Just Kidding

I thought I had posted my final dental hygiene post. Silly me, I forgot I had one more exam, and that I would SO excited to post my results:

I PASSED MY ANESTHESIA EXAM! AND THEN I PASSED THE CLINICAL ANESTHESIA EXAM!

It was a little stressful. More than a little stressful. The written exam seemed quite a bit easier than the first time I took it...I think I was more prepared, but I also think this exam was a lot easier than the one we took at WSU. The clinical exam...was a nightmare. I was SO NERVOUS! Sterling was my patient, and he said when I came and told him to come back to the exam area, that my eyes were SO HUGE I just looked like this scared

deer. I was scared. I was so nervous I almost couldn't screw the needle into the end of the syringe because I was shaking so bad. I did a BEAUTIFUL IA injection on Sterling, and then went to do my PSA....I got a positive aspiration! I have never had one of those before!!!! My mind started whirling and my face got all hot, and I told them it was positive, and that I wanted to withdraw my needle, to which the instructor was not even nice and told me that I could do whatever I wanted, it was a testing situation....and then I picked up another syringe. Positive again. So I told them....only I said negative. I have no idea WHY I said negative. There is no good reason in the world why I should've said negative. I knew it was positive. In my head I was thinking positive. So the instructor kinda looked at me and said "would you like to aspirate again?" She was trying to be helpful, but that just threw me off all the more. If there's BLOOD in the cartridge, and I have a POSITIVE aspiration, why in the WORLD would I want to aspirate AGAIN? But I did, just because I was so muddled by that point. Then it hit me. I had said NEGATIVE, but I meant POSITIVE! I told them I was withdrawing my needle, and tried to explain, but they failed me anyway. For "improper handling of positive aspiration". Luckily, you get a second chance. Sterling said I did really good...except for when I gasped. Ahem. I didn't expect blood!

So, I paid my $120 dollars. I figured by that point I had tortured Sterling long enough. Cried a bit on his shoulder in the waiting room. Felt like a complete idiot in front of Aleesha and Adam. Had Aleesha come back to be my patient this time...and thought that I would easy-breezy make it through this. Calmed down a little bit. Positive aspiration. Now, I have never had a positive aspiration in my entire dental hygiene student career, and I'd like to note that there have been quite a few injections in that time. Never a positive aspiration. But, of course, three positive aspirations on the day of my exam. No sweat. I picked up yet ANOTHER syringe and.....negative aspiration, smooth sailing, and I passed. Phew.

Now, I'd just like to note that positive aspirations mean that you are EXACTLY where you're supposed to be. But in an injection you can't be EXACTLY where you're supposed to be, or you'll inject into a blood vessel, and that is bad. So you have to ALMOST exactly where you're supposed to be. And its not terrible to have a positive aspiration, and its easily fixable. And it doesn't do anything to your patient.

I'd like to add another note of appreciation to Adam and Aleesha! Thanks for letting us sleep at your house! Thanks for making me breakfast! Thank you SO SO SO much for being my patient, and my friend Shaylee's patient so we could finally finish our anesthesia exam! Thank you for the party and the good times!

I'd also like to add

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I AM COMPLETELY FINISHED WITH ALL OF MY EXAMS FOR DENTAL HYGIENE!!!!! WHOOT WHOOT!!!!!!

And Sterling made me the following DELICIOUS chocolate cake with strawberries. MmMmm. Oh AND my final grades are posted. Straight A's except for one lousy A- because of a clinical exam that my patient no-showed for, and I couldn't find a patient that qualified well enough before the end of the exam. Happy day.

The rest of the pictures are of Adam, Aleesha and Sterling. We were singing karaoke. It was LOTS of fun. The words scrolled across the tv.

GRADUATION!

I HAVE GRADUATED! WITH A BACHELORS DEGREE IN DENTAL HYGIENE! AND THE PROPHET TALKED AT MY COMMENCEMENT! AND MY DAD SHOOK MY HAND AND GAVE ME A HUG! I AM COMPLETELY DONE! (minus a test on Wednesday....) These pictures are in no particular order...actually they are basically backwards because I don't feel like rearranging all of them. There are a lot...so hold on to your seats!

This is Sterling and I after everything was over....we were pretty tired, and the sun was pretty bright.

This is Sterling and I after everything in the Dee Events Center. Mom later told me to hold up my diploma, so I covered our heads and kissed some more!

This is me giving a hug to dad. Sterling said he ran all the way around the Dee Events Center to the other side to try and get this picture, but right as he took it, I put my arms up, and you couldn't really see me or dad. Oh well. Who gets to give their dad a hug when they go across the stage to get their diploma? It was a pretty neat experience.

Mom and Dad took Adam and Aleesha and Sterling and I to Jeremiah's after commencement in the morning, and before graduation in the afternoon. I saw they had this sign, and I thought it was awesome, so we got some pictures. And the food was delicious. It was HUGE! I almost posted a picture we took of mom with her fork in her pancakes...the pancakes were bigger than her plate! We all ate some of them. Did I say the food was delicious? Thank you so much mom and dad!

This is after commencement in the morning. It was raining slightly, but I was still excited!!

Thanks so much Adam and Aleesha for coming and partying with us all day long! (or sleeping through both commencement and graduation....either way, it was great to have you hahaa) Later that night we went to a play together, and it was awesome. The night before we stayed up late...made for a tired graduation day.

Because my dad is so cool, I got to take a picture with the University President....President Milner. How cool is it that I have a picture with my dad and the university president in robes? I thought it was pretty sweet.

This is how close we were to President Eyring. If he would've taken five or six steps towards the railing, we could've shook his hand. I wanted to SO bad...he is my FAVORITE! Unfortunately, he kept walking in a straight line, but it was neat to see him SO CLOSE! He is VERY tall and VERY skinny.

This is the prophet speaking at our commencement. He gave a FABULOUS address on our ABC's. Attitude, belief and courage. It was very good, right to the point, not very long, and very inspiring. He is a great speaker.

This is dad giving me a hug when I walked around the commencement line. My tassel got stuck in his glasses. It was kinda humorous. I love my dad. It was so much fun to have him there.

I know this is blurry, but Aleesha actually did a really great job of zooming in because we were quite a ways away. This me with Shaylee and Meagan, who I spent a LOT of time with throughout the dental hygiene program...we did our thesis project together, and were just generally friends, probably because we were the few single girls in the program. Then I got married. But we still stayed good friends.

AND THATS ALL FOLKS! THIS IS POST 200, STARTING AND ENDING WITH MY CAREER AS A DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENT. IT'S BEEN A GOOD TWO YEARS, BUT I AM SO GLAD TO BE GRADUATED AND HAVE THAT OVER! WHATS NEXT? NO IDEA. ANYONE KNOW A DENTIST NEEDING A HYGIENIST? I'M GRADUATED!

Institute Graduation

Okay, so I have NO IDEA why it won't put the picture of me with mom and dad straight. But its driving me crazy! Anyway. This is institute graduation. Probably will be the most fun graduation of all for me---Sterling and I got to see all the people we have been on council with and worked with and played with and hung out with all year long. All of our good friends...are we really all this grown up? There are so many of us from the original council that are married! Crazy! Anyway. It was really good times. Now I have to go study. Argh about this pic.

First Time Flying Kites

I took the only final I had this morning...cleaned out all my instruments from clinic....had a meeting with my professor and found out I had two A minuses (for lame reasons, but I'll stick with an A- cause I can still graduate with that) and walked out of that building for one of the very last times! I have to go back for a check-out on Monday, but really, I am FINISHED!!!!!

And PS My professor said she felt bad giving me an A- because I had 86 EXTRA QUADS over and beyond the requirements. Which means I saw 21.5 extra patients. She said she'd frame it on the wall because she thought it was so impressive. Which ALSO reminds me, our professor that is over our thesis gave us our final copy back that she finished reviewing and she said it was "an impressive paper and she would be proud to sign it". Oh happy day.

Sterling also gave his last big presentation in his communications class, and now he has two really easy tests left, so...we decided to go fly a kite. The best wedding present we've used so far!

Sterling got even more excited when he found out it was my VERY FIRST TIME!

Sterling is whistling while he puts it all together.

A close-up of our kite, Gilbert. We called him Gills for short.

Getting it ready......

This is our kite in the air. I don't know why the sky turned white.

My very good-looking husband with the kite in the air.

My very first time with the kite in the air!!!!!

And then I smiled pretty for the camera...

A closer-up of my good-looking husband. He had that kite up there for a long time...

Then I switched to bubbles. I had to blow a little bit, but usually the wind did the work for me...

These are some pretty flowers we saw at the park. I love Spring!

I tried to kiss them, but the ground was too hard for me.

We had issues trying to get a picture of us together, because of our height difference and trying to hold the camera...and my face has finals-week-break-out, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

Attempt at Wifehood Cooking Waste #1

I tried to make mom's chocolate cake and chocolate icing today. Icing turned out fabulous---but really...butter, icing sugar, cocoa, etc....where can you go wrong? The cake, on the other hand, had some serious issues. Waste of my life. Complete waste of my life. Only worth eating because of the delicious icing on top. I really don't understand though. Mom thinks I'm having issues because I have dark pans. Well, why did anyone give me dark pans for my wedding then, if the world knows that they don't work? Obviously, because they are not all stupendously amazing cooks like my mother. She also says that she LOVES gas stoves, but then I don't think she realizes that we NEVER HAD ONE when I was living in her house. Don't understand them. Can't figure it out. So. The cake was cooked, not burned, but it didn't raise up like mom's does and become all light and fluffy. It was just kinda....blah. Pretty much this means that my attempts at wifehood cooking should just be stopped until I graduate and can really focus on culinary delicacies.

On a brighter note, I was craving potato pancakes and hot dogs....and they tasted WONDERFULLY. But then again, really, how can someone mess up with potato pancakes and hot dogs? So its not really much of an accomplishment. Sterling liked the potato pancakes though, which is good...because I crave them pretty regularly. Oh wait. Potatoes are my favorite food. I crave anything with potatoes in it pretty regularly.

On an even brighter note, there are some aspects of wifehood that I excel at. That would be cleaning. And laundry. And ironing. Now, to set the record straight, I do not love ironing. At all. I try my best to be right on time when the dryer finishes so I can pull out the important shirts, shake them, and hang them up...convincing myself that they are thereby unwrinkled. Also, my LEAST favorite household chore is putting away folded clothes. I don't mind folding, and I don't mind everything else....but I don't like putting them away. Which means sometimes we have piles that sit there. But not very often, because Sterling is usually a gem and puts everything away for me. As for cleaning, I enjoy it because I enjoy the finished product so much. Its become a little less enjoyable lately since I do housekeeping at a hotel for a job...but that will soon be over. Maybe thats why I enjoy dental hygiene so much---its cleaning, and its very rewarding to see the finished product!

Now, I need to go have a serious conversation with my anesthesia textbook. I told Sterling that earlier, and he asked if we needed a DTR (this is a Young Single Adult term for "defining the relationship" and I always thought that was stupid, because really, if you have to have that conversation, than it probably isn't going anywhere), and I told him I already knew where I stood with my anesthesia book...and he got an angry---well, its Sterling, so slightly annoyed---look on his face and said that he'd talk to that book, and he'd tell that book exactly what was what! I thought it was funny. Especially when he brought up the fact that compared to Murphy(they had a chat the other day) my anesthesia book wouldn't know what had hit it. Haahaa!

And now, for your enjoyment, more pics!

Last Day of Clinic FOREVER!

Today. Was. The VERY last day. Of clinic. FOREVER! My patient that I had scheduled ended up working a closing shift and finished at 3am, so I had my mother come in her stead. I had never cleaned her teeth before, and it was fun to see her. I can't wait until graduation is over, and my anesthesia exam is over, and I can go home and spend days sitting on her clean kitchen floor, eating her food, listening to her talk, and maybe learning how to be a wife instead of some insane student that pretends at it now and again.

My patient that came in the afternoon passed off my Periochip PE which was pretty much fabulous. Abby was also sweet enough to let me do the anesthesia on her patient, so that I could practice up a little bit before the exam in two weeks. Sigh. I SO wish I was done right now. But I do suppose that it is only two more weeks, and then I really am done. Argh. But if I would've passed the first time I would be done RIGHT NOW. Sigh.

Yesterday Sterling and I went to How to Train Your Dragon...and I loved it. Very sweet, very original, VERY kid-friendly, and so great one-liners. Definitely recommend it.

On Thursday I have my last clinic at the VA and then one final...and then anesthesia exams...and then I am done. With school. Forever!

Nice People

Today at the temple Sterling and I were the witness couple for the very first time. Which meant we had no idea what we were doing. The old man told us that we were a joy to work with. The lady kept smiling at me. A lady afterwards told me that we did a fabulous job, and talked to me about how it was probably a little nerve wracking, even though you'd think you'd know how it goes...haaha. An old man also told Sterling--while I was walking towards them---that I had beautiful eyes, and that his wife had beautiful eyes, but I really did have just beautiful eyes. Ah. I love going to the temple. Haahaa

Which reminds me of this old lady at Fresh Market a little while ago when Sterling and I had just barely been married, and I was really excited cause I was going to study that night, but we were going to spend the afternoon together running errands...and it was fun to see Sterling. She stopped us at the front of the store and told us that she was young once. She said it very seriously...I almost giggled. Then she told us that she used to jump the tennis nets at WSU(I was wearing a WSU shirt and purple scrub pants) and she could jump really far. She was absolutely hilarious. Then she told us to enjoy being young and stay happy.

Did I say how much I love old people?

Sterling Makes Me Laugh So Hard

Sterling makes me laugh so hard. Yesterday he helped me by doing the laundry. And consequently we had some serious shrinkage and some color bleeding going on. I was very, very annoyed for a minute. Then I surprised him at the store by jumping on him, because he was so lost in "looking for what he wanted" that I laughed for about ten minutes straight.

The drive home consisted of much off-key singing and warbling and whistling and kermit-the-frog voicing.

Once home, I think I laughed until I was crying several times. I wish I would've written down everything he was saying. He was on one. It reminds me of Wyatt and Ethan when everything they say makes you laugh and you keep trying to get them to stop being so annoying, but you're laughing so hard you can't really do anything. Some of it centered around my "revolutionary idea" that I was very excited about---taking some of the things out of our front closet and putting them in the spare bedroom, so we could stack shoes in the closet and not have them laying out by the front door---apparently it was most vehemently NOT a revolutionary idea, because Sterling had already had that idea, he just hadn't known where to put the stuff that was already in the closet. I also threw a cup of water on his face through the course of the night, and .......well, some of the night wasn't PG rated I think. But can I just tell you, Sterling makes me laugh SO HARD!

This is a picture of Sterling and I when we were "almost" dating. The only reason I was at that activity was because I knew Sterling would be there. I was sick. And he told me I should go home and get some rest. Apparently though, I was having a good time.

Which one?

Which picture should I pick to go REALLY big on my wall? I love so many, and then when I look at these ones, I just can't decide. There's lots of other ones people would probably pick over my picks, but here they are: (Oh and PS the ones of just me and just Sterling are just because I love them, and not because they are a choice of what to put on the wall)

This one I love. I think I would have her crop some of the fence out though, so it was closer up of just us. But I like how we look, I like that it was actually on our wedding day, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Sterling is holding my bouquet. My hands were too cold. Hence, I was warming them up in his elbows.

This one I also think I would have her crop some of the view, just so it would be closer up of us two. I think Sterling has an almost-goofy smile in this one, and thats why I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. I also think I'm going to ask to see it in color, cause I'd rather have a color pic, but I like this one.

This one I like, and its on our wedding day, but it doesn't have the burst of color of my bouquet or of his vest. But it is very pretty. I think I like Sterling in it, but I look a little done with smiling.

I LOVE this one, but we aren't really smiling. And I kinda want a smiling/really happy picture to put up, except when I look at this one I like it so much it makes me almost change my mind.

This one was taken before the actual wedding, and I don't like my hair as much on that day. But I love this shot, I love the temple in the background, and I think with a little cropping and blown up to an 11x14 it would be really pretty and fun to have on our wall.

This one I just love. I have a very similar one in a 5x7 frame on our shelf/movie holder/grey thingy. The one I have already printed is a little further back so you can see my red shoes and I am laughing really hard. This one I like though because it is closer up. This one also was not on our wedding day, but I still love it.

This one Sterling loves. And shows off my bouquet. And my ring.

This one I love. Of Sterling. It should be in some old-time (just because of the coloring) gentleman magazine. I love it.

Day of Family

Today was the Day of the Family in clinic. I had my sister bring in her kids this morning, so I could finish off my children requirements. I cleaned Lynnaea, but a couple other girls took the other three kids, and I had already cleaned Anders awhile ago, so he chilled. I made Myles chew on wax and spit for five minutes so I could do a Caries Risk Assessment on him. It was great. He didn't really get it at first, but when he did he says "It's really hard not to swallow your spit and remember to spit it out" Yeah...I had to do it too. But he was fantastic and got a nice little cup of spit for me. So a couple more PE's and requirements passed off!

In the afternoon Brandon, who is Sterling's older brother, came in for a cleaning. I was expecting Jess, his girlfriend--but apparently they switched it up on me. He was a great patient. At the very beginning I started explaining what the probe was for, and he told me he didn't really care to know...then I started, and he changed his mind, and asked questions throughout the entire appointment. Some I actually had to think about, because I'm used to just reciting simple explanation to patients. Haahaa. He was a great patient, and I am really glad he came in for me.

One more clinic at the VA, and one more clinic at WSU, and I have no more clinic days! 16 Days until graduation!!!!

One more down...

One more PASSING SCORE!!!!!
This means that yes, I passed written national boards!!! This also means....drum roll....that I can get a license!!!!(anesthesia licenses are not required for dental hygiene licenses, its just an additional thing...plus I'll pass that in three weeks, right?)

So. Officially, as long as I pass my classes this semester (which is pretty much done and done) I have my license in the bag as soon as graduation is over. You have no idea how incredibly HAPPY that makes me feel.

Unfortunately, Sterling had the entire DAY OFF, and I spent it, with almost the rest of the senior class, at the DH building working on projects, thesis', and studying for anesthesia. It might only be three weeks, but its going to be a busy three weeks.

And we have to go to a banquet tonight. Sigh. Sterling is off, and I have to go to a banquet that he can't come to. Its quite rude. I didn't go last year, I don't remember why, and I didn't come the year I got accepted because I was in Canada for my grandma's funeral...so everyone else has been at this thing twice, and it'll be my first time. Good thing. I can't handle any more DH.

Other note, I saw Cory Moss, one of my old professors today while I was studying, and he was trying to convince me to come into his masters program...which I have been thinking a little about. But it brought back lots of memories. When I was in his class I was the only student under 30....and I was 18. He used to ask me every question, and if I couldn't answer it, then he wouldn't require the rest of the class to know it. He mocked me like crazy, and I got the biggest kick out of him. Sigh. It makes me remember when I liked getting my college education.

Lazy Friday Afternoon

Sterling and I are both hyped to go to Bonneville High School's production of Les Mis tonight....but for the moment....we are sitting side by side at computers in the library working on homework. I just finished two assignments, so I am allowed this break.

After the break, I have to start a 4-6 page paper. I could summarize the info in about half a page. Somewhat daunting.

Sterling just started working hard, so I really can't bug him and convince him to run away up the mountain with me.

I stole a water bottle from Dad's office and I was annoyed because it was so high up, and Dad said that it was so little people like me couldn't steal it. Ruff.

I had seven projects I was supposed to be working on, and now its down to 2 and a 1/2...the 1/2 is because I have to print a couple already typed pages out, and copy some of my awards from home to put into the portfolio.

Oh yeah, and I have four things still to do in clinic: Eaglesoft on a 1A patient, nitrous, periochip, caries risk assessment, and slimline ultrasonics. I should've done these a LONG time ago. Ruff.

I have 21 extra quads completed already, and I still have three clinic days(one at the VA). Oh life is happy.

I found my Student Handbook that I lost. It was in a binder that I haven't opened since last semester. Probably since I haven't used it since last semester. It is now complete and ready to turn in on the 15th.

We were given a Graduation Checklist in class today. Happy day.

Okay, Okay, I will start writing my paper instead of boring the world to tears.

Bed

Yesterday I tried my hardest to convince Sterling to call in sick to work...because I was asleep on his lap on the couch---and he was trying his hardest to be productive.
This morning he tried his hardest to convince me to call in sick for clinicals, and crawl back in bed with him. I thought of the extra patients the other girls would have to see, and reluctantly walked out the door.

I think we should be allowed to have a whole day of doing nothing. Where we don't have to go grocery shopping together to spend time together, or clean the house, or wash the dishes, or make dinner. Not that these things aren't fun to do together, especially since they provide a break from school work, but I just want to do...NOTHING!

Three weeks until graduation.

Three papers, finishing thesis project, three assignments, and a couple PE's still due. Oh yeah, and I lost my student handbook(we've been threatened with our lives to not lose(loose?) those).

Three weeks until graduation.