A Graduation, Clinicals, The Job Hunt, Bicycle Built for Two, and Memorial Day

Graduation

A couple weeks ago we went down to Malad to Kenny's brother, Travis's, graduation. It was like any other high school graduation with it's own special perks. The great-grandson of D.L. Evans (as in the Bank) was the guest speaker for it. The grandson (who was also the Governor of Idaho a while back) was actually supposed to speak, but due to some medical issues he wasn't able to come. So his son read his speech for him.
Clinicals

The Monday after graduation I started my clinical rotations at Portneuf Medical Center in the Microbiology department. So far I LOVE them! I have been in that department for 3 weeks now and I have one more week in Micro before I switch over to Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine. I have seen some pretty interesting stuff since I started and the ladies I work with are a lot of fun. I work with two different sets of women. In a lot of labs they have 7 on/7 off shifts where you work Thurs-Wed ten hour shifts. Then you take the next Thur-Wed off. They work 70 hours in their "7 on", but get paid for 80 hours, and then you technically only work half a year. I'm not sure if I would like it or not because you have to work every other weekend, and if holidays land on your "7 on", you're working it! The good thing is that you can plan a 7 day vacation without having to schedule it off. :) Luckily, for my rotations, I only work M-F, 8-4 (sometimes they let me go early).

The Job Hunt

Kenny has been applying for jobs in a few different places lately. The one he applied for in Utah for Constellation Energy has been filled, however he got a phone call a couple weeks ago (by the same company) asking if he was interested in a position in Jamestown, California. Kenny said he was interested and we have been researching the are via Google and calling realtors and such to get a good idea of what the area is like. Kenny has been checking online to see if the position has come open and it hasn't yet. It is kind of far away, but it would be an adventure! We'll see what happens. Kenny will also be checking with a few other companies down in the Salf Lake area to see if they are hiring. In the meantime, Kenny has started working for Perk's Electric over in Soda Springs mostly working in Monsanto. This will hold us over until he can find a job and until I get done with my clinicals (July 31).

Bicycle Built for Two

The owners of the animal hospital I work at gave Kenny and I the tandem bike they bought a year ago. They just had a baby and decided they have grown out of it. I had mentioned a while back that I enjoyed bike riding and wanted to get a bike someday. So the day before graduation they rode it to our house with a sign and ribbons on it as a graduation gift for Kenny and I. Soooo...Kenny and I decided to take it for a ride up Mink Creek. Oh boy! We had to stop about every 50 feet going up the road because we were so out of shape! I think we'll just keep it on a paved greenway trail from now on! :)

Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend we had a couple of our close friends come up from Utah to hang out with us along with Kenny's brother. The boys went caving while my best friend, Shelley, and I went and got pedicures (I had birthday money burning a hole in my pocket)! It was a lot of fun!

Kenny in an ice cave

Kenny's brother, Travis in ascending up the ice cave to get out.

Our friends Grant, Cade, and Travis

On Memorial Day Kenny and I went to Arimo and spent the day with Shelley's family. We had a yummy picnic and then some of us played a game called Quibble (I think?)--it's very similar to Scrabble--while Shelley's dad put the boys to work on a few small projects. Then a bunch of us played Crochet. I hadn't played in a long, long, long time! I remember playing on Grandma and Grandpa Baum's lawn way back when! :)

That's me. I trusted Kenny to get a "good" shot of me playing crochet and this is his interpretatin of a "good" shot.

This is Kenny and this is my interpratation of a good shot.

And this is Shelley's dad giving his grandkids a ride with the "tractor".

GRADUATION PICTURES

These are some of my favorite pictures that I have compiled from Julie's, Dad's, and my cameras. I was sitting on the farther section, about ten rows back, and about five seats in from the middle isle. I could actually see the podium from where I was sitting! That usually doesn't work out for me. There I am walking to shake hands with the Provost and get my diploma cover.
And this was what it was like after the ceremony:

In this picture I was bestowing the Stole of Gratitude to Kenny for being my support when I was down, when I wanted to cry, when I wanted to quit, when I wanted to crawl in a hole and not come out, when I complained about unfair teachers, horrible tests and assignments, and all that comes with going to college. He kept me going even when I thought I couldn't push on any more. Thank you Kenny, and to everyone who believed in us and kept us going.

My friend, Angie, and me. We were in the program together and became good friends.

My friend, Dominee, and me. We were cheerleaders together, did Jr. Miss together, were in choir together, and graduated from high school together. We were eachother's first roommate, we walked through the ISU Arch together when we were freshmen and both walked back through as seniors (even though we didn't walk through it together), and we both graduated from ISU together. She got her degree in Social Work.

And these are some of my fellow CLS students--we all had a great time together this year and I am going to miss them (*sniffle*).

A BIG thanks for all those who came to support us at our graduation and/or the BBQ afterward. It means so much to us that you were there!