A little picture update for fun! :)

Chairs I got Tyler for his birthday!  Wolfpack red printed with a  gorgeous Block-S is a million times better than the light blue one he had before!!

Sticker Proof!!!
Since Dr. Newman (my theory and methods teacher) gives stickers for perfect test scores, I got a 100 and earned my first sticker!

Spring Break in the Blowing Rock, NC!  View from the top of our hike to the Moses Cone House

The beautiful Moses Cone House!

Surprise Bridal Shower for our good friend Erinn (bottom left in this picture)!  The girl in the top Right of the picture is her MOH who flew in for the weekend and planned the whole thing! 

Our Valentine's Day Dinner - complete with bacon-wrapped steaks!!!

The Fish Tank Fiasco!

Ever since we got married, we had talked of getting a fish tank.  Why?  Because Tyler is allergic to just about anything with fur, so fish were our best option for a first pet.  So after earning a gift card from an apartment finder website, we decided, what better purchase to make than a small ten gallon tank to get acclimated to life as fish owners.  Excited about the new adventure ahead, we set it up with a pretty mixture of blue, black, and teal rocks for the bottom, some fake plants, and a brown lava rock with a hole in the center for our future fish to swim through.  We poured some de-chlorinator in the water, then brought a water sample to the fish store, eager to purchase our first fish!

The Petco employee gave us the answer we were waiting to hear, "You're good to go!".  We picked out 3 fish - a gold gourami (to be named "Buzz"), a dwarf gourami (to be named "Iris"), and a red-tailed shark (to be named "Finley").  We came home, put the happy fish in their new home, and watched them swim around.  The next day, the gold gourami didn't look so good.  He was a little bit smaller than the rest of the fish and had gotten picked on by the shark.   He died not too long after that.  We brought him into the fish store and got a refund, but learned very soon that being picked on probably wasn't the only problem leading to his death.

A few days later, our dwarf gourami, named "Iris", died too.  But strangely enough, she looked perfectly healthy!  We were very confused.  When we brought her in to get our refund based on their guarantee, the employee asked us what we did to set up the tank.  After telling him step-by-step what we did, the friendly employee asked, "Wait... so you never cycled the tank with gold fish?"  We had no idea what he was talking about.  So, he proceeded to tell us how we needed to cycle the tank first to get some good bacteria in there.  He was pretty sure that our shark would die relatively soon, too... :(

So we purchased some goldfish to start the cycling process.  It was entertaining for the week or so that we had them to watch Finley (our shark) chase the gold fish around.  He absolutely hated their presence in the tank.  But, because goldfish produce an intense amount of ammonia and waste, after the cycling process was done, our water still wasn't healthy enough to get more fish.  We had to constantly clean out the rocks of all the broken-down waste and do 10% water changes to bring the bad levels down.

So, after about a week and half, we were pretty certain our water was good, but now it was time for my Spring Break.  So we decided that we would go to the mountains for a few days and try to get some more fish when we got back.  Finley was still alive (surprisingly), so we thought, he was just a buff fish who could withstand anything.  With this theory, we put some extra food in the tank and figured he would be fine for a few days without us... boy, were we wrong!  When we came home, Finley had jumped out of the hole in the back of the tank and landed in our toaster.  Let me take a moment here to explain that our fish tank is sitting on a raised ledge/counter in our kitchen, and the toaster sits perfectly on the standard-height countertop below the back of the tank.  So after working so hard to make the water better for Finley and future fish, the better water sat empty with zero fish.

With that story told, we were now able to start over with clean water, filled with healthy bacteria.  We started out by putting our four dwarf frogs (Olley, Kirby, Jasper, and Chip) in the tank.  Then we put in a snail and our Chinese Algae-Eater (named Bruce) to help clear up some of the algae.  We decided we didn't want another red-tailed shark.  They're a semi-aggressive and territorial fish that can jump out of a tank.  As awesome as they are to look at, that kind of fish is a little more risky than we want to deal with.  

Finally, we purchased our first new fish!  Another gold gourami, this time named Montezuma.  Where the heck did you get that name, you probably ask.  Well, his gold color made me think of Aztec gold, and Montezuma was the first "Aztec thing" that came to our minds.  We like to call him Montie for short :)

So that is the story of our fish tank.  We're really hoping it works out this time! 

Hello, Montie!

  

Learning about myself in the new semester

I'm not going to say that undergrad was easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was certainly different than grad school.  I was able to make time for all-girl cheerleading, a sorority, being an RA, staying involved in the pre-health/pre-optometry club, and attending football and basketball games.  I have no idea how I managed to do all of this around school... oh yeah - tests were never cumulative and I only took 18 hours at the most!

Optometry school has included 23 hour semesters and studying, not to pass a test, but to understand how to care for patients.  This semester we have 8 classes totaling 23.5 hours!  With what I learned from last semester, I've been able to improve my grades significantly!

These past few months have been a whirlwind of coping with stress, balancing studies, and handling the roller coaster of emotions.  I was nominated based on last semester's GPA and recommendations from faculty, staff, and current student ambassadors to be a part of Southern College of Optometry's Student Ambassador program.  It was something I really wanted to do, and didn't get super involved at SCO to make sure I would have time for it if I got selected.  See, that was my problem at NC State.  If something sounded interesting, I just did it without taking my personal time (and life) into consideration.  I was bound and determined to not do that in grad school, especially since I'm married and live about 30 minutes away from school.  I prayed for two weeks after turning in my application for God's will to be done in my life.  Well, after interviewing and competing for one of 10 slots (against 33 very qualified students), I was not selected.  I was really bummed considering I had gotten my hopes up very high and asked a TON of friends and family to pray for me.  But what I've learned is that God is calling me to relax for the first time in my life.

I've always been an over-achiever, which was pretty easy to do in undergrad when the majority of students do the minimum to get the degree and know that a job is waiting for them at the end.  However, the student body at SCO consists of 120 first-year students just like me!  All of us are still perfectionists, leaders, and over-achievers!  So, I take a look around and realize what I looked like to everyone else.  I can see the stress and wonder why they put themselves through it.  I'm learning that God wants me to be a good wife, to gain close relationships with good friends, and worry about my success as a future doctor, not my success as an involved student.  As the eye changes focus from looking at something close-up to looking at something far-away, I have had to do the same in my life.  I have had to change my focus on the future and not just how involved I am at SCO.  I study with the needs of future patients in my mind.  I am constantly thinking about my career and what type of work environment I want to be a part of in a few years.  The future is my focus and with that I have some great updates to share!

The past two weeks included 7 tests and my interview.  I made an 89 on my opthalmic optics practical, a 90 on my opthalmic optics test, an 85 on anatomy, a 100 on theory and methods (100's get stickers in his class by the way), an 81.8 in optics (by the way, my first test of the semester in that class was a 100, so I tried to shift my focus to other classes), and a 100 in ocular physiology!  I got a tutor for physiology this semester because I didn't do well in that teacher's class last semester, and it really paid off!  The one test that I haven't gotten back from the past two week's test marathon is intro to optometry.  I'm certain I did quite well on it, but he had to leave town last week on a family emergency.  Apparently, his father is in the hospital, so I'm patiently waiting for that grade.

All in all, the semester has started out wonderful!  I couldn't ask for anything better.  At this very moment, I am relaxing in the mountains of North Carolina with my wonderful husband!  Yesterday, we ate dinner at Hardee's, and today we got brunch at Bojangle's.  Neither one of these places exist in Memphis, so they were a must while back home :).  We will have to find some time to go to Cookout later for a spectacular milk shake.  Don't tell Tony Horton... yes I started p90x with a fellow classmate this semester - we're insane!

Until next time!  I'm relaxing, not studying! :)

The Eye Ball... because we're that nerdy

Carolina Girls - Best in the World!  3 UNC girls and 3 NC State girls

Yes!  SCO has an Eye Ball, and by that I mean a dance.  We got to dance the night away at a convention center at the  Zoo.  Before the dance, Tyler and I went over to Erinn and Joey's house.  We got a small group of close friends to order some pizza and just chill out together before the dance.  Here are some pictures:

free beer and wine for everyone!

Tyler's been friends with Rebecca for a while, and now she and I are classmates!

First we interviewed together and now we're classmates

Tyler and I also took an earlier day that weekend to look at some apartments closer to school.  We're going to have to take a ton of other details into account and see what we decide because moving is a pain... but it's also a huge pain to drive 35 minutes in unbearable traffic everyday to school and again coming home from school.

Tyler also got us a fish tank yesterday with some extra money that we had.  I cannot wait to get it set up together and have some pretty fish swimming around inside! :)  Everyone in school seems to have a pet, so this is our way since Tyler is allergic to dogs and cats.

Until next time! <3

Starting the end on a good note

Well hey!  I finally have a second to breathe and update this blog after one hectic week.  I had two final lab practicals and test and a quiz all this week... right after the Thanksgiving break!  Everything went well!  My final lab grade for anatomy was a 96, I got a 95 on my optics test, and I did really well on my final lab practical for Theory and Methods.

For the Theory and Methods practical we had to take visual acuities and perform retinoscopy, manifest refraction, and binocular balance within 15minutes.  If we had extra time, we got to do one extra task chosen at random for extra credit.  I did everything within my time limit and had just a little extra time after completing my extra credit - I got lateral and vertical phorias.  I really needed that wonderful grade because my last practical didn't go so well.  I got cover testing which I hate - so obviously, it wasn't a pretty picture...

I have 6 finals standing between me and my Christmas break!  I am so ready to knock 'em out and drive home to see some wonderful faces that I haven't seen in a while!

Anyway, I'm going to take the night off, so off to some much needed relaxation!!

The beginnings of a newly decorated apartment

We still have a little ways to go, but here are some pictures to show you the start of our newly decorated apartment!  I painted the furniture that Tyler's mom gave to us with a dark brown paint and found some sleeker style handles to put on the drawers.  Tyler put two coats of polyurethane on there, and now the bedroom is starting to come together with some style!

The living room looks fantastic with red slip covers.  We decided to extend the red black and white theme in the kitchen out to the dining room and living room since it's really like one big open space!  I will show the pictures we have so far! :)

Before: Bland and white...

After: Red black and white!  Tyler hung the "curtains" (they're actually flat sheets from Wal-Mart), and the picture above the sofa that Tyler's mom got for us from Kirklands :)

We love the red slip covers from Target!!!

The gorgeous mantle that matches the style!

Before: white like the walls

After: Brown and sleek

The end table and repainted lamps

After: The furniture is a sleek brown with new handles!!!

A long-awaited update

Well, obviously a lot has gone on since the last time I made a post, especially since the reason I haven't been posting is that I'm super busy!

Well, I had a chair skills practical for my Theory and Methods lab.  It didn't go so hot because I crashed under pressure.  It's tough having someone watch your every move, but I need to get used to it.  I will hopefully continue doing well on tests and learn from my mistakes to do well in the class :)

Tyler and I went to Asheville, NC over Halloween weekend to see his cousin get married with the Biltmore house as the back drop!  It was such a beautiful outdoor wedding followed by a nice dinner and open bar reception.  I finally got the opportunity to meet Tyler's dad's side of the family!  They are certainly an interesting group, but I love them all!  It's definitely different going from a very small family to tons of family!

This was also the same weekend as our cadaver lab, so I was certainly exhausted Monday after class.  I had to be at school at 7:45am on Saturday to see this cadaver, go straight to the airport, and fly to Asheville for the ceremony at 4:30.  Then some of Tyler's family members had planned a brunch and lunch at his grandparents' house on Sunday.  Finally, we had to fly home.  We didn't get in Sunday night until about 10:45pm.  It was also surprising that we made it to the ceremony on time because we landed at 3:45pm and the Biltmore is at least 30 minutes away from the airport!  We walked right up with all of stuff, dropped it off at a picnic table in the back and found the seats his dad saved for us!

Unfortunately, I didn't find the cadaver lab too exciting.  I was hoping we could see more with the eye, but (not to gross anyone out), this cadaver was frozen, so not preserved the regular way.  This made it very difficult to cut into anything related to the eye because all the pressure was gone.

It's going to be a rough few final weeks... I have 3 tests this coming up week, 2 tests and a quiz the week after that, Thanksgiving break then more tests, final lab practicals and final exams!  Even though the work load is intense, I have certainly been enjoying learning about the eye ball!  :)

In Theory and Methods lab, we are finally learning manifest refraction!  I can find someone's prescription using the phoropter, which has been really fun- especially since it's the bread and butter of optometry!  This skill (as opposed to chair skills) is something I am more familiar with from being a patient for so many years, and I find myself much more comfortable playing with the phoropter... and asking, "Which is better, one or two?"

This weekend was also pretty packed!  This morning I helped with Stop Hunger Now, an organization that packages fortified rice and soy meals to be shipped to areas where hunger is a huge problem.  In just under 3 hours, we packaged just over 40,000 meals!  I was a boxer, which required a lot of running around picking up packaged meals that were ready to be packed into boxes for shipping.

Finally, we had the chili cook-off from noon-3.  Teams competed and students/family members got to vote on the winning chili in 3 different categories: 1. best tasting 2. most unique 3. best spirit.  There was a team named "Chili Carnival" who had deep fried chili ball, a balloon animal maker, and lots of spunk!  I voted for them for most unique.  Another team, "Team Chilizion" was my favorite in the category of taste.  They had a white chicken chili that was amazing.. not to mention a very creative name for optometry students.  A chilazion is a swelling caused by a clogging of an eyelid gland (Meibomian gland).  It will get very large, but not cause the patient any pain.  Anyway, they used the term to come up with a funny chili cook-off team name :)

Tyler is doing well!  He has picked up some more hours at the gym and is working with the guys team a lot more.  I know he's really enjoying it, and the employees and parents appreciate him there and like him a lot as a coach.  The only thing that's hard for me/us, is that our schedules don't match at all!  He works from like 4:30-8:30, and I usually don't get home from school until 5:30.  He also helps on Saturdays with birthdays or team practices.  Today was even harder because he was there for over 9 hours helping with a meet, but it was volunteer.  He didn't know how long they would need him, or what they would want him to do, so he just said he could be there for whatever they needed.  Well they used him for the whole day... 11-8.  I didn't get home from stop hunger now and the chili cook-off until 1:45pm.  Yet another day where we didn't get to see each other much at all!

However, we did have a nice date night last night.  We went out to Applebee's for their 2 for $20 meals and got one drink each.  It was nice to not have to cook and go out in public together.  What was even better was that our waiter didn't charge us for the drinks!  I think we'll have to come back when he's waiting tables again- he was a really fun server!

Well here I will share some pictures from the chili cook-off.  Until next time.... Anatomy, optics and neuroanatomy are all calling my name!!

Wish you could actually see the little chilazion that they put on the eyeball, but it doesn't show up too well in this picture.

Gotta love the balloon man at the Chili Carnival

Hawaiian Munch- very unique chili- a sweet and spicy taste with a hint of pineapple.... a little too much spice for me though.  

Pyros!  Very tasty :)  Thank goodness they had a mild version and a hot version, because my mouth was burning by the time I got to try theirs 

Nothing goes better with chili than beer, especially when the keg is pumped by a security guard and the beer is poured by the SGA president!  :)