Dear Deborah,

Stop being a baby! Stop complaining! And stop taking Facebook breaks! Suck it up and go write your paper! Remember, it's worth 40% of your grade.

Love,
Your GPA

PS. GET OFF BLOGGER TOO!

Look Mom! I'm a big kid now!

It's been a few weeks since the semester has started and I have decided I need to find one of those people who wakes up before you leave to work to make you breakfast and lunch. And then when you leave they do your laundry, run your errands, and have dinner on the table by the time you get home. What are they called again?.....oh yeah! A wife! oh boy....I don't know if that is going to work out for me.

I started my internship at Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland as a therapist last week. And I started meeting with clients without shadowing this week! (I was totally on my own! I should say client. I've only seen one. There will be three more next week.) It seems like it's been much longer since our first session, but maybe that is because of all the studying I have had to do on my client's specific issue. Tonight as I came home I caught a glimpse at myself in the mirror.

I was bringing home all my notes from work to read over so I can create a treatment plan over the weekend. Yep. All those papers, notebooks, and books are for one client. Well the word of the Lord is for me, but how can you really get far and help much with out it, right?

When I saw my reflection I thought...Actually, first I thought, "You're a hot mess." But then I thought, "Wow! You're actually doing it! You're the real thing!" Well kind of. I feel like I have at least moved up to pull ups. One step away from being all on my own. It's all a matter of time before I will be wearing big girl panties! Who would have thought huh?

Toto, we're not in Rexburg anymore

     Well I am now about a month and a half into school here at the University of Maryland-Baltimore and it is very different! I went to the orientation and realized it was different when the librarian stood up to introduce herself and said "I'm available" and no one snickered. Then the campus police stood and gave us a lecture about keeping our valuables with us and to not leave them unattended. "What? You mean I can't just leave my laptop, wallet, and cell phone out on the table in the common area, go to the bathroom, and expect to see them again when I come back? That's not how it is in Idaho." But I think that the thing that topped the cake in realizing I was in a new school didn't happen until two weeks ago. I have been going to class for a while and totally adjusting well. But two weeks ago the teacher walked in a few minutes late and welcomed us (nothing out of the ordinary) and started teaching. I unaware that class had officially started just sat there. I hadn't started taking notes. I hadn't gotten into my student focus. I was sitting there.....waiting....for the prayer to be said. When i realized my teacher hadn't forgotten to say the prayer and was in fact not ever going to say a prayer to begin class, that's when I turned to my little dog next to me and said, "Toto, we are not in Rexburg anymore."
       I mean who does that?! I always thought I was pretty good at separating the church from school. LOL and It's not like it was my first day of class. I had been to many other classes before this and hadn't even hesitated to jump right into class. Why did I all of a sudden think prayers in class were a normal thing now? Oh well. It made me laugh. That's for sure. Oh and another thing that I miss about BYU-IDaho, while we are on the subject. I miss that I can pay one fee for a parking pass and then park on campus for the rest of the year. And I miss that if I didn't feel like driving I could wake up and be from my bed to my desk in class in 15 minutes flat! Here I drive 30 minutes in traffic and still have to pay AT LEAST 5 dollars every day for parking even though I already paid over 20 dollars for a student permit. And if I want that low rate of 5 dollars I have to walk 15 minutes from the furthest parking garage to class. Oh the good old days! How I miss you. OK. Enough of the complaining.
      I really do love school! I am excited for the fall semester to come and for me to start my internship. Maybe I will write a little more about that next time. But here is a picture of me on my very first day of class. I am a legit Grad student/big kid now!

Day 13-Goals

The day before graduation the graduating social work class all went out to breakfast and had a little bit of an awards ceremony. Two of the students thought up and handed out awards to everyone graduating based on their personality or funny little things they will remember about that person. I honestly was a little bit surprised by my award. Mine was the "Taking Care of Business" Award. They gave me this award because one: I wore business clothes to school every day due to work and two: because I just got things done. I mean was graduating college and starting my masters immediately.  I never thought of myself as some one who is very good at setting goals and accomplishing them but as I thought about it a little more I realized I am better then I thought. So here are my latest goals!

1. Graduate with my Master's degree by May 2012 and become a LCSW by the end of 2014.
2. Work in an organization where i can provide individual and family counseling to those suffering from addictions.
3. Get married in the Temple and have an eternal Family.
4. Pay off ALL my debt. (Student loans, credit card, etc)
5. Learn to manage my finances well and use any extra income to help the church.
6. Have children
7. Live in my own apartment with a real job.
8. Live in LA for at least three months to write my Aunt Jan's life history.
9. Spoil my Nieces and Nephews

And that's about it for now!

Here is a picture of the snow we got today!

I did it! I graduated!

Well, I made it. I got 4 little green check marks and a diploma! (Actually I haven't gotten a diploma yet. Just the cover)

Requirements Summary
Course Title	Status
BACHELOR UNIVERSITY REQS	Met
BACHELOR UPPER DIV REQ	Met
500 SOCIAL WORK	Met
BACHELOR RELIGION REQS	Met

People keep asking me how it feels to be a graduate. They all seem disappointed when I say, "no different then before." Maybe I should start humoring them and saying "IT FEELS GREAT!" Maybe it is be because I know school starts again for me in two weeks that it feels the same but I am excited to be done!

It was so nice to have my family come to my graduation. Because I know most of you just look at the pictures rather then read through the actual blog I'll just get to it and post the pictures already.

Actually getting my diploma

My favorite coworker Jeremy (AKA, The tank)

What a beautiful Roommate I have!

My two best Social working Friends! I could not have made it without these women!

On our way to party!

DFK and Me! 

Love Brad and his sweet mom! 

Eldon and me

My mother is the BEST!

BYU-Idaho was such a wonderful experience! I have grown and been blessed so much during my time there. I will cherish all of the people I met and the memories I made forever!