Week 14 Famous Last Words

If I had to describe this week in three words they would be: Cold, Busy, and Happy. It's been a good week full of fun, but it has definitely been jam-packed with stuff I have had/have to do. 

Monday was wonderful because it was a SNOW DAY! I woke up to big fluffy flakes floating gently to the ground. I love snow. It's so beautiful and exciting! Maybe I feel this way because I grew up in Texas where it doesn't really snow; at most, ice falls in sheets and covers the ground making travel and fun in the snow nearly impossible. Plus, in my entire life of living in Texas I only had a "white Christmas" once even though I dreamed about it every year while Christmas music played in my head. So, when I opened my front door and saw the snow I squealed and took a bunch of pictures. I spent the day at home with my boyfriend and roommate working on homework, drinking cocoa, and relaxing by the roaring fire. It was absolutely wonderful and really served to put me in the holiday spirit. I have to admit, for the first time ever, I put my Christmas decorations up early. Judge me if you want, but I love love love the entire Christmas season. Everyone just seems to try harder to be nicer and the overall feel of everything is more cheery. Plus, I am a big fan of scarves so cold weather is perfect for me because otherwise I get too hot to wear them. 

BooBoo Kitty Layin by the Fire 

Me and my Roommate, Amber, Watching the Snow Fall

Lily LOVES the Snow!

I got all Bundled up to go out into the Snow 

Tuesday I was at my practicum site for 9 hours getting supplies together for Calm Waters' big holiday event on Wednesday called Creating New Traditions. It is an event that is open to the public and is geared toward families who are about to enter their first holiday season without a loved one. The adults have a guest speaker who talks about the difficulties of going through the holidays after the loss of someone close to them and the children get to go into a group with other kids their age and learn about having the holidays without that person while also doing lots of fun crafts. It's much less intense than our normal grief groups and focuses on teaching families that they don't have to try to do things the way they did before their person died. Things are different, and that may mean different holiday activities which is okay. I'm really excited for this event, but preparing for it was hectic to say the least.

Here's a little more information about Creating New Traditions from The Calm Waters Website

Today,Wednesday, started off kind of crazy because my cat fell in the toilet (I know, what a dork right?) causing me to be late to my first class. Thankfully, my professor is super awesome. I've had her 3 different times for three different classes and she is always my favorite. Anyway, I have class 8:30-4:20 (plus a huge social work research methods presentation that's been stressing me out for weeks) and immediately afterward my fellow social work student Michelle and I have to immediately head to OKC so we can help set up for the event and work it. It's going to be a long, but wonderful evening to follow a lovely day.  

Thursday will be my rest day. I don't have class or practicum so I will be spending the day working on projects that will be due soon as well as planning a little get-together for the last week of class. I'm going to hold a dinner, drinks, and crafts event at my apartment for my friends and I to hang out, eat, drink (responsibly of course), and do Christmas/Holiday-themed crafts while listening to Christmas music and playing some fun games. I think it will be lots of fun!

Christmas Tree Ornament by Kris de Curtis

Found on Wikimedia Commons

Friday I have practicum 8;30-12:30 and afterward will get on the road and drive home to Texas for a friend from high school's wedding. I'm very excited for her, but not looking forward to helping Mom with the catering.

Enough of that, I've blathered on long enough. I hope y'all had a great week and I hope your next is absolutely fantastic! Stay positive and warm!

OH ALSO, quick afterthought: I make wreaths! Each one is specialized and individualized to be whatever you want it to be! Plus, I just learned how to put lights (that use a battery pack) in the wreaths! So, if you want one, just message me here and I will give you my email so we can talk about what you want. I usually only charge $10 per wreath, unless you want a larger size or some specific costly addition.

Here are some examples of wreaths i've made this year

Collage created using Pic Monkey

Week 13 Famous Last Words

This week has been pretty good. Here is a list of the adventures I went on and things I did that made me happy this week:

• I drove to Texas Wednesday evening for an appointment with True Results Thursday morning where I was told that my progress is exceptional and i'm doing really well! The doctor and I discussed my eating habits and my concerns that my portions were too big before deciding to bump my saline in my lapband up just a little bit. She injected .4 ccs of saline into my band which brings me up to a total of 5 ccs (the band holds 11 total). I'm feeling great and motivated to keep up with my progress.  

Before surgery, 267 lbs/ size 24

Last month, 210 lbs/size 16

Today, 206 lbs/size 16 

• While in Texas I got to see my Naala!! Naala is my mom's chinese crested powderpuff. She is absolutely amazing, hilarious, and awkward. I love that dog so much!!!! Plus, now she is finally fluffy again! 

How freaking cute is this dog? Seriously. Adorable. 

What a begger: Naala scoping my bacon

• I took a comprehensive exam in my generalist practice social work class and made a 98! Woo! 
• I decorated my apartment for Christmas. Well, I started decorating. My boyfriend, roommate, and myself all decorated the living room and put up/decorated the big tree that goes in there. I still need to put up my small tree that goes in my bedroom as well as the outdoor decorations. Then, I will continue to accumulate and put up decorations from now until Christmas. I'm also working on wreaths for my roommate, my friend, and my roommate's grandmother (who is super awesome and I love her!). I like making wreaths and it's super easy!

This pretty much sums up how I feel about Christmas

Mom on Christmas Day 2013

• I finished my volunteer training for Valir Hospice which means I will be allowed to begin volunteering and doing extended care for their patients next week! I'm so excited!
• Today i'm getting my nails done with my roommate. We are getting Christmas colors! While we do that, the dog will be just a few doors down from us getting groomed. Boy does she need it! Lily just got done with her second heat, which was awful for everyone involved and unlike her first one had a really gross side effect: she began to emit the most AWFUL smell. Her whole body stinks and so does all of my roommates bedding as well as the dog's crate. It's seriously gross and i'm so glad she is getting her cleaned up because I feel bad not petting the pup or letting her in my lap, but dang! I cannot handle that stench!

Christmas Dog!

Found on Tumblr

Week 12 Famous Last Words

This week I want to use my Famous Last Words assignment to talk about someone who has come into my life and opened so many doors for me. Her name is Rita Ulman and she is my field instructor for my practicum at Calm Waters. She is a MSW (Masters of Social Work) who works at Valir Hospice and she is such an incredibly essential resource for me. She has such a wealth of knowledge and is so willing to share her stories, experiences, lessons, resources, contacts, and love of helping people. She has done so much and is truly committed to making sure I have any and all opportunities to learn about what I want to learn about. She wants me to experience as many aspects of social work as possible and that is exactly what I wanted from my practicum. She teaches in a perfect way for me to learn and gives great feedback when I ask about my performance at Calm Waters and Valir. We met this week and talked about so many things that i'm going to get to do this semester and next. She is going to try and hook me up with some other social workers so I can shadow them and see what sort of things they do in their daily work. She also is letting me volunteer with Valir Hospice. I will get to go on-call and do extended care for people who are actively dying as well as sit with clients/patients who need someone's company, someone to talk to, help with daily activities, etc. I'm going to get to see the PACE program in OKC as well as observe a psycho-social assessment with another social worker from Valir. Another learning opportunity she is going to let me take advantage of is her role in Valir's audits, finances, and statistics.

Rita is exactly what I needed in a practicum instructor. She wears so many hats and is perfectly okay with my true NEED to learn. I am a dedicated person and I have a real passion for social work. I want to learn all about it: practices, roles of social work, resources, different kinds of social work, about the populations I could be serving, specific needs of different populations, cultural differences, etc. I love learning, I mean during the summer I watch at least one documentary a day to keep my mind sharp and stimulated by new learning. Rita is just as fired up about social work as I am and she has been doing it for many years. I love that she is still dedicated to her work. She is not only a great practicum instructor, but a wonderful person. I really enjoy being around her because she just fills the room with charisma, wisdom, and positivity.


She helps inspire me to stay positive, so i'm hoping to spread that positivity to y'all. Have a great weekend and Boomer Sooner!

Good Things Come with a Positive Vibe by Danny Foo 

Found on Flickr

Famous Last Words: Week 11

This week was busy and fun. I had lots of good news, good experiences, and good time spent with friends (though not very much good eating.. too much Halloween candy and snacks). At Calm Waters (my practicum site) I got to perform supervised client intakes! This was exciting because I got to become even more involved at Calm Waters and I got to do something that is important in deciding if we include a client in our groups. We do an intake where we ask them a series of questions about their loss, school, friends, home life, and wishes for what their life could be like to find out how mature they are, what they know, a little about their personality, and whether or not they would do well in group. We also want to look for any red flags, things that hint at abuse, mistreatment, behavioral issues, inappropriateness, developmental delays (we will still take these children, but we want to make sure they are in a group where they will be able to participate and understand what is being discussed; some children just need to be put in a lower or higher age group), and need for further assistance/services. I got to do intakes on children and teens which was neat. Also this week marked the beginning of a new session for our divorce groups (they are only 8 weeks long), and I was assigned to a new group: teens. I was nervous and a little intimidated because to be honest I was a jerk when I was their age, so I hoped they were in a better place than I was so they could really get something out of group. Our first meeting went well enough; the only real issue was actually with my co-facilitator, not the teens! He just doesn't understand that you cannot talk to a group of 8th-12th graders the same that you would a group of 4th-5th graders. He talked to them like children and it made them all really awkward. It's nothing a little discussion and coaching can't fix though!

Then, Friday I met with my field instructor and we discussed so many more learning opportunities such as shadowing a few social workers, helping plan a remembrance celebration for the Valir Hospice families, volunteering at the Valir Hospice office, going on-call/doing extended care of Valir Hospice, taking a tour of PACE (a program for seniors that is getting started up in OKC), taking a tour of the Valir Rehabilitation Hospital, and attending further interdisciplinary team meetings. I'm going to get to do so much! I also am going to continue working with Valir as a volunteer beyond the necessary hours of my practicum (I plan to continue volunteering with Calm Waters too). My field instructor seemed really impressed by my willingness to help beyond what is required and was excited to get some help at the office.

Friday was also HALLOWEEN! I love Halloween! It's so much fun and who doesn't want an excuse to wear a costume and be silly? I decided to be a Disney princess for the first time since I was 3 (I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast) and dressed up as Snow White. My roommate and I went to Fright Fest at Frontier City which was fun and cool since I had never been there before. We rode rides, joked around, watched a few shows, and walked the park all in our costumes. She was a dark elf and looked super cool. We had a blast, then went home where I made up my boyfriend to look like a zombie and his friend showed up looking like Uncle Si which was pretty funny. We had a few more friends show and we all watched The Addams Family, ate Halloween candy and queso dip, had a few drinks, and listened to some music before turning in for a necessary night's sleep.

Overall I had a great week and am looking forward to a continuation of positive thoughts and actions as well as hard work (or at least, as much hard work as I can muster) in this coming week!

Here are some pictures from my Halloween adventures:

Amber and I about to ride the "Squeal Lasso"

Amber at the Frontier City entrance

Car Selfie!

Me at the front gate 

About to ride the "Killer Bullet"

Waiting in line for the "Wildcat"

Rafy! Dont Eat Lily!

Snow White 

We sent my mom some weird Snapchats

Myself and Rafy.. The cutest Halloween couple

Zombie Rafy

Shaun is Uncle Si 

Ahh! Zombie face!

Have a great week everyone!
Welcome to November!

Famous Last Words: Week 10

Well, this week I was sick all week with an upper respiratory infection. I went to the doctor at Goddard Health Center and he gave me antibiotics so i'm hoping those will kick this infection's butt ASAP. Otherwise the week was pretty good I suppose. I got a new laptop which was costly, but necessary, and I think I like it. I just don't like change and wish I hadn't HAD to buy a new one. I also got to conduct some intakes at my practicum site (Calm Waters in OKC) which was a new experience and integrated me further into the agency. The program director at Calm Waters told me I did a great job, so that made me feel pretty good. Things at Calm Waters have been and continue to be amazing! I'm so lucky to have received this agency as my placement! Plus, my field instructor doesn't actually work for/at Calm Waters, she works for Valir, so  I get double the experience by getting to work with a hospice agency and a unique agency that works with children and adults. I feel really lucky! The last thing that happened this week is that I weighed myself and i'm officially down 60 lbs and am only 7 lbs away from my first weight goal of being under 200 lbs (for the first time since 8th grade)!

Also, I just wanted to take this opportunity to give a HUGE thank you to my Indian Epics professor, Laura Gibbs for being incredible and going so far beyond what is required of her. She was here for me and gave me the support I needed last week when everything seemed to be falling apart at once. I've never had a professor who takes so much interest in her students and I honestly think that is what is missing from most college classrooms. She is a wonderful woman and i'm lucky to have her as my professor!

So, thank you again Professor Gibbs! You really are amazing!

Sick but Still Smiling

My photo 

Famous Last Words: Week 9

Hello all!

I'm a pretty positive person, but this week has definitely been trying. It has had plenty of good that I have been focusing on but I definitely need to vent a little.

If you read those first two sentences and decided to continue reading, I really appreciate that. So, let me preface all of this by giving you some background information. I live with my roommate Amber, our dog Lily, a betta named Bobby, my cat BooBoo KittyF**k (we just call her BooBoo) and two guinea pigs named Pebbles and Bam Bam. Amber and I are both "card-carrying crazy" meaning that we have serious mental illnesses that we have to deal with. I have severe clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder w/ panic attacks, and dermatillomania (aka compulsory skin-picking, dermatillomania is an anxiety disorder similar to OCD and trichotillomania characterized by picking of the skin often to the point of bleeding and/or scarring-usually the person does not even realize they are actually doing it). I've been on medication for years, attempted suicide twice, and was hospitalized once when my current medication quit working. I don't let my disorders keep me from living a happy, productive life (usually) and manage to take my medication pretty religiously so I (usually) don't experience any strange side-effects. Amber, on the other hand, was originally diagnosed with the same two as me, though as of this week that diagnosis has been changed to bipolar. I figured as much, and we have talked about it often. Her medication was simply not working and her mental state was not improving, she needed to seek new help and luckily found a great psychiatrist who is working with her to move forward. Amber is having a tough time accepting her diagnosis, she feels upset because there is a negative stigma attached to being bipolar.

This week was rough. There was tension in the house because Amber was having to deal with so much and I had my own problems. The apartment got dirty and I got sick which just made things worse. I tried so hard not to burden Amber or get frustrated this week because she was really dealing with some sensitive stuff and I wanted to be there for her. However, that does not mean I did not have some things that put me back this week. I'm just going to list them:

• I rarely sleep well (a symptom likely associated with my anxiety) and this week was no exception. I slept around 3-4 hours per night every night this week. I have been EXHAUSTED.
• There were no dishes because they were all dirty and piled up in the sink. Gross!
• The house smelled bad.
• I feel like I have no time anymore. I work at my unpaid practicum 20 hours a week (or more), am taking 15 hours at school, I have to clean and cook, I have SO MUCH homework in my social work classes, and this class's workload is killing me. I wish the assignments were all due by the end of the week instead of on different days. I feel like i'm seriously falling behind.
• I dyed my hair red, which would normally be awesome but this was my first time dying it since lap band surgery and I had not had my biotin (I take twice the maximum daily recommended amount to offset a strange effect of surgery- CRAZY biotin deficiency). This meant that when I went to rinse the dye out, LITERALLY half of my hair fell out. I used to have long, thick hair and lots of it. I still look okay and most people wont notice, but I notice and it was really terrifying pulling handfuls upon handfuls of hair out. I was sure I was going to end up bald by the end of the night. 
• Something during my grief group triggered me and I ended up crying for a very long time because I was reliving the loss of my child 4 years ago. It's a long story, but I was a senior in high school, my protection failed, and I didn't know I was pregnant until I had a miscarriage.
• I've been really easily angered this week and i'm not sure why.
• We lost our freaking homecoming game.
• Today (Sunday) my computer screen crapped out. My laptop is busted and I have to buy a new one so i'm posting from the library for now. However, this does mean that I lost my storybook story (I write them in Word) as well as 2 papers that I need to turn in this week in my social work classes. Plus, laptops aren't cheap and i'm struggling as is. 
• I am SICK. I think I have bronchitis, so I have to go to Goddard ASAP, though most likely wont get in until at least Tuesday. I've spent a lot of time in bed, and honestly, it's been hard to focus. 

Anyway, I really needed to gripe and get that all off my chest. Here are some good things that happened this week:

• My bestie Ashley came up from Texas to visit!
• The Rah! Rally was pretty cool and it was exciting to be a part of history. 
• We decorated the apartment for Halloween
• I made plans for my Dad to come up in November so we can golf at the Lake Hefner Golf Club. I don't really know how to golf, but he loves it so I think we will have fun. 

Here are some pictures that helped cheer me up!

B.A. Slaughters Reunited!

My photo with Ashley this past weekend.

Naala Cuddles make everything better

my photo

Our Halloween 2014 decorations

 My fuzzy Nana Bear!!!!!!

I like to call this one... Shameless in Stripes

my photo in some tiger PJs I found at Mom's house

Also, here are my photos from the OU/TX game that I went to with my dad!!!!!

Big Tex!

Me and Dad at the TX State Fair 

 Dad in front of the fountain at Fair Park

 Proud longhorn

Dad at the OU/TX game

 A house (and fair) divided

My dad and me at the OU/TX game

 All smiles with my dad at the Cotton Bowl

 The two of us sat on the Texas side

The Pride of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma flag

Presented before the OU/TX game at Fair Park

Me reppin' the Sooners in a sea of orange

There's only ONE Oklahoma!

 

Week 7 Famous Last Words

This week was pretty busy and crazy. Here's just a quick recap of the week's festivities:

1. Had a meeting with everyone involved with my practicum for the OU School of Social Work at Calm Waters in OKC. It went really well and I feel like i'm really learning a lot. I can't believe our first divorce support group is almost over! They are only eight weeks, and I don't know how to say goodbye to the kids! 
2. I went clubbing in OKC for the first time with my boyfriend and roommate. We went to Candy Nightclub which was pretty neat I suppose, but then we went to the grand opening of the Circus Partybar and it was SO COOL! They had a juggler, a dwarf ringmaster, gogo dancers with smoke guns, girls on giant swings, excellent music, and an overall awesome feel. We had a great time and I danced my butt off!
3. With regards to my lap band: I am down another pant size, but I gained 5 lbs this past week and a half (I blame football season. I just can't help but love loaded french fries and chips & queso. They are my weaknesses). It's all good though, because i'm going into this next week with a healthier mindset and more options for what I can cook. Also, I found out my BMI is down 11 points since June which is wonderful!
4. I worked a booth at the Mind, Body, & Soul Health Fair in OKC Sunday which was neat. I got to learn about available resources in OKC, meet lots of nice people, get some free health screenings and information, and even got to do some yoga! It was a good time, but the turnout was a little pitiful. Next year, the organizers really need to dedicate some time to brainstorming ways to get the word out. 
5. I went to Andy Alligator's for the first time Saturday. My boyfriend took me on a date to go let loose and be silly. We played a round of putt-putt and each did 24 pitches at the batting cages. Personally, I was a little embarrassed at the batting cages because I have never played baseball/softball and I am not athletically gifted. My boyfriend on the other hand, was a really great baseball player before getting injured in high school. I looked a little bit like a chump but had a good time. 

Now i'm looking forward to this coming weekend because my dad is taking me to the Red River Shootout/ TX State Fair! I'm so excited!!! 

My roommate and I in our hotel room before Candy Nightclub

My photo: 10/4/14

Week 6: Famous Last Words

This week was both difficult and enjoyable. I was very sick for a few days; I even missed my lap band check-in appointment (though i'm ecstatic to report that I am officially down 51.2 lbs since June 26th)! I got behind in my assignments and readings and I am now struggling to catch up. However, I did get to spend some quality time with my roommate this week. We hung out a lot: we took the dog to the dog park at our apartment complex, we went to lunch at Chili's, we went Halloween costume shopping, we had a lot of long talks (silly and serious), and we had a few girls' nights where we just relaxed at home and watched trashy animated television (King of the Hill).
Then, my boyfriend and I had a lovely date night. We went to the OU Hockey game and cheered on our Sooners as they annihilated the Arkansas Razorbacks 9 to 2. It was chilly and there were more Razorbacks fans than Sooners fans, but I had a great time and afterward we got some new shisha and went home to enjoy some hookah.

I also got to spend some time at Lake Hefner a few mornings this week which is always welcomed. Spending my morning on the water with the peaceful sounds and the illusion of being distant from the city really helps me center myself, get my thoughts in order, and get into a positive mindset. It just helps me start my day off right!

My photos from my mornings at Lake Hefner in OKC

Made using PicMonkey

Now, i'm really trying to put in work so I can start October off right! I'm hoping to get ahead and comfortable this week so I can really focus on my practicum work (I'm going to participate in an agency fair Oct. 5th which will be a great networking opportunity). I know it will be a tough week, but I feel pretty prepared. I have a to-do list from hell and a supply of energy shots to get me through it. Plus, Wednesday is yoga day and I found out today that my dad was given 2 tickets to the Red River Shootout from a friend who can't go, so i'm going to get to go with him!!! I'm so excited!!!

Good luck this week y'all!

Week 5: Famous Last Words

I think I will start with some photos from my mom's birthday this past weekend. It was a blast and I was so happy that I could do that for her! My roommate and I took my mom to lunch at Chilis, then to get new OU shirts, then to get all of our nails done. After that we drove to the Grand Resort and Casino in Shawnee, OK where we'd booked a room for the night. We checked in, got situated, then hit the casino to have a few drinks and lose some money. My roommate actually won some, but my mom and I did not have such good luck. It was still a lot of fun and after a dinner of nachos, a long time on the Wizard of Oz slots, and a few more vodka cherry sours we were ready for bed. It was a great time and I loved seeing mom genuinely smile and have fun. She deserves so much more than she gets.

Mom with her first drink in front of the Firelake Grand Casino statue and slots.

My photo taken 9-13-14

The blue-eyed trio taking advantage of the great lighting in our hotel room.

My photo taken 9-13-14

Mom in the room- my mom is stunning

My photo taken 9-13-14

Our nails: solar nails done at Modern Nails II in Norman

My photo from 9-13-14

Obligatory ridiculous bathroom selfie? Check!

My photo from 9-13-14

The three of us in our OU gear for game day with a new friend: Chester the Cheetah!

My photo from 9-13-14, taken at Walmart Norman West

Lets see, what else went on this week? Well, I made more progress with my grief group at my practicum site. The children in there are so intelligent and constantly surprise me with their ability to articulate their feelings much better than I would expect them to be able to based on their age. I also got to facilitate a new age group this week: children II, divorce. It was really neat and I enjoyed getting to meet the children and see their personalities! I also feel like it was a great demonstration of the differences in cognitive development between the ages of 4 and 6. This practicum has really taught me how to handle children in a way that keeps communication open, children under control, and the children from feeling bored/disinterested. It has also really helped me with my patience! 

This week has also been stressful, but still positive. This past week marked the beginning of my big assignments being due in my classes, and they don't stop pretty much until Christmas. Everyone in the social work class of '15 is feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and/or really tired We are pretty much living off of coffee/energy shots, a few hours of sleep each night, and nerves but everyone is trying to dig in and help each other out which is really great. 

On a personal note, i've been trying to stay on-task, maintain a positive attitude, learn as much as possible, remember to eat, not kill my boyfriend who refuses to understand that my apartment is not his apartment and therefore he needs to ask me before he just shows up/not assume that he can be there whenever he wants eating my food and using my stuff (sorry for that, end of rant), not get behind in assignments, take the dog for longer walks, not hit the snooze button so many times that I miss 7 am yoga on Wednesdays, remember to smile/laugh, and to take care of myself. 

Also, i'm down 46 pounds since August 26th! My back is straightening out, my core is getting stronger, my flexibility is improving, and I can dance again! I can even roll my stomach again! I just had to share my victory because it mad me feel awesome.

Have a bomb rest of the week and weekend!