Lots of testing...

So the past couple of weeks have included lots of testing for me and let me tell you how fun all of it was. First of all I had blood work done at my "annual" check up (all you ladies know what I'm talking about) and as usual it was less than enjoyable due to the fact that I HATE getting blood drawn (not to mention the rest of what happens at this appointment). Then during my actual exam with the doctor she told me that I met certain qualifications to have the BRAC analysis test done. The BRAC test is a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer test. It basically just tells you whether or not you have the cancer gene. It cannot tell you whether or not that gene will actually develop into cancer, but if you do have it you can work closely with your doctor to monitor for signs of cancer. Of course this was a separate blood test so I had to get blood drawn AGAIN! I still haven't heard back about if my insurance will cover the BRAC test and if it doesn't then I am not having the test run, but all my regular blood work came back good so I can check that off my list. And going back to the BRAC test, I am not even sure if I want to know if  I carry the cancer gene. Would you want to know?

This is me all bandaged up from the blood work I had done...sad day.

So the next test was the HOBET V test. HOBET stands for Health Occupation Basic Entrance Test version 5. I took this test because I am applying to the Physical Therapy Assistant program that South Plains college is starting this fall. Well I had to have a composite score of 80% or better to be considered for the program. So I take the test and the science portion of it kicks my butt! It has crazy advanced chemistry and biology on it and I don't remember any of that stuff. So my overall score the first time was a 68.4%. My reading, math, and English scores averaged out to better than an 80%, but that dang science ruined it for me. So I scheduled a retake of the test and studied all the science stuff as much as possible, but there is only so much you cram into your head. So I retook that stupid test today and I had to take all four portions of it again and when I was done my score was worse than last week! Can you believe that? Uhh! So I walked it over to the PTA office anyways because they said to go talk to them regardless and you know what they told me? They said I qualified for an interview with my scores from the first test! Shut the front door! Apparently they are dropping the science portion of the test and because of that my first set of test scores was sufficient enough! So basically I just wasted $75 ($40 on the retake of the test and $35 and the study manual) and 4 hours of my life on that stupid test! Oh well, at least it is over now and all I have to do now is get through the interview portion.

An update on me and life...

So it's been a while since I have been on here and the reason why is because I went back to work at my old job at Market Street. When I left my teaching position I told Andy I would go back to Market Street if I was unable to find another full time job, and so in mid-April I went and talked to them about coming back and lucky for me they welcomed me back with open arms and at my old pay rate! Of course I came back right before Mother's Day so right off the bat I was crazy busy with work. So since I have gone back to work it is has been an adjustment period of me re-learning how to work, have a life, see my husband and family, and keep my house clean. Needless to say the journal and my crafts have not been a priority. In fact I just took down my Easter mantel a few days ago and I am now working on a summer mantel.


So now I have a funny story...my husband and I volunteer in our church nursery once a month. We wanted to try and serve at our church and I LOVE babies so this was a great option for us. We decided on just once a month though, because our schedules can get a bit crazy and thought this would be easier. Anyways yesterday was our nursery day and we ended up with five babies ranging in age from 2 months to 7 months. They sent us a girl who is in junior high to help and thank goodness they did because we each pretty much at our arms full the whole time. Andy had the one girl of the group and she was not in the mood to be put down, and about half way through service we started the diaper changing process and Andy got to change her diaper. Let's just say it was one of those diapers that nobody wants to change and the mess was everywhere! He was so good about it and changed her and got her all cleaned up and then promptly handed her off to me! Afterwards he was full of questions about if that was normal and do you get use to it and do parents have to hold their babies the whole time? Haha I thought it was so funny and I tried to answer his questions as best I could, but my knowledge comes only from what I know through my parents and what I learned in my child development classes! Bless him, he tries so hard.


So now that it is summer my annual case of envy is back. Every year I see other girls with pretty golden brown skin basking in the sun next to the sparkly pool and every year I think I wish I could do that. But then I hear the practical voice of my dermatologist in my head say do NOT lay in the sun! You are too pale! You have a high risk of skin cancer! And then I think of how my Dad already had a cancerous spot removed from his leg and how our dear friends Chris and Stacy have a 21 year old son going through treatments for skin cancer and I realize how stupid I am being about wanting to lay in the sun. So I settle for alternative forms of tan. I wear bronzer on my face everyday so I don't look like a vampire (although Twilight has definitely made pale skin somewhat cool again), I use lotions that give you a slight tan and sometimes I actually use a self-tanner. I used a self-tanner not too long ago on my legs to see if I liked the color and I did! The color looked natural and golden not orange on me, however, the problem was my application of the tanner...my legs looked streaky and blotchy around the ankles and knees. Sad day for me, but good thing I wear jeans to work all the time! How do you get the darn stuff on without it streaking?  So my next step is to try the spray tan and guess what is in my email box today? A Groupon for half off an airbrush tan! Score!!! So that's my plan for summer tan glory for me! Until next time.

13 on the 13th!

Yesterday was my baby brother's birthday. He turned 13 and is officially a teenager now...kind of scary. It is crazy to think that I was almost 13 when he was born and now here we are 13 years later and he is officially taller than me, I'm going to his band concerts, and Ryne picks on him instead of me! We didn't do his official party last night because it was a school night and he had UIL band contest this morning, but Andy and I went over and ate dinner with them and gave him part of his gift.

This is Reid opening Ryne's gift (I use to open my gifts like this!)

Sporting the new cubs hat that Ryne got him

Opening part of our gift to him

The last installment of the Harry Potter series!

I'll post more pics after this weekend when we do the "official" party with the cake and what not. Reid also got a Kinect and it was so fun watching the boys play it, but I didn't take any pictures of that so I will make sure to do that this weekend because it is hysterical. On a side note Reid's band had UIL concert and sight-reading contest this morning and they got sweepstakes which means they received all division 1's  at contest! I was so excited to hear that they did so well. While watching the concert portion of the contest I was amazed at how good this band of 7th and 8th graders sounded and looked. Their hard work really paid off.


                Happy birthday Jackson Reid!

For Sarah and Bobby

Sarah and I met in the Fall of 2003 when we both started our first year at Texas Tech and our first year in Goin' Band. I ended up in a duel spot with a girl that played french horn so I was the lone clarinet in the french horn section. This was great for my parents as it made it easy for them to spot me! It was hard to miss Sarah, she had long blonde hair, she was loud, and she wasn't shy! She was everything I wasn't. Thus began our friendship. In the Spring of our freshman year Sarah invited me to go with her, Connor, and Neil on a spring break trip to the Port Aransas area. I was so excited! It was my first trip with just friends and we were going to the beach for spring break! Sarah and I drove to Dallas together where I met her family. When I first met her Dad at the beginning of the week my hair looked something like this...

See my nicely flat-ironed, straight hair

When we came back at the end of the week I had given up on straightening my hair because of the humidity and plus going curly is so much easier. So here is what my hair looked like at the end of the week...

Naturally curly hair...wash and go!

Bobby had only met the one time the week before when my hair was straight and so when he saw me again with curly hair he thought I was a different person. This is my favorite memory of him and makes me smile every time I think about it. This last week I was fortunate enough to be able to go and be with Sarah and her family at the hospital. During this time I saw how incredibly loved Bobby and his family are by everyone and I was constantly amazed at how many lives he has touched. Sarah is my one of my best friends and I just hope she knows how much like her Dad she is.

Sarah and I at her rehearsal dinner

Life happens fast

So today I have been getting things ready so that I can go be with my friend Sarah. Her Dad is in the hospital with two brain aneurisms. It has been a crazy couple of days for her and her family and I just want to help in any way I can. So this morning we took my car and put new tires on it for my trip. And speaking of my trip, this will be the first time that I have driven that far by myself. The furthest I have gone on my own is two hours in either direction of where I live. I have always gone with people or people have gone with me, so it should be really interesting to see how it goes, but I will have my Tomtom to guide me!

In other news I have been able to start a few crafts and go thrift shopping.

I found this bird at the Dollar Tree.

I found this bunny at a local thrift shop.

 

 

 

 

This is Bella investigating the bunny.

The bunny was being used to house cotton balls.

I spray painted the bunny and the bird with Heirloom white spray paint from Home Depot.

Here they are after being spray painted.

This is the bunny in his home for now. He is below the mantel. The mantel is not finished but when it is I will add pictures of that.

Here is the bird. He is on a side table in our living room.

Here is a big picture of where the bird is.

 So that is a little bit of what I have done so far. I found some great stuff at the thrift store and I am excited to get started on it when I get back in town. I have started work on a bird house, but it is not quite finished yet so I'll post when it is done. I've been keeping an eye out at places for discounted pictures frame with mats in them (I have an office project I want to do with those), but alas I have found no frames yet.

Until next time.

Robyn

My go-to meal of the week

 The makings of a good meal

So it seems that just about every week we end up eating waffles for dinner. It is usually because I don't want to really cook and I am tired of eating fast food. So waffles it is, and I don't do anything else to go with them. No eggs-they smell when you cook them, no bacon or sausage-it takes too long to cook and is a pain to clean, just the waffles with a glass of milk. It is a good thing Andy loves me despite the fact that my culinary skills could use some work.

I've been reading a lot of DIY decorating/craft blogs lately and have become slightly obsessed with finding stuff I want to try or do for our house. My favorite blog so far is at this address http://www.granvillehouse.blogspot.com/. I think I am so captivated by these blogs is because they not only share fun budget friendly ideas, but they share their life stories too. We live in an age where information is given out so freely to anybody and that just amazes me. I mean think back to when our grandparents were growing up and writing down their daily trials and thoughts in a diary. I'm sure they thought about how someday somebody might find their diary and read it, but they never thought about it becoming instantly public like online journals are today.

 Do we share too much information online?

On a side note I have found a canvas painting for my bathroom that I am thrilled with! 

I found a room decor picture on the Pier 1 website a while back that had bird painting in it that I LOVED, but, they did not carry these painting for sale on their website! *DUMB* So in the mean time I have been keeping an eye out for something similar to them and I found it today at TJ Maxx! *YAY* While we were in Dallas a few weeks ago we also found this at TJ Maxx homegoods...

This is also for our bathroom as you can probably tell by the toilet paper. TJ Maxx is one of my new favorite places. I just wish we had a Homegoods here! As the bathroom progresses I will update with more pictures.

How do you know?

So I saw this movie a couple of months ago called "How do you know?" with Reece Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, and Paul Rudd. The movie itself was just okay, but what I liked was the title and overall theme of the movie. How do you know what to do when what you were doing doesn't work out? This is the question I have been asking myself for the last two months. Ever since I quit my teaching job I keep wondering what am I suppose to do with my life? I thought for sure that teaching was going to be it for me, and I am still not completely convinced that it is not it for me. But for the time being I am put off with the idea of teaching especially with all the crazy budget cuts. People keep asking me what I want to do and I just don't know. I know that God has a plan for me and that there is a reason for everything, but I feel like I am wearing glasses that blur my vision and I can't really see past my own hand. I think I need to pray to God for a better prescription on my glasses! Anyways I just thought that if I wrote it down it would help me work through this. So I guess I am wondering how did you know that what you were doing was right for you?