be the person everyone can count on
25. Donate money once a month to the ovarian cancer fund
26. Marry my best friend
27. Take up photography again
28. Learn to sew
29. Get a massage once a month
30. Stay as close with my family as I am now
31. Have a calendar full of birthdays and anniversaries and send out cards to everyone
32. Be able to work out without my knee subluxing
33. Love my life completely
34. Play tennis as much as I did when I was in college
35. Get straight A's for an entire quarter
36. Be the kind of mother my mom is to me-my best friend and my biggest support.
37. Have my kids throw me a surprise 25th wedding anniversary party like I just did for my parents.
38. Go to church on a regular basis again. (check - yay for that!!)
39. Look back on my life and see that it was everything it was meant to be.
40. Own my own home
41. Get my master's degree (partial check now because I just got accepted to a program)
42. Get another cross tattoo (check-thanks to the rosary beads and cross I just got around my ankle)
43. Go to the NCAA Final Four-whether that be as a fan or as an athletic trainer (secretly I am hoping the later)

Well, that's it for now. I'll add more as them come and cross out the ones I have done!!!

Halloween adventures & more

Well life couldnt get much better here in Omaha, well except if I had my family & close friends with me. Just finished my first MAJOR grad test and it was truly HELL to say the least. I think that I couldnt have studied any more than I did. We'll see how it goes. The good thing is that I have such a great time when I am in the ATR that nothing else seems to matter. Our head ATC is funny as all get out, he dances and "sings" whenever possible and thinks he is the absolute best at both :) it cracks me up how open and fun the setting and feeling is at "work." Football season is sort of coming to a close, depending upon how we do this weekend and if we will be going to a bowl game. So depending upon that we will either be done after our last game or we could go as long as Dec 5th. So we will see.

Grad classmates and I are still spending as much time together as we can, which is great. Stacy and I have thursday "show & date" nights, Heidi and I have date nights on Fridays before Nate gets into town and then the rest of us see each other in class and plan weekend stuff 2-3 times a month.

We LOVED our pumpkin carving party & potluck dinner full of mashed potates, BBQ chicken, HOMEMADE caramel apples, cookies, squash, pumpkin bread & so much more....We were carving pumpkins, decorating and eating for almost 4 1/2 hours, but it was soooo worth the lack of sleep!!!

Pumpkin carving at its best :)

having fun with the girls putting the "cobwebs"all over stacy's house

Our FINISHED pumpkins, they looked AMAZING and we had so much fun...