PT3 by the grace of God

Another year has come and gone, stressful moments and worrisome weeks all seem so small now that my second year of PT school is over. A year from now, I will be looking forward to graduation, the title Dr. Leah Ross, and hopefully a paycheck. I am so blessed beyond words to have been so successful so far in this field and I am so looking forward to my last year. My classmates and I have so many memories so far, and we look forward to a bittersweet ending to our academic lives.

 My 26th birthday dinner at Sombra

Birthday Dinner with my man

 So grateful for this group of crazy classmates

 Bridal Shower for Mary Paige and Virginia

 Maxi Dress Picture

 Wedding in Dallas with my sweet momma and her friends

 3rd Anniversary Trip to Starkville and dinner at The Veranda

SHRP Research Day: Team Hippotherapy (we got 3rd!)

Emily's Birthday

Our one and only Thirsty Thursday at the MS Braves game

I only get one week off between Spring and Summer, and my outpatient PT clinic rotation at Performance Rehab, Reservoir starts in 5 days. No hard core studying this summer. Just reviewing orthopedic therapy and spine manipulation. I do have a patient case study that I get to write an entire 25 page paper about and present a 30 minute powerpoint to my colleagues after 8 weeks, so lucky me. But I will get to enjoy my summer with my HUSBAND since this will be the first summer since we have been engaged that he has chosen to stay home and not go off with a drum corp. I love that he loves what he does, but I am so excited that he will be here with me. He is looking forward to a break too. He hasn't had one in a few years. I am thinking of a honey-do list, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know. 

Aside from studying non-stop this past spring (and speaking of my husband) I would love to brag on him and his students for a wee bit. I was the Madison Central Indoor Percussion's biggest fan this past season, and I am such a proud mama. They all got better and better with each and every tiresome practice, grueling run-through, and exhausting performance day. But it all paid off. After only 2 years of the indoor percussion program being back in business since 2007, Madison Central placed 3rd at the WGI Regional in Hattiesburg this year, and even beating the 1st and 2nd place over all winners in a couple of captions. They also surpassed an indoor group that is not normally in their class in the MIA circuit. This is OUTSTANDING considering that they are babies to this extracurricular.  They faced some frustrating adversities, but they definitely overcame then and prevailed. I am so ecstatic to see what the group is going to do next year. And I am so proud of Steven, obviously. He respects and cares for those kids so much, and he is always willing to go above and beyond if they show they really want something. It makes it all worth it, the 10pm evenings, the Saturday practices, and the endless cookies I baked for them. They make all of that "extra" time easier to bear when they want it.  (Photos were taken by Christy Bounds of JCBounds photography)

Madison Central Indoor Percussion 2012-2013

"Awaken"

In my free time, I have been trying to slowly decorate our apartment and make it a little more homey than the last. The bedroom was the first project. I managed to make artwork for above the headboard and re-do a lamp to bring everything together. I started there just in case I royally screwed up. I am now trying to slowly and inexpensively work on the living room. I have discovered that the golden yellow color that appeared in our bedroom has now begun to appear in the living space. Apparently, I like that color. It makes every room happier. I have also become quite fond of buying cheap, thick bordered bulletin boards, painting out monogram on then and hanging them everywhere. I seem to like them more because they are already framed and I don't have to worry about a custom frame for a 16x24 canvas that I have painted. Also, Mississippi has become a popular theme in my life as well. Pillows are being thrown here and there to bring the whole room together, but a lot of these are still projects for the remainder of the week. 

Re-finished lamp for the bedroom. I covered the shade in burlap, and painted the bottom. 

Yes, that is a bulletin board. It looks so great with our bedroom colors and style. I am in love with it. I painted the letters on with acrylic paints. I found the board at HomeGoods.

Cute inexpensive pillows for the couch in the living room. Found at TJMaxx

 Another bulletin board for over the mantle. I think I will be painting the frame red and adding a black script monogram to the board. I found this one at TJMaxx.

Frames for a very empty wall. I found most of this at Hobby Lobby. The clock was given to us as a wedding gift. 

I am still looking for a frame for this one. It is in the living room as well and is an interpretation of a painting my friend found in a magazine a while back. 

I will try to do an after of the unfinished bulletin board and a picture of it over the mantle. I am also in the middle of two Mississippi paintings for the dining room. I will post those as well. Looking forward to a remarkable summer. Stay Strong and God bless!

January Snow with Mississippi Sun

What a fast few months it has been. So much has happened, so I know I am going to leave something out. Last semester was pretty easy as far as school went. We had clinicals the first half of the semester and then class the second half. I actually got to have a little bit of a social life. That has all changed. Steven and I got to go to Disney World with the Madison Central band right before thanksgiving. I had TOO much fun! I only made him stand in a few character lines. Every park was decorated to the nines like Christmas. Hollywood studios had lights dancing to music and Cinderella's castle was drizzled with ice lights. One couldn't help but smile. Thanksgiving was lovely and traditional (thank goodness) at my Grandmother's house and all football at my in-law's. We moved into a new apartment that week also. Much bigger, and livable for the next few years until we begin to grow our family. It is perfect, and has room for a kitchen table and chairs.

School left only one exam, which was good for a special couple, Ben and Meagan, who decided to get engaged the night before our spine exam. So happy for them and pray that their life and journey that lies ahead is very blessed beyond measure and everything they desired. They get married next November, and I am honored to be a part of their big day! 

Christmas was fun, but it seemed to fly by. I painted a LOT to pay for some lovely monetary issues that were unexpectedly thrown at us at the end of the semester.  We did the usual Christmas routine and enjoyed our time with family over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day not forgetting the main reason for celebration of course! 

We left the day after Christmas for the Smokies with the family, and spent a lovely 7 days in a cabin in the mountains watching football (which didn't really work out in Mississippi State's favor), shopping, watching snow fall, and SKIING!

The skiing wasn't much, and it definitely left me and Steven wanting more, but we had so much fun at Ober Gatlinburg skiing with my little brother. After a few spills, we finally got the hang of things and Steven was brave enough to test out a blue. After a major fall and collision with a ski lift post, he decided to stick to the green and tried an easier blue later in the afternoon. It left for many laughs and only a few bruises. The snow was fluffy and powdery, and we immediately started looking for ski resorts in Colorado and saving for our fun ski trip that is still two years away. 

When we got back, it was back in the swing of things almost immediately. I have a semester jam packed with neuroanatomy, spinal cord, lifespan, a huge research project, and wound care (which I got enough of in Vicksburg). It is very overwhelming, especially after last semester, but our class is always up for the challenge. I know we are all going to breeze through it. And after this semester, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Only one more year after this one. 

This semester has already had its perks, though. Just last Thursday, Mississippi woke up to a winter wonderland. The snow was melting as it was falling, and it was a wet snow but it was beautiful and the flakes floating were the biggest I had ever seen. I did have to go to class, but driving to school watching the beautiful snow fall wold put a smile on the biggest Scrooge's face. Old Canton road looked like a Christmas card, and my fun PT class decided to turn the SHRP building into a snow fort and attacked those walking up to the building to class. A snow ball fight did commence and it was so much fun to act like a kid again, especially after the mountain of notes and reading that had been fed to us in just a week and a half of school. The snow had melted by noon that day, and by that afternoon, it felt like spring with the sun shining and the blue sky, but the pictures don't lie. It was said that if it had been below freezing when the snow started to fall, that we would have gotten around 6-8 inches. Any snow in Mississippi, though, is a good snow.