First Pharm test, TX beach trip!

So I haven't written in my journal in a while. And I realized it's basically because I've been using my emails to Amy as a journal entry too, and she hasn't emailed back in a little while, which is okay, but the means I haven't responded back to her, thus writing in my journal too. Ha.
So alas, I will write in here just to write (heaven forbid not multitasking).

So...let's see. I'll start with school. School is..good. No, it is. We have completed FIVE weeks of the semester, which means after this week, the semester is HALF over! This is crazy. It's gone by super fast (thank goodness!) We had our first big exam a week and a half ago, in Pharmacology, and we were all super worried about it. Terrified, really. But it actually went really well! I got 70/75, a 93%! So I was certainly happy, and extremely relieved! Honestly, I was just hoping to pass the test! So since then I feel a lot better about surviving the rest of this semester. Pharm is still a TON of work and studying, but as far as grades and passing the class go, I feel much better. The only thing is, with the subject content, we don't just need to know enough to pass, we have to actually know this stuff, to give drugs to people, and well enough not to kill anyone. This is the real deal, which is the really terrifying thing.
I'm getting to know more people, slowly, in the program. I'm becoming good friends with Elise Simmons, who is in our lab group, and is also on the soccer team (I'm playing on our nursing intramural soccer team, ha!). She is 33, married, and has two kids. But she is great. Reminds me of Sally in some ways, she's real petite for her age, like Sally. I think that's mostly why. We get along great. Lately we've been partners in assessment in lab, so we practice on each other. She's fun, and I've been really grateful to be making a new good friend in the program. There's also this other girl, Laura Fong, who I'm just getting to know better, and she is hilarious. She plays on the team too, and I gave her a ride home after our game the other day. I hope we become good friends. I still love Sam and Maggie, of course. But I don't think Maggie and I are best friend compatible. She is great and super sweet, we're just a little different, which is fine. It's nice to be making other friends now though.

So this last week was our big every-two-years family reunion, and it was down at the beach (Surfside) in Texas, by Galveston. We rented this awesome beach house, that was literally right on the beach. Due to school, I wasn't going to go at all, and I had accepted that for a while before hand. It stunk that I couldn't go, but it was what it was. Months ago I remember telling Heavenly Father that if I could get into a program (nursing, PA, whatever), I would be willing to miss the family reunion (because some of the programs started before the reunion, like the one I'm in, and I knew that was a risk). So I couldn't really complain, because I kind of asked for it, in a way. And of course I'm grateful to be in the nursing program. And there had been talk about me coming down just for the weekend and such, but with the amount of homework I have each weekend, due Monday, plus the cost of tickets, I just didn't think it would be worth it. So like I said, I accepted that I couldn't go, and it was okay. It would be hard, but I've been so busy with school, I honestly didn't have really much time to even think about or dwell on the issue.
But then about a week or so before the trip one day I had this strong desire to go. I suddenly really wanted to. So I looked at what was due that Monday, and what homework I would have to do over that weekend (I would just go for the weekend). I looked at one-way plane tickets--they were expensive. But I kind of worked it out in my head how it could work, mainly with the homework issue. My plan was to do homework all the way down in the RV, party hardy for a day and a half there, and fly back Sunday.
I then talked to Mom and Dad about this new idea, that I was thinking seriously about going. After discussion about it, and a lot more thought on it, I bought a plane ticket home, bought some new board shorts, and I went!
The Kerrs borrowed an RV from Steve's work friend, who had just inherited it, and mom and dad were going to ride down in it with them, to split the cost of gas, so I hopped a ride down on it. I left class Thurs a little early, and we headed out. I did homework a majority of the 30 hours down there (minus sleeping/eating time), got most of it done, and we arrived Friday night, totally exhausted and needing to get out of that thing. :)
As far as the trip down in the RV, it was okay. Definitely a new experience, and an "adventure." There were nine of us in that thing, which was kind of crazy, especially with four of the nine being kids under ten. But they all really did pretty good. I think I was really the only adult that slept well through the night. I slept in the bed in the back, and had it all to myself, because it was so bouncy all the time back there that no one else wanted to sleep there. That's where mom spent most of her time, laying down, on that bouncy bed (I don't know how she stayed there so much), laying down because she had to due to her recent back surgery. But she actually survived the trip remarkably well. There were some fun times in the RV, and there were some other times when you wanted to strangle some children (love them). But overall, it was great. Not something you'd want to do every week, but we all survived, and saved some money getting down that way for sure.

So we got to the beach house (finally!!) at about 11 pm Thurs night. All the kids there in the house were already asleep, so after the adults all helped us haul things in and get the Kerr kids to bed, and the rest of us situated, we all hung out for a bit and chatted and ate cereal (there was an incredible stash of cereal that everyone brought--15 boxes! I was in heaven.
During the chatting and catching up we found out (I think Lindsay thought we all already knew somehow..) that Lindsay and Peter are planning on doing the foster-to-adopt program once they get to AZ, which is so exciting to me! For some reason they haven't been able to get pregnant again after Kimball, which has been really hard for them, I think especially for Lindsay, so this is super exciting. Lindsay is really excited about it, which makes me really happy. She is so amazing, and has been through so much, with Peter's addiction, and not being able to get pregnant, and her health issues (which, thankfully, are much better), so she deserves to be so happy.
The next day, Sat., was mostly spent down on the beach. Texas beaches are amazing, because the water is so warm!! Not at all like CA beaches. We boogie-boarded, some body-surfed when there wasn't enough boogie-boards, built sand castles, swam, saw crabs, Peter got pinched by one, Joe sliced his toe on a rock or something under water, we had amazing dinners (I got to enjoy two of them).. Sat night the Merkleys and Davidsons made a huge store run and were gone forever (they shopped for practically everyone, very nice of them), so while they were gone I was able to get two quizzes done, and basically finish my homework. So that was good. And adorable funny Ella kept getting out of bed that evening, which she did again after they were at the store. So we just let her play and hang out with the rest of us adults up. I just love that little girl Megan was up too because she had such a bad sunburn on her back and face (missed some spots with sunblock). Eventually, at about 10 pm, I took Ella back to bed and she layed right down and went to sleep. So cute.
The store crew finally got back, and we all put groceries away, had rootbeer floats, chatted for a bit (partly about playing a game..which never happened) and eventually all went to bed.
Sunday we went to church about 25 min away. As we sat down in Sac. Mtg, I looked on the stand and who wasn't sitting up there, but a good friend of mine from BYU, Matt Williams! What a small world! He's from Austin, about 3 hours away, and turns out her was down there for the weekend to visit his girlfriend, who lives in that ward. Her dad was the high councilman speaking that day, and had asked Matt to speak with him (his daughter spoke too, all three of them). It was so crazy to see him! But so fun! We were good friends the winter semester I moved into BDA. He was our fhe dad, and he and I became good friends, even went on a couple dates. He's great.
When we got home and told mom about this, she said something like, "You're gonna be just like dad, how he knows people everywhere he goes." She said it in a funny tone, almost annoyed. But I was actually kind of flattered. I wouldn't mind knowing someone everywhere I went..:)
After church we took family pictures on the balcony, with the beach in the background. Then I packed up, we had dinner, and I was taken to the airport. Peter drove and Camille and Sally came too. Originally it was going to be a sisters trip, but I'm not sure why that didn't happen. It was fun though, to be with the three of them.
I flew out of Houston, about an hour away. The flights were fine, I sat by college-aged girls on both flights, and I felt like I was friends with both of them pretty quick. The first one I assumed wasn't a member (the second one was), and I wanted to share the Gospel with her, bring up the Church somehow, so bad. I have failed at this the last many airplanes I have been on, and I always feel terrible about it. I want to and then fear gets the best of me, which makes me so mad.
I never brought the Church up to this girl, I hope someone else is sent to her that has the courage. And I think it could have been good, she was really easy going, we got along great, joked around some even.
I want so bad to be such a good member missionary. I want to be one of those people who just brings is up with anyone and everyone. That isn't afraid to talk about the Gospel in any situation. I want to be that. But I keep failing at it. And I think, the Gospel is something that I love, why am I so afraid to share it, or bring it up? And I always think of the quotes about how everyone you knew will one day know that you knew, and will wonder why you didn't tell them. That kills me. It's motivating, to an extent, but obviously not enough. Geez. I so frustrate myself. And I play out these situations in my head, and have conversations with strangers in my head, and it's always so easy for me to bring it up, but then come real life, and it's so hard. Ugh, so frustrating.

Anyway, it was a great trip. The one-way ticket was $279. Crazy expensive for one-way. Didn't used to be like that.

So then I was home. My good friend Jenny, from my ward in Provo, who is living up here for the summer for internships, came and picked me up from the airport, which was so nice.

And then I was home alone for the rest of the week until a few days ago when the RV party arrived Friday morning at about 7:30 am.
It was weird at first, being here at the house alone, especially at night. And lonely. And hard to know my whole family was together, at the beach no less, having a good time. And having really good food. When I got home Sunday night there was not much food here. Nearly out of milk (or maybe out? can't remember), bread was moldy, not really any good cereal, no leftovers in the fridge (except some rice), etc. But I survived, and after a day or two it was really nice to have the house to myself, actually. And to not be doted on and praised all the time by Dad, bless his heart. That was rather refreshing, I'm not gonna lie..:)

Well, I better head to bed. I want to do a little homework tomorrow morning before school.