OT school memories

It is HOT outside! With the temps up in the 100's, I've been trying to stay cool inside. I've been working on some things for our OT school graduation. We're having a pinning ceremony before our actual graduation, and I'm creating a slideshow of pictures from the past three years of OT school. Here are a few of my favorites to bring back some good (and some crazy) memories.

Our first day as second year students in May of 2006 - doing a team building activity
Me & Kelly at the ARC camp dance in July 2007
Tessa, Mandy, Joelle, Cassie, Kelly, Kathie, and me at the ARC camp in July 2007 - We were the night crew, spending the night with the campers and making sure they had everything they needed and were safe.
Brandi, Lindsey, Kelly, and me doing a presentation in Clinical Conditions our first year of OT school.
Kelly, Lindsey, me and Missy our first year of OT school participating in a visual learning exercise involving yarn... I'm not sure WHAT exactly we were learning!
Jeanie, Kayla, and Whitney dressed up for some class presentation - I'm not sure why, but I love this picture because it captures their personalities exactly!
Dr. George, Joelle, and me and the AOTA conference in St. Louis in April 2007
Tasha, me, Dr. George, Missy, Kayla, Joelle, and Kera at the AOTA conference in St. Louis in April 2007
Sarah and me on the last day of classes in December 2007
Tessa, Kelly, me, Joelle, and Randi at our graduation party when we received our bachelors degrees in December 2006

It's been a long road to graduation. I am so thankful for some of the friends I made along the way and look forward to being colleagues with them in the small world of occupational therapy. We had great professors who believed in us, had patience with us when things were difficult, grace on us when life situations were out of our control, inspired confidence in our therapeutic abilities, and eventually took us from students to professionals. I am eternally grateful for all of their hard work in getting us to this point. Some of them taught me lessons I will never forget - ALWAYS remembering to ask if the clients has "any more motion" when you are taking goniometric measurements (I think I still do that every time!), ALWAYS putting the wheel locks on before transferring someone in a wheelchair, and that sometimes just listening and being a friend is the best thing you can do as a therapist. They demanded excellence and by doing so, created excellent therapists. I am anxious to start my new job and get out into the real world, but at the same time, it is bittersweet to leave the comfort of the education community. But you know what? We're ready. We've worked hard to get here. We put in six months of paying-your-dues time during clinical internships. We've studied hard for our NBCOT exam. And now... it's time to sink or swim!

A baby, a wedding, and Ashlen won Miss Arkansas!

It has been quite a week for us here at the McDonald house. We've been burning up the highways of Arkansas in our new car! We spent last weekend in El Dorado to attend a baby shower for some friends of ours, Austin and Linley. She was due August 7th, but she ended up having their beautiful baby girl, Kenlee Grace, on Friday! We are so happy for them and can't wait to go back to visit and meet her!

Yesterday, my friend Lindsey from OT school got married. She had a beautiful wedding and it was really good to see everyone from school at her wedding. Here are some pictures:

Lindsey and her husband, Ben

Kelly and me at Lindsey's wedding

Then we drove to Hot Springs last night to see our friend, Ashlen Batson, compete in the Miss Arkansas pageant. She has worked very hard over the past year to win this year's pageant and represent our state at Miss America. Her hard work paid off - she won! Her boyfriend and Tyler are best friends - he was a groomsman at our wedding, so we sat with him and his family, as well as her family. Here's Tyler and Dustin cheering her on:

Ashlen in top ten - She's the 5th from the right in the sparkly champagne-colored dress:
She won! Here she is with her four runner-ups:
Ashlen hugging her mom and dad:
Getting whisked away to do Miss Arkansas things:
It was really great to be there to share in the excitement with her! We're sad she will be on the road for a year now, but very happy for her because we know she wanted this so much!

Maybe the next week will be a little more chilled out for us!

Random thoughts

When you look at yourself from a universal standpoint, something inside always reminds or informs you that there are bigger and better things to worry about.
- Albert Einstein

This quote kind of sums up what I've been thinking about lately. As I get closer to graduation, I am beginning to realize how very far I've come in the past few years. However, I am also realizing how impatient I have been as well. I wanted to be done with clinicals, then I wanted to get a job, then I wanted to get a new car, then I wanted to spend time with Tyler this summer... and guess what? Those things all happened in time, and were perfect! Now the thought process goes like this: I wish we could get a house (even though our apartment is perfectly fine and zero upkeep!); I wish graduation and my national boards would hurry and get here (even though just a few days ago I was so thankful to just be finished with clinicals!); I'm ready to get settled into my job and be making a steady paycheck (even though God has been so faithful to provide for us and I am enjoying my summer immensely!)

God is slowly teaching me to be content with where I am RIGHT NOW, at this exact moment. And like the quote above says, there are bigger and better things to worry about. I am thankful to have a loving husband who continuously uplifts and encourages me, a caring family who constantly supports everything I attempt, a roof over my head in a nice, clean apartment, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, and a car to drive. All of the other things will fall into place in God's timing if I will only place them before His feet and allow Him to continue to provide for us.

So I am trying hard to live in the here and now - staying up late laughing with my husband, letting the laundry pile up while we play outside all day, going to Sonic for Happy Hour or getting a shaved ice, making art projects and scrapbooking, driving around just because - and enjoying every moment of every day during this season of my life!

More from Lake Hamilton

It stormed here for a while this morning, but by afternoon we were able to get out on the boat once more for a little cruise around the lake. I've been trying out some new, lake friendly hairstyles. I've been spotted sporting the side ponytail, rocking the pigtails, and wearing Tyler's hat while out on the lake. Here are some more pictures of the randomness abounding at the McDonald family lake getaway.


Trying the boat again before it rained again


Going for a dip


Grilling our lunch in the rain


Me & Tyler swimming in the cove, right in front of the dock of where we're staying


Tyler flexing his muscles


Tyler and Joey were so proud of standing up


Tyler getting in and out of 55 degree water by the dam


Me and Tyler tubing


Tyler showing off his goggles and swim shoes


Dustin just chilling in the lake


Me and Shirley tubing

Fourth of July

On the Fourth, Tyler and I went to Fordyce to see his family for lunch and fellowship, and made it back to my family's annual Fourth party and fireworks display. Here are some random pictures from the day.


Tyler and Joey eating yellow watermelon


Tyler's cousin Rob with another cousin, Hayden


Nan and Carolyn doing sparklers!


Tyler and Bop sitting on the steps watching the firework display


Ashlyn, the Greggs' little girl, doing sparklers

Lake Hamilton

This week we are at Lake Hamilton with Tyler's family. We are staying in a little town called Sunshine, Arkansas about 25 minutes from Hot Springs proper. Tuesday we went out on the lake for the majority of the day and did some tubing and some sightseeing. Here are some pictures:




Me & Tyler



My handsome husband



The Belle of Hot Springs, where we had our rehearsal dinner in December



Those infamous stairs!



The boat dock at the place Tyler and I stayed on our wedding night.



Tyler & me in front of the place we stayed on our wedding night, Lookout Point Inn. Our room was the top right corner from this view.



Tyler tubing



Me & Tyler tubing



Joey, sweet action shot



The weather was beautiful!



Tyler and his dad