Yep... that's a week's worth of boring underwear I recently ordered. Also two boring white bras. I got them for COT. I'm not sure if they are absolutely necessary, but from everything I've read, I figure it's better to be safe than sorry!

It's less than a month away but it feels even sooner. I keep waking up around 7:30 or 8... thinking, "once I get to training... at this time of day I will already have gotten up, worked out for an hour, showered, eaten, enjoyed my morning 'personal time' and be in uniform and heading to class."

I am calling today about scheduling my flight to Alabama, and I'll be picking up the remainder of my uniforms from the alterations department at Travis next tuesday after I take my NAPLEX... and I'll get my boots, so I can start breaking them in! Oh, it's all getting so real...

And yes, all of my test dates are set... they are too soon and I don't feel ready, but I highly doubt that I will ever really feel 100% ready! So we'll see how it goes...

...for a NAPLEX test date! After finally getting all of the paperwork completed from the school and my character reference, and everywhere else, along with the fingerprints for my background check and a record of my intern hours from the board of Virginia, I am now in a waiting game to hear back from Wyoming to see when I can schedule my tests. I am definitely starting to get nervous. A lot of my classmates are already done with both the NAPLEX and MPJE (law) and I don't even have either of them scheduled. I leave in August, so it's getting closer and closer. :/ But, they said it should take 1-3 weeks to hear back from them, so I'm giving it until next Monday before I call to check on the status of my application (they should have received it last Thursday or Friday, so that's at least over a week) Ideally, I will get the NAPLEX scheduled for the end of the month and the MPJE 1-2 weeks after that. I'm just hoping I can get them both done before I leave for training! And pass of course!

How is it that time runs out so quickly!? Worst comes to worst and I'll move on to plan B... hmm... maybe I should make a plan B

Anyway, getting super excited to go to training and get the new phase of my life started. It has been amazing to be home all this time, but it will be awesome to get working and feel productive again too!

So I've gone through phases.

When I was younger (we're talking like middle school-ish?, I'm not really sure...high school maybe), I would say things like, "I want to have 7 babies when I get older" (because that was my favorite number) or "I love kids, why would anyone not want kids" and things of the sort. I was convinced I was going to have this crazy big family with kids running around everywhere by the time I was in my mid-twenties. Obviously, I had a very loose grasp on reality, and had no idea what kids were all about.

Then I got a little older, learned even more about pregnancy and childbirth and what it does to your body, and thought... whaaaat. No, that is definitely not happening. Maybe once... and you'll have to cut it out. And I started learning more about adoption.

Around the time I got to college (undergrad), I said, ok, three kids would be perfect, and ok, I guess I would like to experience the so-called "magic" of childbirth... mostly because I thought it would be cool to see what the kid would look like. I mean, come on, it does seem exciting... mix the genes together... see what pops out... it's like the ultimate mystery (ugly? cute? nobody knows!) lol. But I decided that for sure I would have two biological children and have one child through adoption. Perfect plan, right?

As I became more aware of the world, learning about our society's lack of sustainability and watching the technology and social networking and such boom, I had a backlash again. I wondered... "how can I bring a child into this crazy world when we are running out of resources and 3-year olds are walking around with cell phones." Seemed like my kids and future grandkids won't stand a chance.

Well I guess I have to stay positive, have a little faith in society, and hope for the best for the future of our world.  And I actually haven't been around babies that much... really ever. So I always feel like I'm going to break them or accidentally forget something that will bring them to their death. Seriously, they scare me. But, at the same time, I've always thought that I could be a great aunt. Let me hang out with them for a few hours, maybe a day (only if they are out of diapers)... but then take them home, away from the danger that I may bring to them. So we'll see how it goes. Many of the people around my age are now starting their families, popping out the babies, and that is awesome. For them. Seriously, way to go. You are creating life. But for me... still undecided, and learning. We'll see what the future holds.

But in the meantime... check out my favorite little one. She absolutely CRACKS ME UP! I can't get enough. Funniest baby I've been around. And, yes, as I said, I haven't been around many... but still, she takes the cake (and yes, I just said 'takes the cake' lol because it's fitting... she eats like crazy too... a girl after my own heart). And she gets excited about so many things. She just can't contain her excitement. She will look at something, hold her hands in little fists and start to shake with her mouth open making little noises in excitement. Funniest thing ever. She rarely cries from what I've seen compared to other little ones, and is crazy smart... most of the time.

Quote of the day yesterday: "Check out her melons!" -Dad (referring to the cover of a gardening magazing)

oh, what are we going to do with him...

A few weeks ago, I spoke with one of the other pharmacists I'll be working with at FE Warren. Actually, I talked to both of them, but one of them in particular went into detail about COT. Up until that moment, everyone had been telling me how easy it was and how it was "nothing like basic"... but these of course were all people who had never been through it. Now I'm sure basic is even crazier, don't get me wrong, but from everything she said, and everything I've been reading... just because COT is not as crazy as basic definitely does not mean that it's going to be a walk in the park by any means. Actually, it will possibly be the most challenging 5-week period of my life so far. The girl I talked to described it as "finals week x4.5 weeks"... plus lots of yelling and physical activity. In other words, I won't be sleeping much or eating the things I like to eat, I will be miserable one moment and motivated the next. lol... and hopefully I won't cry too much, but I won't put it past me just yet.

As far at preparing, the only thing I can really prepare myself for is the PT. I printed out the fitness assessment chart, highlighted where I am now and where I want to be before I leave for training. There are three main categories that you are tested on in the PRT (Physical Readiness Test): 1. Cardiorespiratory Endurance (aka the 1.5 mile run), 2. Body Composition (aka abdominal circumference), 3. Muscle Fitness (aka push-ups and sit-ups). For women under 30, the criteria for 100% points is as follows: </= 10:23 for the 1.5 mile run (so </= 6:55 min/mile pace), </= 29-31.5 inch abdominal circumference, >/= 47 push-ups in 1 minute, and >/= 54 sit-ups in 1 minute. Of course I don't have to get 100% to pass, but I would definitely like to be at least above 90% (that way you only get tested again in a year rather than 6 months). Here are my stats so far: 1.5 mile run in 13:40 as of June 20th (that would get me 54.2 out of 60 points), should be fine on the abdominal circumference (20 points), 21 push-ups as of June 18th (that only gives me 6 points out of 10), and 41 sit-ups as of June 9th (would get 7 out of 10 points for those) giving me a score of 87.2. Not quite where I want to be, and I have a lot of room for improvement (especially in the push-ups and run), but at least I know I can hopefully pass. I need to re-test myelf before the week is over, so we'll see if I improve at all or if I've gotten weaker in the last week... haven't been working out much :/

I also made an appointment today at the Reserve MPS on Travis to get my ID next Friday... I hope the guy knew what he was talking about when he told me I can get on base with just my orders... he didn't sound entirely confident. So we'll see! But as long as that goes well and I actually get on base, then I'll also be able to go over to the store and get my uniforms! So exciting. I won't know how to wear them yet, and I'm sure I'll look pretty funny in them, but at least I'll start to feel a little more prepared for the journey ahead. Only other things on my list are to take my NAPLEX and MPJE still (once I finally get my test dates set... hopefully soon!) and schedule with the moving company to have all of my stuff relocated to Wyoming.

Until next time! ~Ky

... the unofficial mascots of the Lake County 4th of July fireworks!

kinda freaky but cool, right!?

Also, we went out on the boat during the day on the 4th and I got up on both the ski and wakeboard! yay... wasn't sure it was going to happen. And I can't believe I forgot how much fun it is.

Currently listening to: Pandora on my new iPod Touch LOVE it... and I love Words with Friends!

So, at the end of last month, my mom and I participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in the Rocky Mountains. It was the second time we've participated in the Avon Walk, and I wonder whether or not we will do it again. The first time was back in 2009... so we had three full years to forget how hard it was to raise the $1,800, how much pain we were in after the first day, and all of the other struggles we encountered along the way. But there we found ourselves, getting excited about going to the Rocky Mountains, preparing for the altitude, and basically begging our friends and family for money. One lady said, "it's kind of like getting pregnant... you remember that you were in pain, but your mind seems to block that part out and only remember the happy part of actually having the child." Now, of course, I'm not trying to compare the level of pain we experienced during the walk to that of a pregnancy (I'm actually hoping pregnancy is less painful ;P lol... a girl can dream), but it's just interesting that sometimes your memories of the bad or unhappy moments usually aren't as strong as your memories of the good ones. Either that, or you remember the bad and just decide to overcome it again for the end result of doing something good (or in the case of a pregnancy, maybe you don't consciously decide anything but you end up in that situation anyway)  

It makes me wonder though how many of my other memories are skewed because I only see what I want to see, or remember only what my mind wants to remember. Just a thought to ponder for the day.