Bleh.

I have no desire to work on my dissertation. You'd think since I am so close to the end, I'd be motivated. But that is not the case. I am searching to find anything to distract me...anything. I need to buckle down, and I will. I think this next week will be good for me. I am starting to sense a bit of urgency, and I am also starting to get ready to go back to work. Why is it that sometimes it takes being busy, if not overwhelmed, is what it takes to get things done.

I think the fact that we moved into a new place that was in need of decorating and organizing didn't help my ability to focus either. And, whatever...I've had a great summer. I'd say the best ever. It has been relaxing, and eventful, and filled with family and friends. We constantly have events going on, and yet we haven't been overwhelmed. It's been nice.

The dissertation will get done. I should get it done so I can stop talking about getting it done, huh. It's just so boring.

Just call me Betty Crocker

It took a lot longer than planned because we scheduled lots of double dates and birthday dinners for the past week; however, tonight Paul and I made our Chicken with Edamame, Corn, and Bacon dinner. It was really good! 2 for 2 so far, which makes the thought of trying another recipe even more tempting.

I was very proud of myself that I cooked chicken and bacon and managed to get both of them done! I have a habit in the past of having my chicken take forever to get done, and then not taste very good. But this recipe had a great method of cooking the chicken so that it stayed moist but also cooked all the way through. Yay no salmonella! I think Paul was excited about this fact too!

I sat at home all day today and worked on my dissertation. It was a pretty boring day. I think I'm going to do the same thing tomorrow, but hopefully feel like I have a little more to show for it. Today was a little unsatisfying for progress. I'm shooting to defend by August so that I can not be crazy while working at my new school. I need to kick some ass this summer in order to get this done. So far I'm doing pretty well keeping focused. Perhaps I could do a little more, but I somewhat feel like I'm still recovering from data collection, internship, and wedding planning. Keeping that in mind, I think I'm doing ok.

Home Sweet Home

Well, we're back from Fiji! The trip was amazing...more than we could have dreamed of it being. We relaxed, watched the sunrise, went snorkelling, drank fruity, mixed drinks with pineapple or coconut in them, read good books, sat by the ocean, watched some rugby, ate great food, talked to people from all over the world, enjoyed each other, and watched the sunset. Oh, and Paul took some bugs out for me...big ones! :) It was a great vacation!

Then, we came home to our new home. It's amazing how we had just moved in the week before our honeymoon, but coming home it really did feel like home. I love it here. We've got the place basically set up. Now it's just putting away the little things. I feel like we're playing house! And it still makes me giggle when Paul or somebody else refers to me as a wife! :P I'm too young to be a wife! Hehe. I love being one though. It's fun. :)

Last night Paul and I cooked our first real meal together! I know...we dated for how long? It's true. We didn't cook very much up to this point in our life. We had a blast last night though! We used our new pots and pans that my brother got us and made an excellent meal: Eggplant rigatoni with grape tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, and mint leaves! It was amazing, and we were quite pleased with ourselves. We already got the fixings to make tomorrow night's dinner: A chicken dish with corn, edamame, and some bacon too! We don't quite know how the bacon fits in, but the picture in the recipe looked good!

Well, that's the update for now. I worked on my dissertation since we got back into town trying to get my data entered into SPSS and tomorrow it's off to ASU to meet with my stats prof to run the statistics! Hopefully I find some interesting results! Big day!

General update.

I finished my 3-day restraint training course tonight. I learned how to get out of hair pulls and bites, how to best dodge kicks and punches, how to take a child's punch and turn it into you holding them in a basket hold, and how to do prone restraints! The prone restraints weren't part of the "published" course as it is not a "suggested" hold; however, our instructors swear by it when the basket hold doesn't work. I'm a little nervous about all of this! Part of me wants to try it out to see if it works. The larger part of me, however, never wants to have to attempt any of these moves in my lifetime! I think I will try them out on Paul, instead!

I'm getting pretty stoked about the wedding. Paul and I have been going to our marriage preparation classes at ASU's Newman Center. The classes are awesome. There are 10 couples in them, all our age, and all very nice. The classes are taught in an up to date, and current, yet still ethical, moral, and spiritual way. They are really fun, and wonderful ways to spend time together for the two of us. We are both enjoying them greatly. Other details for the ceremony and reception are all falling into place, and I'm really starting to get excited! (Starting probably isn't the best word! I've been excited since March 24th!) But it's starting to feel like it's coming now. It's not REALLY far away. The school year is flying by, and it'll be here before we know it. I'm glad about that! I am not stressed either. I mean, I want to get things done, but we're checking things off our list slowly. I don't think there will be any crunches of needing to get things done last minute...hopefully! Jenn is starting to talk about bachelorette fun, and my Mom, and Kim, and Darcy and Jenn are starting to talk about showers! This is going to be such a fun Spring!!!

Internship is going well. I'm working hard, and learning tons. I learn something new every day. I am confident in my testing and report writing skills, pretty confident in behavior management strategies (having lots of practice in this..learning every day!), gaining confidence slowly in leading meetings and talking to parents and teachers, and need some experience in counseling! My supervisor doesn't really do counseling at my school, but the social worker does, so I will hopefully be able to have a couple of her cases to get experience with this. I need it! I feel unprepared still in counseling. On the otherhand, this is most likely because this appears to be the area that most school psychologists (at least in elementary schools) do not engage in. I want the skills though.

Dissertation: What a long time this IRB process has taken. However, I am happy to say that I GOT IRB APPROVAL FROM PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TODAY!!! I am sooo happy! I got approval from ASU over the summer, but PCH was dragging on and on, making it go from one department to the next, just taking up time. Now, I have to go back to ASU to submit a modification form, telling them what PCH changed and hoping that they ok it. They better! Or they're going to be hearing from me!

I guess I'd say life in general is good right now! We need to get the family healed up a bit from all of the surgeries that have been occurring, but other than that, we're tight. I love my family. They're the best!