Chicken Salad and SJP

Firstly, I would like to start this post with a tiny Happy Birthday (late) to my daddy.  I know that he wouldn't want me to get too mushy gushy (since he is getting enough of that every time my mom sees a man in an ARMY uniform).  So I will just say I wouldn't be where I am today without you.  You have pushed and pulled me every step of the way.  You have listened to my panic attacks, crying episodes, anger outbreaks (the bad) and my blonde moments, my silly jokes, and my nonstop giggles.  I cannot thank you enough for always being there for me.  I love you daddy.  You are such a blessing in my life.  I hope you had a great birthday and I wish you all the best.  

Now, our tests are FINALLY over and we get about a 2 day break before we either have to begin working on our documentation project, studying for our next systems exam, or practicing transfers and gait training for pass offs.  But what better way to celebrate our tiny break from the books with a little girl bonding time with Chicken Salad, girl bonding, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

SJP never fails on chick flicks, and this one was no exception.  The only downside to any of her movies is the fact that I always rethink my wardrobe and crave shopping (online or regular) because of her fabulous wardrobes.  But regardless, I think we all had a great time.  I am so glad that so many came out to eat and attended the movie.  I hope they all enjoyed the company, the food, and the movie just as much as I did.  And I am so excited for our next get together (pumpkin carving =)) 

The first round of tests have gone very well.  I have been studying non stop, but luckily, Steven has been just as busy so hopefully I haven't tainted the name of "wife" for him quite yet.  I do still make dinner... when he is actually at home (and when he doesn't insist on doing so himself).  I am so glad that it is finally football season and that fall weather is on its way (it should already be here... thank you Mississippi).  It always puts me in the best mood to be able to wear my sweaters, coats, and boots.  And like Christina and I have already established, the best part about October means Halloween which means Thanksgiving which means CHRISTMAS!

PT school isn't all study study study.  We still have our fun and I am having the best time.  We have all gotten to know each other quite well, and despite the differences in football team preferences I know that we had developed some life long friendships and memories.  God could not have planned this out more perfectly for me, for Steven and for our families.  

Speaking of families, BABY ELLIOT is HERE!!!! He is 4 weeks old today and is just the sweetest little boy in the world.  The fact that he is here has made mom's baby fever even hotter, but she can hold elliot until it is my turn.  Christy and Jeremy have such a beautiful family.  It makes me pretty excited to start my own... in a few years. 

Dylan has officially joined the ARMY ROTC and the national guard.  He will be shipping out for basic in January in Fort Benning, Georgia.  I can tell he is super stoked.  I am so proud of him and excited to see what his future holds.  He has so much potential to accomplish some stellar things.  He is already a hero, and we, as Americans, are lucky to have him fighting for us.  He is smart, dedicated, and true to his word.  He will be in the guard until he graduates college, and then he wants to go into Army special forces (I think that is the plan still).  Next summer, after basic, he will be learning how to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and land without breaking something.  That is a feat for him in itself considering the fact that he used to hate bun-jee jump harnesses and he should have ridden the go-carts.  Once again, I am very proud of you, little brother.  Can not wait to see what God has planned for your life.  It is going to be amazing and I pray that you recognize and thank Him every day for all of the blessings he has given you.  

Steven and work are going well.  The first band competition for the 2011 MCHS marching band is this weekend at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, TN.  I am rooting for those drummer boys.  I hope they get recognized for all of their hard work and dedication.  They are a completely different group from last year.  I am proud, and I know Steven is proud and honored to be working with a group of kids that WANT to learn and are EAGER to be better musicians.  And Steven lives to teach others to be better musicians.  They are making his job fun! Good luck to the drumline and the rest of the band this weekend! I can't wait to see y'all next Saturday at Pearl.

As far as life in general, things are going pretty well.  The apartment is a mess, we have hardly any room, and there is still no place for me to put my Christmas tree, but I couldn't be happier.  I am awestruck by God's grace and blessings everyday.  I only hope that I am letting him shine through me in all that I do and that I am giving Him the glory he deserves.  That's about it.  Stay Strong, Pray Hard, and God Bless

 lross

Moses Supposes His Toeses are Roses

It has been a Friday night without Madison Central football for me, and the Rosses don't have cable.  So I have been watching some of my favorite movies since Steven left me alone for the evening.  I was inspired to write in my blog after watching Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor tap dance to Moses Supposes over and over again.

In case anyone hasn't seen the masterpiece, I have found and posted the video.  Your life will be changed.  How someone can move their feet that fast and produce a decent rhythmical sound is beyond me.  Simply amazing...

I was telling my mom tonight how much I miss it.  An open room with wooden floors and nothing but good music in the background that I could express through dance.  Some of my favorite college moments were in the studios in the Sanderson center just dancing for the heck of it.  I wish there was a place like that here that I could just bring my own music and take over the room.  Thinking about how long it has been since I have done this just makes me sad.  And especially how long it has been since I have worn a pair of tap shoes.  After watching Gene Kelly and wishing he were still alive so that he could make more classics like Singing in the Rain, I have the strong urge to go the the racquet ball courts at our apartment complex and go for it.

It also make me miss teaching it.  The two years I spend at Art Camp teaching dance were some good times.  Those kids, both girls and boys, still hold a warm place in my heart.  I even taught a dance to Moses Supposes, and it was by far one of my favorites.  I hope those kids think of me and their first exposure to such a classic whenever they see that movie, if they ever do.

So that is all of my whining about my missing my passion.  I will find a way to get back onto the dance floor, and I will keep you posted.

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance."  Ecclesiastes 3:4

Stay strong, pray hard and God bless

Summer Break... One Week Long

What a summer it has been! I have been elbow deep in dead bodies, nose deep in anatomy and intro notes, and knee deep in all work and no play.  But it all paid off.  I earned a 4.0 for my first semester in PT school, and I plan on keeping it that way.  I am very very proud of that number.  But my pride definitely falls short to the amazing friends and colleagues I have made.  I know that the next three years are going to be unforgettable.   We have made summer Mississippi Braves baseball games a necessity. I still have people in my class that think I have an imaginary husband because they have yet to meet him (not for a lack of trying), and I have found that some of my closest friends in the class are graduates of TSUN or they wear purple shirts and yellow breeches.  Needless to say, people surprise me everyday, my prayers were answered and I am having a blast despite my nonstop studying.  Things noted during my first semester of PT school:
1. 10 minute breaks in class are great for cat naps;
2. for those not sleeping in the 10 minute breaks, twitpic opportunities are available courtesy of those sleeping;
3. studying is fun but study groups are better and study breaks are even better than that;
4. soft collars and wrist splints get you strange looks while in public
5. Renee loves pickles;
6. quoting movies definitely gets you through a tough day;
7. Intro is perfect for writing poems;
8. capitate doesn't equal capitulum;
9. Hotel California helps when dissecting dead guys;
10. studying the muscles of facial expression makes for a good chuckle, especially if you have a mullet.

We have already had so much fun.  The next 8 semesters will go by super fast.  Lets make the most of it.

Steven is finally home and he has been hard at work at drum camp, band camp, and not stop school meetings since he got back.  He starts work again on his master's this fall, and he should be finished by the end of next summer.  Just in time for me to start clinic rotations.  What a stressor that has already been.  Not only do I have to do a rotation out of state (taken care of thanks to my BFF J in Memphis), but I also have to do a rotation outside of the Metro-Jackson area.  This is a great idea for those who live outside of the area, but I am from here.  So I have to either commute an hour away for 8 weeks or move away for a second time for 8 weeks.  I need not worry so much, because I know God has this under control, but there are all sorts of scenarios going through my head regarding the rotation for the Fall of 2010 and the Summer of 2013.  Not to mention, I have pick #49 out of 52 and a friend of mine has already stolen one of my ideas.  But it will all work out.

I am pretty excited, anxious and nervous to see what is to come out of the upcoming fall semester.  I hear systems is a killer... and I have to make time for football.  And I can't forget my duties as the drumline mom.  Prayers are definitely appreciated as my life is about to get more hectic.

On a positive note, we are soon to welcome another nephew into the Ross clan.  Elliot James Bounds is expected to greet the world of August 31st, and I couldn't be more excited!  I still need to purchase his first cowbell... Rileigh is about to start 1st grade, Madison Central's High School Band will be performing songs from Carmen the opera as their halftime show, and Dylan Pritchard will be joining Mississippi State's Army ROTC with the hopes of becoming special ops some day (oh yeah... and he got a tattoo in California).  Mom and Dad are well despite the termite issue earlier this month, Mr. Mark Kitchens and his family are moving to North Carolina in order for beautiful Kirsten to become a famous ballerina, and Meagan Kinsley is the new k-2 computer teacher at Madison Station Elementary.  Everyone's life is just taking off.  God is so amazing.  I can't wait to see what else he has in store!  Stay Strong, Pray Hard, and God Bless!

Being Like King Hezekiah

I cannot believe that it is almost July 17th.  It seems I was just venting on here about how Steven was gone, school was starting, and that this summer was going to go on and on.  I was sadly mistaken.  So many awesome things have happened in the past few weeks.  

School is going really well.  I am thoroughly pleased with my grades but even more grateful for all of the wonderful friendships I have found in my classmates.  We really do lift each others spirits and support each other already! And we are only a month and a 1/2 in.  Very grateful that everyone is accepted, and that everyone can share a smile with each other.  I don't think I could have made it through this summer thinking I was all by myself.  My biggest prayer going into PT school wasn't about the grades or the classes, but it was a prayer for new friendships.  I had been out of school for 2 years and I had kind of gotten out of the swing of things when it came to introducing myself, opening up, and just being myself.  How God has answered that prayer.  I know that I am still showing my true colors to my class mates, but I know that these friendships will be everlasting.

Steven come home on SUNDAY!  I am so glad he has had this opportunity to instruct the Troopers drumline again, but I am SO ready for him to be home.  I think that I will definitely be myself when he is here.  A part of me has been missing.  It sounds like the Troopers have had an awesome summer so far, and according to last nights performance, they are peaking at a good time.  Beginning to "feel" that performance.  Very excited to see the show when we go to Atlanta.  

I spent my evening tonight, not studying, but with my Sunday School girls in bible study.  We are doing Beth Moore's Breaking Free study, and lets just say that God speaks through Beth Moore like no other.  She is not afraid to tell it like it is.  We were in Isaiah Chapter 37 tonight.  Studying how the Assyrians were trying to take over Jerusalem that was under King Hezekiah's rule at the time.  The message was breaking free from our captor even when he tries to coax us into making peace with our own bondage.  Instead of listening to the enemy and surrendering to the Assyrians past triumphs, King Hezekiah took his trouble to God, trusted God with the protection of Jerusalem, and God pulled through like He always does.  Such an awesome message.  Especially when we, as Christians, claim to "believe" in God and that Christ is his son, but when it comes to trusting him every day, in the little and big things, that He will protect us, and the He won't give us anything we can't handle.  As a sinner and a Christian, I will admit to not being completely trustworthy 100% of the time.  I am a worry wart.  And most of the time, it is my prideful nature that tells me that I can fix it myself or worry about the problem enough to where it will be solved.  But that HAS NEVER been the case.  In all of the BIG and little trials that I have been through in my 24 years, I cannot think of one time where I was the one that fixed it.  That I was the one that solved my problems al by myself.  Usually when that was attempted, the problem got worse.  So it is a matter of sucking up my pride not listening to the enemy, and trusting that God will be there in EVERY situation.  "Our captor likes to remind us of all who have fallen and poses the question 'What makes you so different?'".  I am different because I am a follower and believer of Christ.  And I may not have confidence in my own flesh to seek out every up and down in my life and conquer it alone, but I have confidence in Jesus Christ and that with Him, I know that I will never be in a situation that WE can't handle. My confidence lies in Christ.  So, my prayer is to be more like King Hezekiah.  To take what the enemy is telling me to God, and have confidence and trust that God will take care of it.  For it states in Isaiah 37:36-37 that the angel of the Lord slain the Assyrian armies and the King Sennacherib of Assyria retreated to his own land and left Jerusalem alone.  God will protect and watch over his children. 

Just a little food for thought.  Stay Strong, Pray Hard, and God bless. 

Breaking Free

I have been truly self-convicted for some things in my life, and I guess as I get older, the more I notice when Satan is trying to lure me into another one of his easy-falling traps.  School is going very well.  I am excelling, but not for a lack of SERIOUS trying.  I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to school.  Nothing less than an A is good enough (especially when I am paying $3000 a semester for my own education).  And in order to get the A, studying is an absolute MUST.  I have been studying probably 75% of my time.  The other 25% has been either sitting in a class or eating.  This "time" doesn't include sleeping.  I get about 6 or 7 hours of that a night (otherwise I am quite unpleasant to be around).  So naturally things like spending time with family, talking to my husband who is traveling, and talking to God have fallen short on my "to do" list.  The funny thing is though, I have had this voice in my head saying that "God lead me down his path, so this is the way it is supposed to be".  And its not.

At bible study last night, we got on the topic of Satan using pathways, ideas, and mind-sets that God has placed in our lives and he twists then around to keep us further from God.  Therefore, taking away our gracious thankful attitude towards the blessings that God has given to us and turning it into angst and frustration.  I found myself after the first week of school skipping "big church" to go home and study, skipping bible study to stay home and study, and even sitting in church and going over the origins, insertions, innervations and functions of all of the muscles of the upper extremity.  Satan was really toying with my head making me think that my life must be consumed with the fact that A's are all that matter, family and loved ones will wait, and God put me here, so why should He care if I pay Him any attention while doing what He wants me to do?  But that's the thing.  I am a future physical therapist, but I am a child of God, a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend first.  All of these things shouldn't suffer just because I am in school.  I found my self missing out on really good bible study, fellowship, and even quality conversation time with Steven.

So after a minor melt down last night at bible study, I realized that I am actually spending TOO much time studying.  I know that is almost not possible when you are in a graduate program, but I have just got to force myself to give myself a break.  Take a night off and watch a movie, or when Steven calls, put everything down and just tell him how my day was and what I found in my dead guy that day.  And also, I need to spend more time with God everyday.  Without Him, I wouldn't even be in PT school in the first place.  So who am I to ignore Him when I get started with His next plan for my life?  It is a work in progress, but I know that I have the family and the friends and support system to get me through this.  I have been trying to do this all by myself, and that is just not how it is going to work.  And I am okay with that.  Stay Strong, Pray Hard and God Bless.

P.S.  First Anatomy written test and practical are OVER!  I am happy!

First Test Down!

I knew that the time would just fly by, and I kind of hoped that it would.  But with as much material as we are getting, I find myself wishing for more hours in the day so I can study a little bit longer but still get a decent nights sleep.  My past two Saturday nights have been spend with Sully in my lap, my dry erase board to my right and my Gross Anatomy notes to my left.  It doesn't bother me, but I do feel like a nerd.  Guess you gotta be to do well in PT school.

We had our first quiz on Thursday.  It went very well for me.  Trying to keep up a 4.0 for this first semester.  I hear the fall is going to be a doozy.  We officially get grades back tomorrow.  I think I checked over all of my answers about 5 times, and I felt so good turing it in.  But Friday in lab, Donna Lee said that the grades were "okay" and that the fill-in-the-blanks were "pretty good".  I guess I will know here definition of "okay" and "pretty good" tomorrow, but by her saying that, it got me questioning my answers.  And I hope I wasn't the person who put Long Thoracic Artery for the nerve that supplies the Serratus Anterior muscle.  That sounds like something I would do.  

Video chatting with Steven is about an every-other-day thing.  I try to keep up with my studies enough to where I can finish in time to talk to him and actually see his face before I go to bed every night.  If I ever met the person who thought up and actually followed through with the creation of video chat, I will give them a huge hug.  They have no idea how much of a difference it makes in a 7 week long distance marriage.  

The Troopers decided to have a little fun on the bus at the beginning of the week, and the new reports decided to give all of the loved ones at home a heart attack.  While traveling from Wyoming to Iowa on Sunday night, one of the buses (not Steven's) blew a front tire, ran off the road, and flipped a few times before stopping.  By the grace of God, everyone was okay, but it sure did throw me for a loop.  They made it to their stop for the evening, and all of the students on the bus were dismissed from the hospital in time to get a good night's sleep, but it was the fact that one of the buses had its first wreck in the 3 years Steven has been touring with drum corps.  Prayers that the traveling with continue on safely and that Steven comes home to me in one piece. 

Sunday School was great this morning, but there is something about going to a couples Sunday School class without your other half that makes me miss Steven a bit more.  So today has been a little rough.  But I am so glad I went.  I was being tempted to leave right after Sunday School to "study", but I stayed and I am so glad I did.  Worship this morning was amazing, and Brother Phil's sermon on Psalm 134 forced me to get out of my "I miss Steven" slump and celebrate God and his awesome works.  God definitely is SO good, and even though I am physically living alone (except for Sully), God is right by my side and is watching over me while I am here and watching over Steven while he is there over these 7 weeks.  Only 5 more though! Stay strong, pray hard, and God bless!

Troop-a-Loop

Where did the time go?  Just two weeks ago I was dreading Steven leaving to tour with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corp and I was anxious about starting school.  And now, May 31st has come and gone, I have bawled my eyes out, and studied my first set of notes for Physical Therapy school.  We start dissection of the human body on Friday, and I couldn't be more excited to get this ball rolling... mainly because the sooner it starts rolling, the sooner Steven comes home.

The anticipation of Steven leaving for the summer is always the worst.  I pretty much could not be left alone this weekend.  I couldn't drive by myself, I couldn't eat by myself, well, I pretty much couldn't be in a room by myself.  I clung to Steven as if he was leaving for war.  I cried about every day twice a day from Thursday to Tuesday.  And I cried today because Sully heard a car horn, and thought it was Steven coming home.  I had to keep telling him, "that wasn't daddy's horn, Sully".  Miserable.  But I know that he is having a blast, and to be honest, after all the information we got today, I am going to need all the study time I can get.  And I can't wait to see the Trooper's show in Atlanta!

When I took Gross Anatomy at Mississippi College, Steven had the awesome opportunity to listen to my review sessions, watch me write and rewrite notes, and help me study.  Unfortunately, he isn't here for the first part of my Gross Anatomy and Intro to PT class, so I guess I will begin to use my blog as a review.  Nothing special, just interesting things that I learned in class or cool things that I saw or did during dissection lab.  I think i will be interesting to read back on in the future, and if Steven feels like reading it, he can resume his role as my accompaniment while studying.  Don't worry, I will definitely not deprive him of his listening to my fun school learnings when he returns.

Today was a lot of "here is what this class entails".  My Anatomy teacher, Dr. Andrews, is Canadian and  deaf, but is an amazing lip reader and is good a laughing at herself.  She does have a hearing aid and she is an amazing lip reader.  After going over the syllabus, Dr. Andrews started on our first anatomy lecture which pertained to anatomical postitions, movements, and relationships: anterior vs. posterior, superior vs. inferior, superficial vs. deep, distal vs. proximal, medial vs. lateral.  We also did anatomical movement terms like flexion, extension, supination, pronation, abduction and adduction.  It was fun. A good review.  I didn't leave there saying "I guess they expect us to know what all of this means".  We did definitely dive in though!

I am very grateful for my family and friends.  I got SO MANY text messages, phone calls, and facebook posts letting me know that I was not forgotten yesterday for two reasons: school and Steven.  I couldn't be more blessed.  And now that yesterday has come and gone, and Anatomy is back in my life, I am ready to face school head on, hopefully with a 4.0 waiting for me at the end.  So here's to school, family, friends, and Troop.  Staying strong,  God bless.