Email to LynAnn Bates (Dean's daughter)

8/22/12

Hey LynAnn!

I have been thinking of you, and wondering how you are too. I'm doing really well. Yes, I was in school all summer, finished my first semester (of 4) at the beginning of August and then just got done with our 2 week break, which was so needed. Did a lot of family stuff and just got things done. The semester went pretty well, but I was sure glad to have it over, it was pretty intense. This semester we start clinicals in the hospitals, and my first official day of clinicals is next Tuesday. This week we've been doing orientation and getting ready to be in the hospitals. I'm slightly terrified, but also excited. I'm at the U of U hospital this semester, and I'm excited to be there, it seems like a really great hospital. As far as liking nursing school..? There are definitely parts that I love, like the friends I have made, and learning more about the medical world, and how to actually do things like start IVs, give shots, start catheters, etc., but also parts I haven't loved, that are just tedious and have felt like busy work. But the good comes with the bad, right? So overall, yes, I like it. I'm really excited for the day that I actually feel like I know what I'm doing (maybe years, but here's to hoping it's sooner..). :)

I miss talking to you too, and I certainly miss Dean. Sweet Dean. I think about him often. 

Speaking of which, I'm sure you're wondering, so I will just report that no, I'm not dating anyone. Ha, story of my life. But I absolutely love my singles ward, to my surprise, and have made a lot of really good friends there. Mostly the girls are awesome, but there are some good guys in the ward as well. There was one guy who I was incredibly impressed with and interested in, but then he moved to Provo just recently. Bummer. There's another one that I am interested in and we went out last week and had fun, but he seems very shy and nervous about the whole girls thing, so we'll see if anything ever happens.

But how are you doing? I talked to your mom a week or two ago and she said you have been pretty sick, so much so that you had to quit your job! I'm so sorry! How are you doing now? You working again, or taking a deserved break?

And how are you holding up without your dad? I don't doubt it's still really hard.

Thanks so much for the email, I was so excited when I saw it in my inbox!

People I don't ever want to forget

These are people that I've met or known at BYU or elsewhere, who I never got a picture of or with, but who I don't ever want to forget. I will add to this periodically.

Lacey Arens--Physics friend at BYU; she, ___, and I were physics buddies; She was from TX, is a convert, served a mission here in UT, knew David Archeleta on her mission before he got famous
_____--another physics buddy, loved him; he was married, kind of a bummer sometimes, we got along really well. He thought I was cool for wearing hats some days (baseball hat), he said I was the only girl that did that. I liked that.:)
Leslie--Biomechanics friend; She, another girl, and I were another threesome of buddies in that class, with Dr. Seeley. In fact he's another, a professor, but one who I don't want to forget. I loved having him as a professor, he was really good at teaching, and really friendly and fun. I would love to marry someone like him. One day he commented on my shoes, that he liked them. That made me like him even more. :) But Leslie was darling, she was one who made me want to start wearing side messy buns because I sat behind her most days, and she often did her hair in one, and they were so cute!

So blessed with friends

It is so late, and I need to go to bed. But I just had to write real quick about how blessed I am. Specifically with friends.
I love my ward, the Wilford YSA ward, and it's not because of the guys, it's because of the GIRLS. I have made some really great friends already, who I feel so loved around and have so much fun with! To name some, Necia, Nichole, Wendy, Jamie Walker, Katie Stuart, Liz Stitt, and Cheryl Johnson. There are so many awesome girls here, and I love going to social functions because I always have so much fun! Tonight I went over to Necia and Nichole's, and Wendy came over, and we had our own little game night. I took, and we ended up playing "Things." I love that game. And it was a blast. I still have a headache from laughing so hard all night.
Wendy had to leave first because she has to work early in the morning, and after she left, Necia, Nichole, and I watched Kid History videos on YouTube for a while, because Nichole had never seen them! They were hilarious, as always. And there are even new episodes I haven't seen yet! I had no idea! We didn't watch any of the new ones, I'm sure I'll be doing that soon...:)
Anyway, I love these girls. The worst part about this all is that Necia is going on a mission in five weeks. She has definitely become one of my best friends here, and I'm SO excited for her, of course, but also really bummed that she's leaving. I feel like this keeps happening: I move or something, make a new really great/best friend, we become really close, and then they leave. Whether it's to Jerusalem, or on a mission... This has now happened three times in a row: Elise Beckstead (now Powell), then Amy (who is still in Jeru), and now Necia. Bummer. But I'm very grateful that I keep making new friends and for the ability to make friends easily.
I love living here, and I love my ward (two pleasant surprises from what I anticipated). :)