Well folks I finally did it. 12 months of hard work and dedication and I was finally able to walk across the stage with my fellow classmates and receive that beloved piece of paper that says I am officially done!
My Mother and Father made the 14 hour drive (one direction) to see me graduate. I love you very much. Thank you for always supporting me and being loving parents!
Char K. and myself!
This is my instructor Char K., I owe her a lot as she was the one who may not have always wanted to smile at me as I was a pain and well not professional in most her classes. But she took her own personal time to pull me a side and talk to me and show me how much I can affect others with my behavior and how much I could lead the class through a tough situation. So from that day on, Char and I had a special bond and she kept me going strong for 12 months.
Nicolle and I.
Nicolle, I just want to say how awesome you are. I know you probably don't read my blog. But I must say how much you changed my life and my opinion of people. I no longer look at a body and judge it for its size, shape or color, but I see it as a true body worker must. I see their structure and I look to see how it is I can help them. You do amazing work and have one of the most amazing personalities I have ever come across in my 25 years of life. Again, you are amazing and thanks for putting up with me for 12 months, oh and thanks for getting me off caffeine!
Jeannette (my TA) and I. She was fabulous and taught me bunches.
my classmate Kim and myself. I will miss you kid. Good luck out there!
So, it was our last day of class and we all were bbq'ing and just having a good time together. I will miss my classmates more then anyone will ever realize. They helped shape me into who I am today and helped to keep me going strong.
Clairise, Ashely, Chelsi, and Jade
Clairise, Tavez, and Nicole just chilling after a final
Mary vacuuming after our Hydro Salt Scrub final
Trying to get the grill started
Kelly holding Char back, shes a feisty one
Clairise and myself
Clairise, Annabelle and myself!
Nicolle (my teacher) and of course me!
Just a few of us girls from the class with 3 teachers!
Ashley and I
Lacey, Janae, and Ashley
Jesus and Daniel, they cracked me up!
Keisha (clinic director) and Steve (TA) (they are husband and wife and amazing)
Char (teacher) and her favorite Bieber! (they call me Justin Bieber b/c my hair)
Devon and I in class...
The Barrington's playing us one of their songs
Char and her AWESOME hand writing!
C-0137 for life. I will miss you all very very much. thanks for all of your support and love the past 12 months.
Eliane, Tavez, and Nicole doing the pose!
Chelsie and I.
yep, that's my whole fist in my mouth.
more of the Tavez pose!
Ashley and Annabelle, she was angry?
So, this next picture is of me giving my final "presentation" in Professional Development. It was worth 100 points and was half of our grade. We had 4 questions we had to answer.
1. What are my plans directly after graduation: Spend the weekend with my parents. Since I had at this point taken my licensing exam, I knew all I had to do was get the $100 saved up and go up and apply for my license. I also am setting up my own business to do out call massage around Orem area to friends I have met and well of course clients that hear about me by word of mouth.
2. What are your plans in 1 year: To be on a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been planning on this for a while and it never worked out, but now it is in the books and I am hoping to achieve it by this coming summer!
3. 5 year plan: To be home from my mission, hopefully married with maybe one kid. I for sure want to be back in school at BYU (Brigham Young University, in Provo Utah) to finish my bachelors degree in Athletic Training (new major I picked). All of this while of course running my own private practice called Peaceful Elements Massage. Then after my bachelors, I am going to apply to PA (Physicians Assistant) school and go from there.
4. What is the most valuable thing I have learned from UCMT: I have learned who I am as a person and how to accept myself on all levels especially a physical level. I was not comfortable with people and had a huge personal bubble, that protected me from "harm" and heartbreak as I would keep people away from the "me" that only few got to see. But throughout the time, I learned to let go and let people in as I knew they wouldn't hurt me and if they did I could learn and grow from it. I now can hug people and be myself no matter who I am with! Also, I was taught how to be a professional when the time called for it, to speak Massage in an elegant way. I too was able to learn how smart I really am and was able to receive a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life, and I kept it even in times of high stress. I learned how to truly succeed in life!
giving my final presentation:
right before our final exercise, which I might add was a complete water fest, as we all cried and laughed and got to hug each other before it was all said and done.
Well for the past 12 months I have spent 3.5 hours a night for 4 nights a week at this place, then I started spending 5.5 hours there on Saturdays for clinic. It is very dear to my heart and it has given me everything in life that I need to be successful and professional and what not.
I owe the students and staff for all they have shown me and the very valuable knowledge I was able to obtain at my time there. I am going to miss this place and the people oh so much. I already do and have only been gone a week.
Working on a runner at a half marathon (volunteer work)
Again, working on a runner, amazing experience
some of the walkers for the 5K, July 2010
Kiley, Annabelle and Kelly after the 5k run/walk, July 2010
So, my school UCMT held a first annual 5k run. I was pressured into signing up by teachers and other staff, so I did very reluctantely knowing I didn't have time to train for this bad boy. So July 16th rolled up and at 7:30 A.M. I registered and began to stretch and prepare for my first ever 5k run. I ran about half and walked the other. I had a blast and enjoyed my company. I finished right at 50 minutes.
I am lame, I start that way with every blog, b/c well I just don't have the time to update this thing. Tonight is the first time with real down time with nothing requiring my attention so its nice. Here is my most recent update:
1. I have a new niece, her name is Lena Joan Koiner she was born July 8, 2010 at 2:31 P.M. in Dallas Texas. She was 8 lbs. 5 oz and 21 inches long. Proud parents are my sister Laura Zink and Kyle Koiner (my future brother in law!). They are all doing well and Lena is growing and looks just like a Zink! People say she looks like me, and unfortunately for her she does. I hope she grows up looking a little better :D
2. I just finished my 4th term of 5 at UCMT (Utah College of Massage Therapy). I have kept my 4.0 and am doing very well in student clinics on Saturdays. I love it and I am glad I have finally been blessed with the smarts to have good grades and the talent to be a good therapist. I graduate in 10 short weeks on October 15, 2010.
3. I have been prompted to start my mission papers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was not an easy thing for me to accept, in fact it took the Spirit a good week (and sometimes still does) to make me realize my time is now. My down fall is I still need about $1200 to pay off some medical bills I have accumulated and then I can start my papers. So I plan on being gone before the end of the year, or well we will see I guess. I am very excited yet very nervous because this time it was the Lord telling me its time and not me just wanting to go. In fact I tried to fight it with school and a job and working and moving but it didn't work. It is funny how the Lord works.
So that is my life in a nut shell. It has been almost a year to the day that I moved away from Kansas and said goodbye to my Parents. I love them more then ever and miss them dearly and in fact I will admit I cry at times just thinking about them. I have grown leaps and bounds being in Utah and living on my own and being a "grown up" and I wouldn't change it at all. I love who I have become and who I continue to be shaped into.
So, I haven't updated in FOREVER but what else is new?
I have been very busy, of course you all know my schedule, it hasn't changed much except I am adding Massage Clinic officially on May 8th, which in essence means every Saturday from May 8th till October 9th I think it is, I will report to my school at 430 to sign in and I will officially start my 5.5 hour shift. You may wonder what I will be doing in that 5 hours, so here you go
430 Arrive at clinic and sign in 440 or so start massaging Every 50 minutes do another massage on some random stranger that paid.... 1030 at night sign out and go home....
Yes, ladies and gentlemen my quota every Saturday is to do 5 full body massages in 5.5 hours, that means I am going to get good at Swedish style Massage and also learn some wicked time management skills!
Other then that, I was kicked out of my current residence and had to find an apartment. I was blessed to have my best friend who was there to support me and was kind enough to get a place with me. I think I will be able to afford this (lets hope so I don't end up on the street somewhere) but we have our first real apartment. Yes a REAL apartment, not a student housing one that comes furnished. So we have couches and a chair and that is about it....
I sleep on the couch and she sleeps on a futon mattress and has yet to buy the futon part of it. I will someday if I can ever afford it purchase a bed and dresser, but until then the couch is my place of residence!
So to entertain our selves in the apartment after work and mainly on the weekends we do stupid stuff like this:
Well, sorry I am lamesauce and do not update often. I will give you my schedule so you might understand why:
Monday - Friday I work 830 A.M. to 5 P.M. (but I leave my house at 8 am) Monday - Thursday I have class from 7 P.M. to 1030 P.M. Sunday I go to church from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M. (1 is when choir starts)
That is what is set, then of course you have homework after 1045 by the time I get home, then on Saturdays I try to relax because in 4 more months I will start my clinicals for Massage Therapy and will no longer have them to enjoy. Now do you understand why I do not update?
I am still alive, I still love massage school in fact I am doing quite well, I have an A in Anatomy and Physiology and I am loving every second of that class to be honest. We went to the cadaver lab this Friday and played with a brain and heart and other bones, it was rad.
In other news, I am going to be an Aunt again (unofficially) of course, my sister is 6.5 weeks preggo and is waiting for the official announcement till around Christmas time. Oh and same said sister is getting married next year in November if all goes as planned and the creepy thing is her beaus name is Kyle, so now I will have not just one but two brother in laws by the name of Kyle, so I am pledging NOT to even date any Kyles for fear of making it a 3rd person in my family with that name...ugh...
I am not dating anyone, nor close to being married or pregnant...umm I don't have time to date but there are a lot of really cute boys here!
So that is my update, one of these weekends I will add pictures of my wild trip from Kansas to Utah and my life here thus far...
Okay so someone requested an update. I am sorry I haven't done so already, I have been busy (for the most part) and lacking my own personal computer so I was kind of waiting to use it so I can get my photos up so far. But oh well, here it goes.
The trip: Drove to Texas to see Helen and her family (per their request), went to Amarillo and fell in love with the tilt a whirl which surprised me since I don't normally do rides, but had a blast and will post a video of the tilt a whirl experience when I get my laptop up and going on wireless internet.
Drove from Texas to Colorado Springs: Hung out with Sam and Helen at their home, had a good time just relaxing and made some wicked sweet homemade sweet and sour chicken.
Drove from Colorado to Utah: Was amazed at how beautiful the mountains are. Saw the Denver Temple from the highway! Fell in love with the mountains and did not have a hard time with the heights and so forth.
Arrived in Utah: The first person I met in Utah was Matt (in which I am staying with him and his wife Jen) he greeted me with a huge hug (even though we had never met before) and helped me move in to his basement. Then I was kidnapped by my friend Natalie Gurr which served her mission in Great Bend, or part of I should say! Went my first YSA ward and fell in love with the concept. Made some great friends that took me under their wings. I played rock band till like 1 A.M my second night here. I finally found a job and started last week. I work at HIT web design as a customer service agent. I have enrolled in school to become a Massage Therapist. I have gone on 3 sort of dates and have had a blast.
Needless to say I LOVE UTAH and all that comes with it. Oh and I LOVE the YSA ward and all the FHE activities, ward activies, ward prayer, institute, and all the other random things we all do together.
There now you are updated. I will post pictures and videos when I get my laptop hooked up to a semi awesome connection!
I couldn't be more excited/scarred to death all in one. I decided it was time for a change in life, it came at a very weird time for me, but when things are supposed to happen then they fall into place. I might not be directly in Provo, but will be in the vicinity for sure. I am excited due to the fact that I will no longer be the only YSA in my ward my age and I will have the opporutunity to go to school again and follow my dreams. I am moving Monday and will be stopping in Colorado Springs to see my best bud Helen and her hubby Sam for a few days then onward to my new life!
My brother Jason is quite the cook, he gets it from his Dad! I have NEVER had gumbo, and so my brother made us some homemade good stuff! I took pictures of the process, well sort of. It was awesome and had some kick to it, and the sad thing was he didn't even do his usual spiciness to it. I am a wuss according to him. I love him though!
While he cooked the boys played games on a very large t.v and had a blast messing with them while they tried to "concentrate"
My brother took us driving around Louisiana on Sunday and so he drove by the "lake" by his house. Well me being from Kansas was used to a wide open area full of water, with no trees in it just people and boats and fish/turtles/snakes and whatever else grows in a lake. Louisiana however is mostly swamps, but this "lake" or so he called it had huge Cyprus trees growing in it. He told me that many people take boats out but ruin propellers like crazy hitting stumps they can't see underwater. I was amazed!
Sunday Morning! Usually I am up and getting ready for church, but since my brother Jason lives out in the boonies for real, totally backwoods Louisiana if I have ever seen. It takes like a good 45 mins. to an hour just to get to church. With it being General Conference it was a bit of a different set up and instead of making a long day of travel and such we decided to watch it on T.V. instead of getting all spiffed up and driving for a satellite broadcast.
My brother Jason was real in-tune with what he was hearing, so much he was "meditating" over the words of President Uchtdorf!
After the second session of General Conference the Sister missionaries, Theresa and the kids, Mom and myself went over to another member of the wards home and did girly stuff. I was more into the backwoods of Louisiana so I went for a walk in her neighborhood and she went with me so I wouldn't get lost. We had a great time talking and getting to know each other and so forth. Louisiana is gorgeous but was sticky. The other girls did pedicures/manicures/facials, ate ice cream and just had a great time socializing!
Katlynn doing Sister Weichmann's nails.
Heaton and Weichmann playing cards!
Sister Heaton and Sister Weichmann did some crazy masks that like made their skin uber hard...they had a good time with it!
We arrived in Louisiana on Saturday late morning to finish watching the first session of General Conference. After the session was over came the change of clothes into the spiffy whites! I absolutely loved being their and seeing the family glow and get ready for their big step. We took tons of photos and had a great time, then started the service. The Spirit was so strong there and it gave me chills the whole time! I was privileged to be able to give the opening prayer, and to be honest I almost most cried and I got chocked up just being there. I will stop rambling and will post the pictures I hope everyone understands how much this did mean to me and how much I love this Gospel!
This is Jason and his family. L to R: Theresa, Alyssa, Katlynn, Jesse, Jared and Jason! (Katlynn decided to wait to get baptized till she felt it was right, which I admire for her doing that)
Okay so add in the two that did the dunking Jared and Zander Hutchinson (he was an Elder that started to teach my family down in Louisiana where he served his mission) then add in the current Sisters serving there, Sister Weichmann from Colorado and Sister Heaton from Utah!
To the right we have me and the ones getting baptized, I serioulsy thought this was the BEST day EVER! I love the way the Lord works!
Katlynn doing Sister Weichmann's nails.
This is Jason and his family. L to R: Theresa, Alyssa, Katlynn, Jesse, Jared and Jason! (Katlynn decided to wait to get baptized till she felt it was right, which I admire for her doing that)
Okay so add in the two that did the dunking Jared and Zander Hutchinson (he was an Elder that started to teach my family down in Louisiana where he served his mission) then add in the current Sisters serving there, Sister Weichmann from Colorado and Sister Heaton from Utah!
