Life Lately

I feel like it's been forever since I had the time to sit down and upload pictures or even check my email. Thanks to the long weekend, I have a little time right now! Let's see... last Monday was my birthday - I turned 23. I can't believe I'm really that old, I think I'll always be 17 in my mind. Here's a picture of me with the cake my mom made for me - it was good!

I worked the whole week, long hours, but I'm still greatly enjoying my job. Then, Friday night we went up to Fayetteville to see our friends Nick and Brandi. Brandi graduated with me from OT school and they moved to Fayetteville so Nick could go back to school at U of A. Here's the guys playing Wii.



We all went to the Razorback football season opening game on Saturday night. It was mine and Tyler's first Hogs game ever.
Me & Brandi getting ready to go to the game:

View of the field from where we were sitting - we had great seats!
Nick and Brandi were over in the student section somewhere:
After the game, we went to Braums and got ice cream - a treat for us since we don't have them in Central Arkansas!


Thankfully, Tyler and I both have tomorrow off to celebrate Labor Day and just enjoy a day off. I love short work weeks! :) I'm spending the day cleaning the apartment and Tyler has to work a 3-11 shift tonight. Otherwise, we're just hanging out!

You don't look like the decaf type...

That's what our waitress said to us tonight when we ordered decaf coffee after dinner.

Tyler suprised me and took me out tonight for my birthday to Murry's Dinner Playhouse, which is also where we went on our first date. Guys and Dolls was playing and we are big musical (and Frank Sinatra) fans. It was great. It was fun reliving some old memories! Here we are at Murry's:
I also got my temporary license today, which is great news! I'm completely a full-fledged occupational therapist now. Finally!!!

Kami McDonald, MS, OTR/L

Yes, that's me! Although actually I suppose I do not have the "L" at the end of my name quite yet, but I'm told the Arkansas State Medical Board is working on my license...

So today was my first day of work! I am exhausted but it was a good day. I was welcomed with hugs from several employees (seems they've been very short staffed!) and though I have only technically worked there for one day, I was hired in June and so some of the front office ladies feel like family already! I love the environment I'm going to be working in. It's very fast-paced, which appeals to me, and lots of things are color coded, which makes me very happy. People are very organized and clean up after themselves, which also makes me happy. This clinic has a lot of aides, so that's awesome, cause it means we can see more patients more productively. There are a lot of dry-erase calendars there, which thrills my heart. I also like the thera-bands attached to the wall permanently in color order so they don't get lost or lay on the floor. The paperwork is also very straightforward and a lot easier than anything I ever did on clinicals. By the end of the day, I was hopping into treatment like I'd been there forever...

I have my own little spot in the office, 2 cabinets to fill up with books, a mail box where my CHECK goes, and a little space of community desk to put my pictures and desk accessories on.

I also got the sweet action goodie basket that you see pictured above. It had a blanket and water bottle with the clinic's logo on them, a picture frame, a Yankee candle, Sonic and Subway gift cards, Oreos and Nutter Butters, gum, and a nice card welcoming me. Guess all the hard work the past 5 years paid off - I love Nutter Butters. And blankets. And Sonic.

Anyway, it was just an all-around good first day for me. :) Yay, OT.

Last of the beach pictures... :(

My brother took lots of pics of me and Tyler, here are my favorites.

The beach our very last day there...
Me & Nan enjoying our last minutes of paradise...
My daddy with all his kids
Nan and Bop with all their grandkids
Me & Tyler again

I am very sad that we had to leave the beach, cause it was a little slice of heaven on earth! It was a great trip, but now we've got a lot of other things on our plate!

I found out yesterday that I passed my boards! Praise the Lord, He got me through it! I won't know my exact score for 4-6 more weeks, but as long as I passed, I am a happy girl! I still haven't gotten my temporary license, but hopefully that will come through next week. I start work at River Valley on Monday for orientation and just getting my feet wet at the clinic. Tyler starts back to school on Wednesday for orientation and Thursday for class. This is his final year, at last! He'll be done in May of 2009. I know this year is going to fly right on by!

We are celebrating our 8 month-a-versary today, which we can't even believe! In some ways it seems like we have been married for years and years, and in others it seems like our wedding was just yesterday. We are definitely right around the corner from our one year anniversary, it will be here before we know it! Crazy!

We're off to run errands to get everything done before Monday!

More from the beach

Shrimp Boil and Boogie Boarding

Dad just chilling at the beach today
The guys going boogie boarding; I went out there later, too, and it was a lot of fun!
Tyler and Grayson buried Brennan completely in the sand... here is the result.
A storm blew up while we were down at the beach, and it was really cool...
More of the storm.

Tonight for dinner we had a shrimp boil. It was our first time to attempt it, and it turned out really yummy! Here's Dad working on the potatoes and corn ...
Yum. Corn. It's one of my favorite foods. So.. corny.
Dad still working on the shrimp boil
Mmmm... corn and potatoes! My two favorite foods. I love carbs.
Mmmmm... more carbs. Butter, please.

Enjoying the food... check out Tyler's pile of shrimp!

Inlet Beach, Florida

Leaving at 4 a.m. from Nan and Bop's house
First day at the beach - Sunday Aug 10
The boys headed to the beach
Me & mom heading to the beach
Nan, mom, and me at the beach

Getting some sun
Me & Tyler Sunday night at the beach
The boys boogie boarding
The sunset Sunday night
Me & Tyler Sunday afternoon
Our incredible house - the beach is just across this street and down the boardwalk over the dunes
The porch that wraps around the entire second level of the house
Dinner the first night - spaghetti & garlic bread - check out the chandelier!
Tyler and I cooked dinner Sunday night - hamburgers!
Dinner the second night