moment of a lifetime

There are days when I get so discouraged with my choice of major... days where I don't feel adequate... and days where I simply just want to give up.

Today was not one of those days.

My supervisor for my clients' this semester called me into her office for a meeting. We had talked about discharging one of my clients because she had flatlined- wasn't showing improvement.

Well... let me back up.

When my 11 year-old female client was assigned to me, she was working on nothing but computer programs. Computer programs for reading... spelling... vocabulary. Anything you can think of, she was doing it on the computer. She HATED it; therefore, she hated therapy. When I received her file and began to look into it, it was evident that something was being done wrong. This little girl was showing no improvements, and I was DETERMINED that SOMETHING could be done to help her. I just had to figure out what.

I immediately went to my supervisor and requested to remove all computer programs from her treatment plans and replace them with real life books, spelling words, and so forth. I explained to her that my ONE GOAL was to make her love therapy.

Keep in mind, this is a language/literacy client.

So, back to where I started. My supervisor and I had discussed at midterms to discharge her, because it still didn't seem like she was making progress. However, after fall break, my client started to improve by leaps and bounds. It was incredible- astonishing!

So, when my supervisor requested to meet with me, I was interested to see what she had to say. I no longer felt like she should be discharged, but I also didn't want to overstep my boundaries. As soon as I walked in, my supervisor said, "I do not want to discharge _____." I asked her to explain, and she commended me for taking the intiative, and showing the skills of an advanced clinician, to change the treatment plan when I saw that it wasn't working. She explained that she was extremely proud of me and my efforts, and even went as far as to say that all of the improvements my client made were because of me. She told me I should pat myself on the back because my efforts with my client were above and beyond. Needless to say, I was estatic. I have been walking on air all day, and I've felt so good about myself as a clinician.

Not even that could have prepared for what was about to happen in my last therapy session with my client.

At the end of the session today, I asked the client to write her daily paragraph about what she liked and didn't like about speech (as she calls it) this semester. I had it outlined for her: Topic, Sentence One, Sentence Two, and so forth. Here are her sentences:

Topic: There are some things I liked and did not like about speech.

Sentence One: I like speech because I can have fun.

Sentence Two: I like when speech helps me learn better.

... Then she stopped and thought for a while. Finally, she looked up at me and said "I can't think of anything I don't like." So, I told her to think really hard about everything I had done, what activities we did, and so forth to see if there was anything. She thought a little longer and exclaimed, "OH! I thought of something!"

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A LANGUAGE AND LITERACY CLIENT!!!!

She furiously started to write on her paper.

Sentence Three: I did not like when we had to stop reading Superfudge.

MELTED MY HEART! It was ALL I could do to keep from crying right there. I am glad she still had two more sentences to write because it gave my eyes time to clear up.

Sentence Four: I like when I got to do my spelling words in shaving cream.

Conclusion: I had fun in speech.

As soon as my session ended, I made a beeline to my supervisor's office to show her the paragraph. I read her the first two sentences, explained to her what my client said, and then read her third sentence. My supervisor's eyes filled with tears along with mine and we both had goosebumps.

This little girl has struggled with literacy all of her life. My one goal was for her to love reading/therapy/etc.

This goal was accomplished- and I now have the sweetest paragraph hanging on my fridge to prove it. She gave me the gift of a lifetime- far better than any material gift I could ever receive. She gave me the ability to help- the ability to foster a love for language and literacy. She gave me the opportunity to make a difference.

My supervisor hopes to work it out to where I can have her again next semester. We're only supposed to have our client's one semester. But, in the 6 years my supervisor has worked with her, she's never seen this kind of improvement. And, that one sentence made it evident to my supervisor that reassigning her to me would be in her best interest.

Join me in praying that the main supervisor will sign off on this decision.

Today, my life was changed with one little sentence. My aspirations as a speech-language pathologist were confirmed. And, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, I will be far more blessed by the children I meet in this field than they could ever be blessed by me.

celebrations

23 years of life. Wow. I feel as if this is a great accomplishment in many ways. I have been greatly blessed with love, laughter, and life. The past few years, I have dreaded my birthday and the realization that I am getting older hit hard. This year I swore off my birthday altogether. My fiance wouldn't stand for that though. In fact, for the first time, my birthday was ranked right up there with deer season- if not above.

Conveniently, my graduate classes were cancelled today because the majority of my professors are at the ASHA Convention in New Orleans. So, with nothing on my plate for today, Andrew encouraged me to come to Rolla. I agreed.

When I arrived last night, I had the cutest little box waiting for me on his bed. It was wrapped in the most adorable pink and green wrapping paper. It was totally me. He insisted that I opened it even though it wasn't my birthday.I picked it up- and it was HEAVY! I had been hoping for Enchanted, so when I lifted the box, I was slightly disappointed. I later told him it felt like I was going to open one of those fancy glass bowls you can find in the Christmas aisle- you know, the gifts that you pick up at the last minute. Upon opening it, I realized that it WAS Enchanted! He had taped a weight in there to throw me off!

He had not only bought me the perfect gift, but he then made me dinner (I didn't get there until 9:00 pm and was HUNGRY!!) and put the movie in!! He had planned a date night to go along with my gift- my heart MELTED!!!

But, that's not all!! Today, I am completing a diagnostic report while he's in class. I am also going to visit my niece while he's taking a test. He then has reservations at a local restaurant for dinner tonight! I cannot believe it! It's the PERFECT birthday- and, it's a birthday I wasn't even planning on celebrating.

I love my fiance.

He's not the only blessing to me though. I logged onto facebook this morning and had 36 notifications. All wishing me a Happy Birthday. Then, I logged on two hours ago and had 20 more. Along with those, I've had several phone calls and countless text messages.

Today I have realized how many WONDERFUL people I have in my life. I am absolutely and completely blessed by so many people.

So, as I celebrate my birthday, I also celebrate my fiance, family, and friends who have helped shape me into the person I am today!

to have and to hold

In 205 days, I will marry the man of my dreams. Andrew truly completes me. I know how corny that may sound, but he truly does. Our relationship is just now "settling" into where it needs to be. It's maturing- and it's becoming everything I have always prayed for.

I love him, I trust him, and I am so glad he holds my heart. There is no one better for the job. He's the one God created for me. No doubt about that.

He has matured so much this year- and his new outlook on life makes me feel like the most incredible girl in the world. He now tells me that he is striving to be more of a husband than a boyfriend. He has always been a great guy, but everything I've ever loved about him is becoming who he is. What I've loved about his heart is now becoming his exterior. He's no longer talking the talk, but walking the walk.

His new outlook on our relationship is causing me to reflect upon it as well. I no longer feel like I need to "control" what he does. I do not feel like I am out of control of situations, but I no longer have any doubts. I trust him with everything in me. I love this- I now feel like I am the fiance I've always wanted to be. I feel like I can offer him so much more than ever before.

I feel like we are now living our lives for each other as well as for ourselves. We are living more as one, and it is so incredible to see! God is truly blending us together, and that love will be united permanently on June 5, 2010.

It has been the most amazing experience watching our love mature and grow. I cannot wait to see where the rest of our lives takes us- this year has been incredible just as it is.

I love you, Andrew. Thank you for being the best guy I know.

so proud

You know how most people say that they have the best mom ever? Well, in my case, that is true. Meet my mom... Diana. She is talented, kind, and all around wonderful. Sure, we have had our ups and downs (sometimes pretty extreme...), but that never reduces how I feel towards her.

She never fails to be the one at the bedside of family when they are in the hospital. She never leaves- even if that means using the rail as a pillow for a week straight. She knows just as much as any nurse, and she never gives up. She's so strong.

Today she got the news that she is a Top 10 Finalist for the second year in a row for Operation First Novel. She made it to the Final Four last year, and I have no doubt that she will win this year! Her book, Delivery, is hands-down one of the best books I've ever read. I've never laughed more, cried more, or experienced more emotions in one novel than I did in hers. I would recommend it to anyone, and not just because she is my mom. I have complete faith that God will use her novel in great ways.

Pray with me for her novel to be chosen- it is life changing!

tired

Ordering engagement pictures- who would have thought it would be so difficult? Certainly not me. But, when you want more pictures than you have the money for, there is a problem. A huge problem. Tonight I had to fine tune my order- and give up two 8x10 prints that I really wanted to go along with the picture posted here. I wanted a whole series. But, I had to suck it up and realize that I just couldn't swing that expense. Plus, everyone is telling me to hold out for the wedding pictures. Easier said than done. Listen to me whine about something that is not that big of a deal.


Also, graduate school... again, what was I thinking?! Today was a day of all days. My patience was tested time and time again, I left school exhausted, and when I got home, I still had a huge project to complete. Jealous, aren't you? You should be. I got to create a presentation to teach my fellow classmates all about the uses of electromyography. The picture that you see is of a handy dandy little machine called the electromyograph. An electromyograph is an instrument used in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders that produces an audio or visual record of the electrical activity of a skeletal muscle by means of an electrode inserted into the muscle or placed on the skin. I bet you wish that you could sit in on my presentation tomorrow. It's ok, you don't have to admit that you want to. I know you do.


Anyways- enough of that. I guess I need to get going and stop avoiding the inevitable... Homework is piled sky high, and it's not going anywhere until the middle of December. Oh boy! How I love my life!!

what am i thinking?

I have tried to blog before- and I'm most often unsuccessful in maintaining my blogs. Sure, I am all for it when I sign up, but after a few weeks, I forget about it. The truth is- I don't really have time to blog. But, why not start a new activity that will allow for procrastination and avoidance of the inevitable?

I am in the process of completing my first semester of grad school. It is tough. Scary. Rewarding. Some days I just want to wave the white flag of surrender, but the moments where I see understanding in my cleints' eyes ensures me that I am on the right path.

Stay tuned for more from me- wedding, graduate school, and so much more!