Update on my Mom & Homecoming '08

First things first, my Mom went to the surgeon on Friday and found out more about what's going to happen. It seems like this surgery is fairly common and has an 85-90% success rate (for 100% recovery or close). The question is when to have the surgery. They are expecting her to be in the hospital for about 4 days and then recovering from the surgery for about 3-4 weeks. Of course, after that it will be awhile before she can return to completely normal activities but she should be able to go back to work at least. 

My Mom is considering having the surgery over winter break because the doctor said that the surgery is easier the sooner it is done. The longer you wait, the harder it is to fix everything. Of course the surgeon said that in this case, that just means that she needs to have it at least within in the next two years unless it gets worse too fast. At this point, she's already in a great deal of pain at times and has a hard time functioning so chances are she will have the surgery next summer at the latest. Right now she's basically deciding when will be best and then she'll have the surgery. 

So... while news of needing surgery is scary in itself, the information from the surgeon seems positive. My Mom has been trying hard to fit the surgery around family schedules so that we can all be there, but we keep reminding her that we're all happy to work around whatever she needs! Your prayers are greatly appreciated. 

On to Homecoming: 

It has been a crazy weekend! All kinds of fun packed into about 22 hours. So there is a tradition here in Flagstaff called Tequila Sunrise that happens every year the morning before the Homecoming game. People, primarly college students and alumni, line the streets of downtown Flagstaff to watch the sunrise and celebrate homecoming with a few drinks! I haven't attended any other year, and since this is my last year here, I decided that I should definitely take part! This year, San Felipes advertised free shirts to the first 100 people so my friends and I got up early (about 4:30 for me) and bundled up and stood in line. Unfortunately, 4:30 wasn't early enough!! We were close to the 100th person in line but definintely didn't make it. That's o

kay it was fun chilling (literally) outside anyway. Then we ordered our tequila sunrises and enjoyed the celebration!

Just before 11a the streets fill up with even more people to watch the Homecoming Parade come through town. Most of the dorms and several organizations make floats and there are cars for people like the Flagstaff Mayor and the Homecoming Dedicatee (which by the way was a business professor this year!).  Once all that excitement was over, there's a short break and the Homecoming tailgate begins, which is right next to my apartment since I live next to the dome. This makes going to games really convenient! 

After playing some casino games sponsored by the Alumni Association, snagging some free lunch from the Franke College of Business, and being silly with friends at the tailgate we headed into the game. Unfortunately, it was pretty sad! The Lumberjacks were tied for first in the division with the team that we played against and they clearly took over first place when the game was finished. :(

By this time, I was beat so I headed up for a nap and a shower before heading off to the Ice Jacks (ice hockey) game at Jay Lively Ice Arena.  This was much more exciting because we beat Santa Clara 13 to 0!! WOOHOO!

After that, some of my friends were still ready to go out all over again (many of them did not get up at 4:30a might I add...) but I was wiped out. One of my friends and I got some food and then I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It was a great weekend to follow my midterms! 

I can see the light!

Phew...... midterms are finally over. I had three tests and two papers due all in the last two days. It has been interesting to say the least. I'm telling ya, I really think my professors have conspired against me. 

This weekend is Homecoming and next weekend is Halloween! It's starting to get COLD here in Flagstaff too. I'm sure that snow is not far away. I can't wait since this is my last winter in Flag.  

It's hard to believe that it has been more than 10 years since I graduated from high school. The SJHS Class of '98 Reunion is actually this weekend (but I can't make it). I hope everyone has a great time, for those of you that see this. Someone will have to let me know how things go and thank you to those of you who have worked so hard to put it together! 

My Mom goes to the surgeon on Friday so more updates to come...

I like this!

"Take the first step in faith. You don't 
have to see the whole staircase. 
Just take the first step." 
- Martin Luther King Jr.

7 months and counting

It has already been a really fun year. Hanging out with friends for one more year before everyone splits off and goes to new places! I'm finally so close to getting my degree that I can see it!  In about 7 months, I'll don the robes, pull out those cords and walk with my peers at graduation. Where we'll be walking ... no idea! Graduation has been held in the dome for a long time but now they've decided that, just in time for my graduation, they need to do construction. We still haven't heard where we'll be graduating on campus but I hope it's comparable somehow. 

Of course... I still have to make it the next seven months. My classes this semester are hard as can be but I'm still enjoying them thank goodness! Next semester I finish of the last of my courses and start preparing for the CPA exam. I'll get to spend next summer in Coloardo with my sister as I study up and then my plan is to go back to Phoenix and knock out three of the four exam parts before I start my new job. 

I also recently found out that my mom is going to have to get surgery sometime soon. She has something wrong in her spine. They're going to have to take some pieces of bone out and fuse a section of her spine together. We won't know more until she meets with the surgeon this week. Also, this last week we got the results of my Dad's leg scan and his blood clots are getting worse. They increased his blood thinners and now we just wait and hope the clots start to break down instaed of building up. The doctor didn't seem too concerned about them breaking loose and running to his lung again.  We're keeping a positive attitude in both situations and having faith that all will work out as it should. 

Maybe this time...

So I tried the  blog-thing once before and just didn't keep up with it... now I found out that I must be one of the last people on earth below the age of 30 to keep up a blog! At least my myspace is up to date (okay for the most part). So here I am... no promises on how often I'll post but I'm hoping this will give my fam a way to keep up with me too. :)