tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61623677935112599822024-02-19T08:25:14.082-08:00Set Down Your Glass"To look like you and me forever as we're now"Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-69839337421019111772013-11-23T05:10:00.000-08:002013-11-24T22:23:03.906-08:00The Reality of Veterinary MedicineAs most of you know, I recently switched jobs from a day practice and now work in a 24 hour hospital as an Emergency Veterinarian. I absolutely LOVE this aspect/side of vet med, and I wouldn't (and don't) want to do anything else... ever (like every other vet, I am a type-A overachieving work-a-colic). However, there are moments when I am hit with the reality of what my job REALLY is, and I wanted to take a moment and share with everyone my experience, especially in light of the recent media regarding vet med.<br />
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I walked into work this evening at 5:45pm ready for my overnight shift, and felt like I was walking into a room of chaos. I took a moment just to evaluate my surroundings and see where I could jump in and help. What I realized was: 1) there was nothing for me to do, and 2) the hospital at that moment was the reality of vet med.<br />
*I would like everyone now to really try and picture what I am about to describe. For my vet friends, this won't seem out of the ordinary... in fact, this is probably every day. For those that are not vets, it will give you insight into what YOUR vet REALLY does... it is not all happy healthy puppies and kittens... actually... it is UNCOMMONLY puppies and kittens...*<br />
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Sitting in the back on one of the treatment tables was a cardboard coffin with a 5 month old puppy in it, waiting to be picked up by its owner. This puppy had passed away during a neuter. Come to find out during surgery, that the puppy had several congenital abnormalities that were hidden from pre-op bloodwork and physical exam (every precaution to make sure anesthesia and surgery is as safe as possible), and only discovered during surgery, causing the puppy not to wake up after anesthesia. Any veterinarian will tell you that a neuter is one of the simplest surgeries that we do. We could do it in our sleep. However, unseen complications happen, and there is nothing that anyone could have done to prevent this from happening. This was an unhealthy puppy that was not going to live a long and happy life, it would have gotten very sick and died at a very young age. However, the veterinarian that performed the surgery was devastated. This was the first time this had ever happened to this veterinarian in 5 years of practice... 5 years and countless surgeries. Put yourself in this vet's shoes for a moment: You just lost someone's baby under anesthesia for a surgery that YOU recommended. Colleagues and even your own head tell you - This was not my fault. There was nothing that I, or anyone could have done. This happens to everyone. But your heart only feels pain and guilt and anguish for a life lost and your failure, and an inability to serve the purpose that you were put on this Earth to do: HEAL. Now comes the hard part (I know, like everything else isn't hard enough!). You now have to get on the phone and call the owner of that puppy and tell them what happened. You get to break the news to mom, dad, and their son (the person the puppy was bought for) that their best friend is gone. You get to tell someone who is excited about playing fetch and running around in the yard, you get to tell them, I am so sorry, but your dog is dead. It puts a knot in your stomach and chest that nothing else can. It makes you sick and hurt to the deepest part of your soul. You hurt for the owners, for the puppy. You hurt because you caused PAIN. <br />
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In this same moment there is a dog and owner in a room with another doctor. This dog has been unwilling to eat and unable to keep anything down for the past WEEK... and oh yea, the dog ate a cactus a little over a week ago. The poor dog is so sick and painful it won't let the doctor feel it's belly. Xrays were taken and revealed three cactus needles stabbing through the dog's small intestines causing a perforating foreign body. the doctor explained to the owner that the only way to even give the dog a chance to live is emergency surgery and gave an estimate for the $1500 surgery and a 50/50 prognosis. The owner's response? Anger. Saying things to the veterinarian like: How could she be so cold and insensitive? She only wants money. If she REALLY cared about the dog, she would do the surgery for free. But no, she doesn't care and is a terrible, cold hearted, unfeeling, horrid person who is MAKING her kill her dog when the dog COULD be saved if she would just stop being such a money grubbing Scrooge. I ask again, put yourself in the vet's shoes. You have a dog that you know for the past WEEK has sat at home, starving, in pain, with a fever, feeling horrible and puking its guts up as three needles stab through it's intestines. And what did the owner do? nothing. You know the dog is suffering, but you can potentially help and save it's life! But what will the owner let you do? nothing. You know that had the owner brought the dog in right after it ate the cactus you could have used the scope and gotten the needles out for about $400. But they waited A WEEK. And according to the owner, this is all your fault. Her dog is going to die because of you. Talk about feeling powerless! You can't even defend yourself! Your
response. "I know this is a difficult situation, and I am so sorry." But at the end of it all, you are the one that has to inject in the hot pink euthanasia juice knowing you have the skills and abilities to save this dog's life, and instead, you must end it. <br />
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The final scenario that was occurring was an older dog that suddenly started limping on one of his legs. The owners thought, oh he must have arthritis, we will take him in and get some meds and he will be fine. The vet had already taken xrays before I got there and saw the bone cancer that was covering this dog's humerus. Again, put yourself in the doctor's position. You now have to tell someone that their best friend of 10+ years has cancer. The big C. Their options are either 1) amputate the limb, 2) very short term pain management (days) or 3) euthanize right now. You have to shatter their world and make people cry. You cannot offer any relief aside from euthanasia, which is no relief at all for the family. You get to be the bringer of bad news. <br />
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All of this occurred at 5:45pm... AFTER an entire day that started at 8am, with even more cases similar to these. This was one 15 minute section of time in a 10 hour long work day. No wonder veterinary medicine suffers from the highest suicide rate and highest addiction rate of any other profession. No wonder all veterinarians at some point suffer from what is called "compassion fatigue". Unfortunately, the majority of people do not understand this about our profession. I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me, "oh you must LOVE your job! You get to play with puppies and kittens all day! Though, I bet it is hard when you occasionally have to euthanize something." I just nod, and smile. What they don't know is that I am thinking - yes, it is very hard. Those THREE patients I euthanized in the past 30 minutes were very hard (which happened on my overnight shift tonight).<br />
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I appreciate you if you made it this far!! All I am trying to do is help people to realize what the reality of vet med is... and what it is not. We are NOT in it for the money. We recommend tests and vaccines because we had 8 years of schooling that taught us what was best for your pet. We are overworked, emotionally drained, compassion fatigued, under appreciated/respected, and SEVERELY underpaid for what we do (because no amount of money is worth what we go through on a daily basis, *and side note, average salary for a veterinarian is $45,000/year and average student loan debt is over $150,000 :)* ). Yet, we wake up every morning and devote our life to your pets. We love them as if they are our own, we cry over them when they don't make it, we work long hours and stay late working and reading to learn and try to figure out why your pet is sick. We talk to them like they are people and love them even when they try to bite us. We deliver pain, hurt, bad news, and encounter countless situations that we have no control over throughout our entire day. Our reward is internal... it is knowing that at the end of every day we have done everything that we can to the very best of our abilities for every patient we have touched, even if that means ending their suffering.<br />
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Thanks for reading :)<br />
Lindsey Lane Verlander, DVMLindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-60333203280303042002013-08-21T22:12:00.001-07:002013-08-21T22:12:23.631-07:00Extroverts Explained... as best I can :)This post is extremely long, my apologies!!! <br />
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Due to the recent surge in introverted pride, (don't get me wrong, I am thrilled introverts are identifying themselves) it has made me feel that extroverts are as misunderstood as introverts are. In their explanation of what is an introvert, many of these blogs/posts/articles make extroverts seem... well... pretty terrible, and inferior. In reading it as an extrovert, I have actually been slightly offended by what is being said. <br />
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To me, the gist is: Introverts are wise introspective and intelligent souls who are
misunderstood and mistreated by extroverts and a society that values extroverts, because no one understands them. Extroverts are
loud, boisterous, party people who never think, just act, and are
usually dumb, shallow, and superficial, with no feelings (and are
constantly bulldozing over introverts).<br />
These articles/blogs/posts also imply that extroverts need to accommodate introverts in all circumstances because, well, "it is their personality and so they can't help it". (Completely disregarding that being an extrovert is also a personality trait, and not something that can just be changed, but should also be accommodated in certain circumstances).<br />
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So psychologically the real question is: what is an introvert/extrovert? These are personality TRAITS (not a person's actual defining personality) that describes both how a person finds enjoyment, as well as how they recharge/recover when tired (this does NOT include intelligence, social skills, outgoing, shy, organizational skills, assessing situations, processing emotions etc.). Myers-Briggs personality type indicator tests cover several major personality traits (and claim to not be complete!), and rank everyone on a scale in each category based on a (very long) test. and include (in addition to introvert vs. extrovert), sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judgement vs. perception. When taking this test, a lot of people have characteristics in all categories and rank just slightly stronger on one side than another, and a lot of times the results are surprising. It is the combination of ALL the traits in different strengths that makes someone who they are (not just if they are introverted or extroverted).<br />
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I don't want to get into all the personality traits (you can look that up for yourself if you are interested) but to make my point, I am an ESTP - extrovert, sensing, thinking, and perception. The sensing and thinking part of me goes directly against what these blogs/posts/articles are saying about me as an "extrovert" - the MBTI (WAY SIMPLIFIED) tells me that I sense everything around me before I make decisions, and I think through my emotions and analyze them, finding solutions to problems... the articles would say "that can't be possible because you are an extrovert, so you are impulsive and verbalize everything!" NOT THE CASE!!<br />
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A little bit more about me to help you understand... I am on the more extreme scale of extrovert... basically I have little to no introverted characteristics (according to MBTI). I have a severely introverted mother, an introverted but closer to mid-line father, a severely introverted older brother, and a fairly introverted husband. Almost all of my close friends are introverts. I spent the majority of my time growing up sitting in my living room with my family as they were quiet doing their own thing (reading, playing video games, more reading, etc.). I remember overwhelming both my mother and father (and older brother, but that was more on purpose), frequently... probably daily. I always wanted to DO SOMETHING. (Some of that also has to do with my ADHD, but thats a completely different topic). They just wanted to sit and be quiet. OR if they FINALLY appeased me to go out, it was to a movie... someplace quiet... where you couldn't interact or talk... fuuuun...<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I can self-entertain. I can read a book. I can be quiet. I can knit. I can play with toys and make up entire worlds in my head... it is just EXHAUSTING. But being in a family of people that recharge by being quiet, I learned to accommodate them. I played outside where I had neighborhood friends, I played on sports teams, and I spent a lot of time hanging out with my younger brother who was borderline intro/extro because he was the only one who could tolerate me (he passed away several years ago, but that is another topic in itself).<br />
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Somehow I ended up with friends and a husband that are also introverted. As with growing up, I generally end up accommodating them with what they want. My family likes day long movie watching get-togethers and trips up to the mountain cabin where there is absolutely nothing to do and no people within a 40 mile radius. My friends like to sit and knit and read. And again, thats fine... most of the time. BUT I NEED TIME TOO!! I hear a lot of comments like, "you always bring me out of my shell" because I am always the one that initiates going and hanging out (the one day a week, maybe, that we do!!). That is harder than you think! Especially growing up and hearing how miserable that made everyone, simply asking my introverted friends/husband to spend one evening with me always makes me feel bad. There is always that struggle between what I need and what I know would make everyone else happy... I would just ask them to remember that sometimes I need to be accommodated too, and them suggesting something fun to do would be amazing :) And it doesn't have to be out... it can be at home, just talking and interacting involved - not a movie, or sitting around, but board games or even just talking - IDEALLY it would be somewhere social, but again, I AM WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE!! (And no, going out by myself to a social atmosphere is not an option, because though I can have conversations with anyone, I am not friends with everyone - extroverts do have friends!! I want to hang out with my friends because I like them, I trust them, I like spending time with them, and THEY recharge me). <br />
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I am not sure why everyone thinks that society is geared toward liking the extroverted personality better. Think about schooling... You spend grades k-12, then 4 years undergrad and possibly 4 years graduate school stuck in a classroom, in one seat, not able to get up or move, or talk, or interact... just expected to listen and be quiet and learn... ANY IDEA HOW MISERABLE THAT IS TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO INTERACT?!?!?! It is so exhausting and DRAINING! And to do it every day starting when you are 4yr-24yr?!?! I was CONSTANTLY in trouble. For talking. For distracting people around me. For being late to class because I was talking to someone in the hall. I remember so many teachers LOVED my older brother, would sing his praises, and would get so excited when they realized we were related. Second day of school, "you are NOTHING like your brother..." one week into school, detention. Truthfully, I HATED school. And worse: STANDARDIZED TESTING... Here, sit in this seat for 6 hours straight, not speaking to anyone and answering questions. Oh. My. God. Kill. Me. Now. But that is how you move forward to get higher levels of education, and that is how they (falsely) determine your intelligence! Doesn't sound like an extroverted society to me! An extroverted society would have group activities, problems or projects with a discussion that determined if you moved forward or not. No individual tests... ever.<br />
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Professionally there are a gamut of jobs ranging from a lot of interaction to none. Being an introvert or an extrovert does not effect how well you can do in life, even in severely social environments (a LOT of actors and musicians are introverted!!) This gets into the rest of MBTI. So please, just because one person gets a promotion and another doesn't has nothing to do with E or I. The person that got promoted might go home, alone, prop his/her feet up and open a good book... INTROVERT!!<br />
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Here are some of the things those articles say about extroverts... some are true, some are not. I will try to explain each:<br />
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<i>- Extroverts want to do everything and be involved in everything: </i>This is true. Mostly because the more things they are involved in = more opportunities for social interaction! This has nothing to do with trampling over introverts, it really is that if you cram every second of your day with things to do, then you will never get stuck at home! <br />
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<i>- Extroverts hate being alone (from either boredom, loneliness, insecurity etc): </i>Not true. An extrovert can be alone, just like an introvert can be at a party. It is possible, and for a short period of time not a problem, but it is exhausting, and afterward we want interaction.<br />
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<i>- Extroverts have to talk to everyone, all the time, about everything, and express their opinions about everything even before they think: </i>Again, not true. Extroverts CAN talk to everyone. They do have opinions just like introverts do. They WANT to talk to their friends because it gives them energy. But as I explained before, there are other aspects to personality that determines how you handle problems and emotions and whether you are an E or an I doesn't matter. <br />
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<i>- Extroverts are "clingy" or "needy" because they always want to hang out and talk:</i> NOT true. I talked about this earlier. It is very hurtful to be deemed a clingy or needy friend just because you need some recharging. Many extroverts (myself included) have to constantly be aware, even when we feel the need to call someone or talk to someone, to suppress that feeling because you don't want to overwhelm people. (and no, a text convo does not count as social interaction).<br />
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<i>- Extroverts don't have feelings:</i> WAAAYYY not true. I think I have said enough to support why this is false. <br />
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<i>- Extroverts don't listen:</i> Just false.<br />
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<i>- Extroverts always want to be the center of attention:</i> Not true. We may not want to be the center of attention at all, it just ends up happening a lot of the time. (Maybe because we are always going around groups of people and interacting).<br />
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<i>- Extroverts are intense, loud, overwhelming people:</i> Not true. We get excited around friends because we are recharged. This often is externally demonstrated with talking and activity. Like I said earlier, I try not to overwhelm my introverted friends with requests to hang out, and often feel that I do accidentally, even when only asking for the occasional day because I am having one of my OMG I NEED TO BE AROUND PEOPLE days. (Just like introverts have days that they have to be by themselves).<br />
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<i>- Extroverts hate intellectual conversation and only like to have small-talk/idle chatter and have no substance:</i> VERY false. Extroverts love intellectual conversation. We love to get deep and talk about meaningful things. We have very deep ideas and thoughts. Just because we CAN make small-talk with anyone and everyone and it doesn't exhaust us, doesn't mean that is what we would choose to do.<br />
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Extroverts don't want to change introverts... and hopefully introverts don't want to change extroverts. We all should learn to accommodate each other... Just like I spend a lot of time (like right now) sitting on the couch with my introverted husband after his long work day of having to be around people and letting him recharge, play on his phone, and not talk to me, when all I want to do is tell him every second of my day, or go out, or DO ANYTHING BUT SIT ON THE COUCH; I would LOVE for my introverted friends to go out with me (especially if it is their idea! So then I don't have to worry about nagging/clinging/being needy to them -hint hint-) after I work, because that is how I recharge! Being an introvert has nothing to do with being shy or boring or snobby. If that were the case, I wouldn't have married one, or choose to be friends with them!! They just sometimes need time to themselves to recharge.
Just like I am not a shallow, dumb, loud, clingy, party animal; I just like to
be around people! :)Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-42096160784851552662013-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:002013-06-24T08:11:23.845-07:00Book-Themed Baby ShowerAs many of you know, I LOVE hosting. I probably could have made a pretty nice career being an event planner :) There is only one thing that I like more than hosting parties; it is when I get to host a party for someone that I really care about. <br />
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Today I was lucky enough to host a baby shower for one of my closest friends, Julie Barnwell. When Julie asked me, I couldn't have been more excited. Immediately (as anyone who has ever spent 5 minutes with me can imagine) my brain went into super-drive coming up with ideas for food, decorations, and a theme. I decided on a book-themed shower for a few reasons... 1) Julie is neither girly nor sporty, 2) Kids now more than ever need actual paper books in their lives, 3) it gave me an excuse to decorate with other colors besides peptobismol pink... yuck.<br />
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So armed with this idea, I started brainstorming... and pinteresting. I found a cool idea to have people bring their favorite childhood book to the shower along with a gift:<br />
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Then came the food and decorations... that was the fun part :) I decided to pair children's books with food, and after gathering some ideas from pinterest and coming up with a bunch, the shower was finally here:<br />
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Hop on Pop: Chocolate Cake pops... first attempt at Cake pops... I made a chocolate
cake and cream cheese icing, then mixed the two together. I then put
them in the freezer for an hour or so then dipped them in candy melt
(first the stick and stuck that in, let that sit for a few min, then the whole thing). It is very
hard to get them to stay cold enough to not fall apart, and the candy
melt warm enough to coat them, but I am not complaining too much (the
ones that fell off I just got to eat ;) ) I am sure there is some
secret that practice reveals :) My food labels are corner bathroom
tiles that I got at Home Depot. They are amazing! Stand up on their
own and reusable (with dry erase markers). If they get messy with food etc, they wipe right off. I only have 8 and I had SO
many ideas for food I ended up doubling up on a few of them :)<br />
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Cat in the Hat: Vanilla cupcakes and blue (dyed) vanilla frosting. I used red cupcake
paper and then cut out quarter sized circles and wrote "Thing 1" and
"Thing 2". I thought these were exceptionally cute. Props to my sister
Natalie for making the frosting spiky like their hair!!<br />
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3 Little Pigs: As I said before, this was a group effort. Matt had originally suggested doing "Wilbur in a Blanket" for Charlotte's Web... While funny, it was a little morbid. So we picked the 3 little pigs. </div>
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One Fish Two Fish: Goldfish come in so many flavors we just filled the lazy susan with 6 different flavors: 1 fish, 2 fish, cheddar, white cheese, pizza, pretzel, BBQ, and sour cream and onion fish! </div>
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Julie had specifically asked for me to make my cheese dip. Easiest cheese dip ever: Small block of white cheese velveeta, 1 can Rotel (I like the lime, cilantro), 1 block cream cheese, a few spoonfulls of sour cream. Melt the cheese first, then add the Rotel and cream. DONE. Then you can get creative with it... I have added shredded chicken, ground beef/turkey, and bacon. All are amazing... but then, it is really hard to mess up cheese... mmmm :)</div>
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Green Eggs and Ham: I made guacamole deviled eggs... basically guac
(avocados, green onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice - pour this on
the avocados FIRST before adding the other ingredients and it won't turn
brown on you, cholula, Worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika), the egg yolks from hard boiled eggs, then stuff the eggs like deviled eggs.<br />
The Very Hungry Caterpillar: I made caesar pinwheel sandwiches... Use the Dole caesar salad kit and mix cream cheese with some sun-dried tomatoes and the seasoning packet in the kit, then crush the croutons and mix that with the lettuce, dressing, and cheese, then wrap it up in spinach wraps (to look like the caterpillar). <br />
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Clifford the Big Red Dog: I made lemon puppy chow and put it in "doggie
bags". melt white chocolate and add lemon juice and zest, then pour it
over chex and shake with powdered sugar.</div>
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Curious George: I made individual serving banana pudding... cool whip, condensed milk, whole milk, vanilla jello instant pudding, cream cheese mixed together, then layered with bananas (dipped in lemon juice) and crushed wafers.</div>
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Peter Rabbit: Simple - Mr. McGreggors veggie garden and dip.</div>
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Blueberries for Sal: Again, simple - fruit tray and dip.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5RXRmPv_FyWnUtQGBbeeHDoWaQ3xnh8nfDuhiqJEoyGo6rAgJ4ydbL8Xp5GLQxzxPPk3E8lKX3uNxrQWSGg2AzMMFJGnsbUQ5cSDjcFe9eofvT9pxMo9b9_1i-1iDkbwr1TIu9J2Pgdy/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5RXRmPv_FyWnUtQGBbeeHDoWaQ3xnh8nfDuhiqJEoyGo6rAgJ4ydbL8Xp5GLQxzxPPk3E8lKX3uNxrQWSGg2AzMMFJGnsbUQ5cSDjcFe9eofvT9pxMo9b9_1i-1iDkbwr1TIu9J2Pgdy/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoxmYeLV3942Dss-686uNMdsVUdp4t1Wbha1-3rqEWAEBm72Z8BliOGLzDR_uKUQlPGeAyYnJxyUsne3paM5CPivxnw2FWSoiRLGIx42P_0vyJWgFUelKZzcF_BWa5QAEiFQk2ctW_DEb/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoxmYeLV3942Dss-686uNMdsVUdp4t1Wbha1-3rqEWAEBm72Z8BliOGLzDR_uKUQlPGeAyYnJxyUsne3paM5CPivxnw2FWSoiRLGIx42P_0vyJWgFUelKZzcF_BWa5QAEiFQk2ctW_DEb/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Several people had used the actual books as decorations on the table with the food it was paired with... I was worried 1) about the books getting messed up, and 2) space, 3) MONEY. I had a LOT of food (which limited the amount of space and increased the number of books I would need to buy) and at $10 or so per book... it would get pricy. So I printed the covers of the books and glued them to cardstock and hung them from the pot rack above where all the food was displayed. <br />
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Make Way for Ducklings: This fit really well with the drinks (you know, water... ducks...). I made cucumber and blueberry water, and punch - Random combination of blue Hawaiian punch, white cran-peach juice, sprite, and peach/mango sherbert... tasted pretty good!! <br />
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Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs: Easiest meatball recipe ever! Frozen turkey meatballs, Heinz chili sauce, and grape jelly. Dump it all in the crock pot, cook for 4-6 hrs stirring occasionally.<br />
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I came up with the idea of having a "Giving Tree" Gift table (sticking with the theme). Naturally, the Giving Tree HAD to be on the table!! So I made one! I used a block of foam, cut it into a cylinder and used the edges I had cut off to make the roots. After carving a wood/bark pattern into the trunk (as well as Baby Cora's initials in a heart- like in the book!), I spray painted it brown, then painted over with a lighter color brown. Then I glued on some soft foam (what you used to put flowers in vases) to the top, and stuck branches in. I finished it off by gluing apples to the branches.<br />
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Nothing would be complete without a wreath for the front door! When Saskia (aka my partner in crime for most crafty projects) and I raided Michaels, we found these ceramic letters that were just ADORABLE. So we wreathed it up:<br />
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Because I am not a huge fan of shower games - some are ok... most are dumb and make people feel uncomfortable because no one really knows each other well, and they are forced to talk, plus the issue of trying to get everyone together to participate and corral them into the same room... SO I like to do ACTIVITIES. The last shower I threw we decorated onsies. This worked alright, but it required people to actually have drawing/artistic ability. This time (again, sticking with the book theme), I decided to make an alphabet scrap book for Cora. I (with my LOVELY assistants Natty and Sas), pre-made the scrap book pages with letters A-Z and numbers 0-10, and got a TON of stickers and other scrap booking items. Then everyone picked a letter and decorated the pages however they wanted with that letter! We had SO much fun doing it, we got the entire scrapbook done!!! I think Cora is going to LOVE it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXaI5RQeNrVWKDSISR5owJBj_AkUFInD9KDKsHWjgam2DBmxf3haAHToGjlbW8wt2M-XiPGSSQav69PJ8nfsr_o_xr36RnSIKUP6yIQasiCurI5fIjfcwJ0cMp64L0olCVQXcPWza9kAj/s1600/IMG_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXaI5RQeNrVWKDSISR5owJBj_AkUFInD9KDKsHWjgam2DBmxf3haAHToGjlbW8wt2M-XiPGSSQav69PJ8nfsr_o_xr36RnSIKUP6yIQasiCurI5fIjfcwJ0cMp64L0olCVQXcPWza9kAj/s320/IMG_0024.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AQDRF-oX5bIO8g1Enm3lYL8EUpKcJbXi3ECzSkWjkjUkq-JhUtMs5C-QSgf4A6an88wqwRQRx-fAx7oa7Fza78ozpNahsLTmRYz4D0TA6j7vmH0fCix-6-lAskh0p5RHlnuznb-F84z8/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0AQDRF-oX5bIO8g1Enm3lYL8EUpKcJbXi3ECzSkWjkjUkq-JhUtMs5C-QSgf4A6an88wqwRQRx-fAx7oa7Fza78ozpNahsLTmRYz4D0TA6j7vmH0fCix-6-lAskh0p5RHlnuznb-F84z8/s320/IMG_0001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2RjPCbEDHBK59b5O4kJjiEE5BnOd95X_nU6o-xQdYm8Pf5pLeGQFMZuW1NmDcZND6iCkw8J5-yhjHlLfrhzG0QQy2skTyYSqRlayy50Cyxas0JL1rFm-E8UAIN_cbrkC96fU5-viK3QP/s1600/IMG_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2RjPCbEDHBK59b5O4kJjiEE5BnOd95X_nU6o-xQdYm8Pf5pLeGQFMZuW1NmDcZND6iCkw8J5-yhjHlLfrhzG0QQy2skTyYSqRlayy50Cyxas0JL1rFm-E8UAIN_cbrkC96fU5-viK3QP/s320/IMG_0025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nurse Natty did the letter "N"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoqMOTDWgCdujsqE_EIwpqW-pPIPUoJSnGU3UEsAQEuwf3Kfko_QAaOZ6bicFOloLxHlToilicmptx02DJhn_A3XON79d4CDyWjEGEp_Kwm6EE6Kq40iAZKs2aTeDm4ebxl9VgUMdUqPv/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoqMOTDWgCdujsqE_EIwpqW-pPIPUoJSnGU3UEsAQEuwf3Kfko_QAaOZ6bicFOloLxHlToilicmptx02DJhn_A3XON79d4CDyWjEGEp_Kwm6EE6Kq40iAZKs2aTeDm4ebxl9VgUMdUqPv/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE THIS GIRL!! Julie, I can't wait to meet baby Cora Mae!!!</td></tr>
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I was so honored to throw a shower for one of my best friends! What a wonderful day!!!<br />
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<br />Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-14304496245710428212013-05-03T09:11:00.001-07:002013-05-03T09:11:08.823-07:00Annual Cost of Owning a Dog
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Recently, a friend asked me a question about costs
associated with owning a pet, specifically a dog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought this was a great question, and something that more
people needed to consider before adopting a pet of any kind. So here is my best
breakdown of all the costs associated with owning a dog:</div>
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Annual costs for a dog: $2250 (or $188/month)- I find it
easier to understand this number by breaking down the different costs
associated with a dog to get a good/accurate answer:</div>
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Annual veterinary visit: $200 - the initial visit is going
to be more, because you have to get the booster shots, spay or neuter surgery,
deworming, etc, but as long as the dog is healthy, that's about what to expect.</div>
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1 year worth of flea/heartworm prevention: $350 - obviously
will change depending on the products chosen and the weight of the dog, but
that's what to be prepared for. **These should be purchased from your
veterinarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OTC preventatives a)
don't work, and b) can be toxic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Remember, you get what you pay for.**</div>
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Annual food: $700 - Obviously this will also depend on the
size of the dog and the type of food chosen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A large bag of good quality food will average about $60/bag.
**Remember, you are what you eat, and again, you get what you pay for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to compare dog food to eating
out - you could eat McDonalds every day for $1, or you could get a top cut
sirloin at a fancy steakhouse for $50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tell people to stick in the Applebee's/Ruby Tuesday's range; quality
food, but an affordable price.**<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Annual misc (toys, leashes, collars, bathing/grooming, beds,
treats, crate, boarding etc): $400 - Initially obviously is going to be more to
get all the equipment necessary for owning a dog, but that’s a good ballpark
between $25-$35/month.</div>
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Annual emergency fund: $600 - I recommend setting aside between
$30-$50/month for an emergency fund, starting when you get your pet. This is
for “just in case” something happens where your pet is sick, needs
hospitalization or emergency surgery. This is around the average monthly cost
of pet insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer doing
this over getting pet insurance because, with pet insurance, you are paying a company
so if you end up not needing it, you never get that money back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing this, if something happens
(hopefully not in the first year or two) you are covered, and when the pet gets
older and their medical costs go up (bloodwork, medicines etc), then you have
backup funding. (BONUS, if nothing major happens, you then have a nice chunk of
change to go on vacation). </div>
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Most people don't realize that pets do cost money, and
sometimes, a lot of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing
what to expect and being prepared gives everyone the best chance at providing
the best care possible throughout the life of their pet.</div>
Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-88528765999547209752012-08-22T12:51:00.000-07:002012-08-22T12:51:02.106-07:00Getting Crafty!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a very emotionally hard week of work, it was so good to do a few things just for fun! It has been fun having my good friend Saskia staying with me! We both love to bake, and I enjoy doing arts and crafts (though she is MUCH better at them than I am) so it is good having her around for projects so they actually turn out well!</div>
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We started off the week making my first pecan pie in the multiple attempts before achieving pie perfection for Thanksgiving. Thanks to Julie Barnwell (recipe provider) the first pie turned out a success! We have one more recipe we found for a chocolate bourbon pecan pie that we are going to try. If anyone wants to be a taste tester let me know! Ive always been a cake baker and this was actually my first pie ever. Come to find out that pies are surprisingly easy compared to cakes... why did I not know this?? </div>
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Lindsey: Ok Sas, read the directions, I have everything measured out.</div>
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Saskia: Mix everything together and dump it in the crust and bake it.</div>
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Lindsey: ... what else?</div>
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Saskia: Thats it.</div>
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Lindsey: ... THATS IT?!?!?</div>
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Apparently the challenging part is making your own crust, therefore I must attempt this. </div>
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The second project that we undertook was a wreath for the front door. After searching online for a while to find a nice UGA door decoration for the upcoming season I was sorely disappointed. Either it was generic or it was expensive, or both. So while we were at Michaels buying yarn (for project #3), we decided to make our own wreath! Total cost: around $15! (MUCH better than the $50 ones that were for sale online!)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1_TVWHG5MGnD2T3vQsoezxGAUDx6DQdmrBjFDS4B71YWITczUQ1WJvkBBlkScKh1B92Mpk2fX_Edpobb8QIU7pp2q4RZ3cPuI2Jqk3gi28NWhstr41RpAxYzNEt8zBW8lSqrZuSB8Re0/s1600/P1010857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1_TVWHG5MGnD2T3vQsoezxGAUDx6DQdmrBjFDS4B71YWITczUQ1WJvkBBlkScKh1B92Mpk2fX_Edpobb8QIU7pp2q4RZ3cPuI2Jqk3gi28NWhstr41RpAxYzNEt8zBW8lSqrZuSB8Re0/s320/P1010857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We used a foam wreath and black glitter ribbon to wrap the wreath making a beautiful sparkly base, periodically tacking it down with hot glue. I also took about 6 roses, pulled them off the stems and glued them to the wreath.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ojSmoSBlyMiPXF4bl-taDxvUiRGdKSv0t0jwbvZVm_7ZE3arxotfkrcQPY4JKcGlKWHi0dT9CWpGHGZvBlnTn8N6iAnFF7jUDv2I-OCCRMHoX1Uo-45yrjY4HAN1RoIh2n8ufY-ja0c3/s1600/P1010858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ojSmoSBlyMiPXF4bl-taDxvUiRGdKSv0t0jwbvZVm_7ZE3arxotfkrcQPY4JKcGlKWHi0dT9CWpGHGZvBlnTn8N6iAnFF7jUDv2I-OCCRMHoX1Uo-45yrjY4HAN1RoIh2n8ufY-ja0c3/s320/P1010858.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I then took pre-cut wooden letters and painted them red.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx1whklCX9yarq6ROTV1d1G83fUdZf27YKGASNwDoW2dqq7VNqXf8BnZpdwpkwVfqkX_BoDFTfpQrx4-IEEp6vhqvDNuDPCf4rojKUdAtDHJ5zIHy-e-_ZLr4_u8JRBvyoxo7XwIlZodi/s1600/P1010859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMx1whklCX9yarq6ROTV1d1G83fUdZf27YKGASNwDoW2dqq7VNqXf8BnZpdwpkwVfqkX_BoDFTfpQrx4-IEEp6vhqvDNuDPCf4rojKUdAtDHJ5zIHy-e-_ZLr4_u8JRBvyoxo7XwIlZodi/s320/P1010859.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once they dried, I added some polka dots! I used the top applicator of a Dr. Shoals home wart remover kit for the perfect sized dots since it is a round foam top, it worked really well!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9p4-4TcyF-4FHKSZeA87zFHJ2wS1DVZHBdkkeSYC9DQ-Fy_BBuWQegftdDldtzXLa92NWdUBv0nPudN6NbwZgfI-BUgDeSC8E2n4YEGCLDme_Bobs4pn66lDgK5k96lFNKDw4nCheuIuv/s1600/P1010863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9p4-4TcyF-4FHKSZeA87zFHJ2wS1DVZHBdkkeSYC9DQ-Fy_BBuWQegftdDldtzXLa92NWdUBv0nPudN6NbwZgfI-BUgDeSC8E2n4YEGCLDme_Bobs4pn66lDgK5k96lFNKDw4nCheuIuv/s320/P1010863.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using an online tutorial we made two different bows, the black one underneath very large, then the smaller red bow and tied them together, then attached them to the wreath.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGmcG4PKpHau-OLMLrOZgH28PdhdObc6XEXSyQAfdZU0K36wail3XtEJ8P8vbRD6_30avt08MzCgxb5x_fDsuXie9rySTHJD9hE3YLaFwL600EHyCZ2ZYhli55RxzB0rJ42SNGnW3e-Hd/s1600/P1010864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGmcG4PKpHau-OLMLrOZgH28PdhdObc6XEXSyQAfdZU0K36wail3XtEJ8P8vbRD6_30avt08MzCgxb5x_fDsuXie9rySTHJD9hE3YLaFwL600EHyCZ2ZYhli55RxzB0rJ42SNGnW3e-Hd/s320/P1010864.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a small loop of ribbon to hang it up, here is the finished project!</td></tr>
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The third craft project (mentioned previously) is knitting a blanket! I had started a baby blanket for a friend about a year ago but never finished it. So I had all this very soft pastel colored yard (white, yellow, blue, green, and pink) just waiting to be used. Saskia found a fun and easy pattern online and we are each in the process of making a blanket. I will post pictures when I am done! Having all the generic baby colors it won't matter what Matt and I have in a few years, the blanket will be perfect!</div>
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We are also planning on making some Muscadine jam. Neither of us have ever made jam before, but we have all the ingredients so this will be a fun adventure in the next few days! We currently have about 10 lbs. of muscadines in our fridge that were picked by my wonderful brother and sister-in-law while they were walking along the nature trail in our neighborhood.</div>
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Going along with the Thanksgiving dessert theme, I have to figure out a pumpkin pie. There are two that I have found online that I am going to try, but if anyone out there has a good recipe let me know!!</div>
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Labor day is coming up which means a few things: 1) a 4 day weekend for me (since the office is closed Monday I get Saturday afternoon through Wednesday off!) which means a potential vacation to either the lake or Savannah, 2) My family will be enjoying Dragoncon which we won't be attending this year since I didn't know my work schedule I did plan on attending, 3) My 27th birthday!... I love being a Labor Day baby! </div>
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Earlier last week we received an email from the home owner's association saying there was a position open on the social committee. Ive wanted to get involved with the HOA since we moved in, especially on the social committee, so I emailed back saying I was interested. Turns out that the position that is open is the social chair (the previous chair just moved). I accepted :) Can't wait for the first event!</div>
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Thats it for now! Until next time! </div>
<br />Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-47422758877888479162012-08-14T17:14:00.000-07:002012-08-14T17:14:16.599-07:00Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry for slacking on my updates, but not a WHOLE lot has happened in the past month!<br />
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Matt and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary! We went to Lake Wedowee with a bunch of our friends to celebrate and ate the top of our cake. It was really yummy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo7JrxWXmjHLHbP6x-E7RwAV-_EVIOh1bFbZeHMzaaQVuozo2tAtzSIz5t7_nm-_qhE-ew7viyjCKkhX7A6BwqOpPSxFNd7CzErdcpG9SwWCFUtDZzxfVFKq8eHREiRGzgLV9XVziMR8F/s1600/P1010847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo7JrxWXmjHLHbP6x-E7RwAV-_EVIOh1bFbZeHMzaaQVuozo2tAtzSIz5t7_nm-_qhE-ew7viyjCKkhX7A6BwqOpPSxFNd7CzErdcpG9SwWCFUtDZzxfVFKq8eHREiRGzgLV9XVziMR8F/s320/P1010847.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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At work I am really starting to get into the swing of things. People are starting to request to see me (which is exciting), and I really love working. It is hard at times, but for the most part it is very fun and rewarding.<br />
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We also had a joint open house with Natty and Hayden for the members of our Sunday School class at Connon UMC. They came by for some food and to look around at our awesome home! Here are some updated pictures of how the house is coming along:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OMzAGkDDxVfzn2Y1foZ-jwRkpUIJ_8xaC9aFzoo3nwIAu268F6Jc09g0HKvrd-TXKrDGg3F_l8WmVf3_ecMoabE84j_oWIRK_HGEYqAvAfYTt6UnvFzLRgT-dYfaOtIToGzkJ696DaMi/s1600/P1010850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OMzAGkDDxVfzn2Y1foZ-jwRkpUIJ_8xaC9aFzoo3nwIAu268F6Jc09g0HKvrd-TXKrDGg3F_l8WmVf3_ecMoabE84j_oWIRK_HGEYqAvAfYTt6UnvFzLRgT-dYfaOtIToGzkJ696DaMi/s320/P1010850.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture wall in the den above the sofa with the new clock</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNcvtwMFKUWXSIF2Jwo3UyEC0-JRB8_YLqGkrjFiN6UmijIpkwaH_VYxcJtkog9eyxqeNyy6jFiHVKhGC_ceY_zvTWTe_sDvzKLHX6rT1aBwCPzXQ9AtGx8BCSj8ei376gaIuceZ3D6MJ/s1600/P1010851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNcvtwMFKUWXSIF2Jwo3UyEC0-JRB8_YLqGkrjFiN6UmijIpkwaH_VYxcJtkog9eyxqeNyy6jFiHVKhGC_ceY_zvTWTe_sDvzKLHX6rT1aBwCPzXQ9AtGx8BCSj8ei376gaIuceZ3D6MJ/s320/P1010851.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New wall decorations and new curtains in the den</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAZrttIr9trKlSK0coxuzDRT28QnnlbV1FXfr5QGDs6mYLz8_DqiEGKwwhLVe0CKjdD8PAww8TtjAfClgg6YQrMyDd4MBJGyh7pKxfm0MwJBDax3xs-tW5wmy8tnY4KgeiZmF8mPeZFAf/s1600/P1010852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAZrttIr9trKlSK0coxuzDRT28QnnlbV1FXfr5QGDs6mYLz8_DqiEGKwwhLVe0CKjdD8PAww8TtjAfClgg6YQrMyDd4MBJGyh7pKxfm0MwJBDax3xs-tW5wmy8tnY4KgeiZmF8mPeZFAf/s320/P1010852.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food for the Cannon members! It was so fun making everything and looking for ideas on Pinterest! We made: Sweedish meatballs, avocado stuffed pastries, a build your own fruit pizza station, rolo pretzel bites, oreo truffles, cucumber sandwiches, granola craisin cookies, and blueberry cucumber water and lemonade from scratch :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcoERzQgGNNLkqQV8LF9dy2z0N4kmqi5Z-ev1KorzQphUa1dOgp2Ct2TZfmWPC46YNLPz7GEmB7qk6OQVqoyF2K98dDIeRFsPoVf5I9SipDiZjTmKs-1fCWFvJG7PFzqnzEvkVQSxs8Z1/s1600/P1010854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcoERzQgGNNLkqQV8LF9dy2z0N4kmqi5Z-ev1KorzQphUa1dOgp2Ct2TZfmWPC46YNLPz7GEmB7qk6OQVqoyF2K98dDIeRFsPoVf5I9SipDiZjTmKs-1fCWFvJG7PFzqnzEvkVQSxs8Z1/s320/P1010854.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room table all set up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAOluWcomMN4d5AuXofXZJahKcH9SLl7-mwnrhN-dYPtmvuiPx2Z-VtvwUgomZX87j5LVSeajBrkmVewIoxrHJOQcwqE-KCJl7SOilAZXhNKHef3vEwPKPurVQmOhnUHShI-QaSsA-IST/s1600/P1010855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAOluWcomMN4d5AuXofXZJahKcH9SLl7-mwnrhN-dYPtmvuiPx2Z-VtvwUgomZX87j5LVSeajBrkmVewIoxrHJOQcwqE-KCJl7SOilAZXhNKHef3vEwPKPurVQmOhnUHShI-QaSsA-IST/s320/P1010855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">screen porch furniture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoqpWrVSxTkH_D6iYZDZ1PTeU9pd_2IKGkd8gXV0aWhIb1Orxonu2OVNg5CU3Dsw-8-ZUKSkBHHDRZA6lNtqN8h9BgOF0CKzRbYFVI9M66z-9o3bUso6qc7GrQ9_jgihoX0ZbyRc6huc_/s1600/P1010856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoqpWrVSxTkH_D6iYZDZ1PTeU9pd_2IKGkd8gXV0aWhIb1Orxonu2OVNg5CU3Dsw-8-ZUKSkBHHDRZA6lNtqN8h9BgOF0CKzRbYFVI9M66z-9o3bUso6qc7GrQ9_jgihoX0ZbyRc6huc_/s320/P1010856.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more screen porch furniture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week is the start of Saskia coming to stay with us for three weeks for her last externship! It is going to be so great having her around. Our mission for the next three weeks is to figure out the best pumpkin pie and pecan pie recipes for Thanksgiving!!!<br />
<br />
Until next time!!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-37310783901466829082012-06-26T15:44:00.002-07:002012-06-27T18:53:49.401-07:00To Conquer List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The house is really starting to come along!! Besides hanging pictures on the wall (which you will have to come over and see all those), here are the MAJOR updates we have done in the past few months:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1_ktRogBYUIAmbT22WHmOLxkN5ikIYje8nnjA1n-Wt3Y5t_WFAnfrlNnsNhOGaRMkKCMaNMM_yTrT5oZQ2jsJUj_hHq0Mo3e20LmL3n0XRaa4MjbhErC0m_qp4mUCoVyitJZQAwjg71x/s1600/P1010803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1_ktRogBYUIAmbT22WHmOLxkN5ikIYje8nnjA1n-Wt3Y5t_WFAnfrlNnsNhOGaRMkKCMaNMM_yTrT5oZQ2jsJUj_hHq0Mo3e20LmL3n0XRaa4MjbhErC0m_qp4mUCoVyitJZQAwjg71x/s320/P1010803.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest bedroom #2, previously had nothing in it, now just needs some wall decor!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFYVaJTYMRe36O80k13W7_I6F4V4ZzZgqWHxXALkKX6PradPsD1mW4TCVHB7WiWqt-dkEcduW_zt0g2Pw1Hzh20s8NZvFZ1kxKgaj2cm1KnZvpnUbVPcfj4BWTUZz7i7jeXZI32pu-mkB/s1600/P1010804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFYVaJTYMRe36O80k13W7_I6F4V4ZzZgqWHxXALkKX6PradPsD1mW4TCVHB7WiWqt-dkEcduW_zt0g2Pw1Hzh20s8NZvFZ1kxKgaj2cm1KnZvpnUbVPcfj4BWTUZz7i7jeXZI32pu-mkB/s320/P1010804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foyer, now has entry rug and wall decorations. Not pictured is the decorative stand beside the stairs with various wedding paraphernalia :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYRAxNxgM3VhVF4QuWpOy1quNzZ6xUFg8JpHx2PB7GiZFJqOwD8_5iaJszOgvjNmS9iknNVb6Ohft6eekIGehBFY_QAkgxh82-fGzRydFXfhAspNJjsbQW3c8b1andEvUSJdnaMJRUbA1/s1600/P1010805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYRAxNxgM3VhVF4QuWpOy1quNzZ6xUFg8JpHx2PB7GiZFJqOwD8_5iaJszOgvjNmS9iknNVb6Ohft6eekIGehBFY_QAkgxh82-fGzRydFXfhAspNJjsbQW3c8b1andEvUSJdnaMJRUbA1/s320/P1010805.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to my Mom and Dad we now have a table and 8 chairs!! Soon to come: 2 more chairs and a china cabinet (as soon as we have a few thousand to spend!) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcaRiEzLKn3tnWp5_KpiardSAG0U6dHKkH99d0UBKEEIxSuFXLCC8THuRmoFozrEWWkM0qeUUD0-ECQyKvM9y1seX_q9iXieiyHREW_8LUGnwS92-hBMGO-TOWj3egLPTRmB9MUEKDBup/s1600/P1010806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcaRiEzLKn3tnWp5_KpiardSAG0U6dHKkH99d0UBKEEIxSuFXLCC8THuRmoFozrEWWkM0qeUUD0-ECQyKvM9y1seX_q9iXieiyHREW_8LUGnwS92-hBMGO-TOWj3egLPTRmB9MUEKDBup/s320/P1010806.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We now have curtains in the kitchen!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafdXSjN925ZCPXmMuwISbT_KrHzH_ZBEoJ9EcAxcBa-o0xzHzdm0ZPtPjXV1DbxGXLY63hYSwiL_K02kLDV9cve3L8Yr5LHgK9HFyuzsB7H9mstkhI9OqJuG-ZvnDd0CYV6q-vqaF4SNO/s1600/P1010807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafdXSjN925ZCPXmMuwISbT_KrHzH_ZBEoJ9EcAxcBa-o0xzHzdm0ZPtPjXV1DbxGXLY63hYSwiL_K02kLDV9cve3L8Yr5LHgK9HFyuzsB7H9mstkhI9OqJuG-ZvnDd0CYV6q-vqaF4SNO/s320/P1010807.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of some decorations in the den. Not pictured is the awesome extra large clock over the couch that will soon be surrounded by photos</td></tr>
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Projects for next month: Furniture for the screened porch and a rug for under the kitchen table. Get excited.<br />
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I officially have a consistent schedule for the first time since I can remember! I work Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning, and usually don't have anything scheduled for the other 3.5 days out of the week! It is awesome to know that I have time to be productive, or just sit around and enjoy life. The sign is up, my "doctor" shirts will be in soon, and I am feeling more and more comfortable at work. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDFLoR2LG8WBFJgxQySJGS4f_zMb2O0hIiClnfYBoIfxJYcSq_9Gn6Fe6nczXWoWEDf4MHOwTY0Ozab5xZVz2UHBCP8u1TkI8Uv-pxXa73oj90BwPZAmPX7JentTRilMdD5DRi5R0rblz/s1600/BAH+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDFLoR2LG8WBFJgxQySJGS4f_zMb2O0hIiClnfYBoIfxJYcSq_9Gn6Fe6nczXWoWEDf4MHOwTY0Ozab5xZVz2UHBCP8u1TkI8Uv-pxXa73oj90BwPZAmPX7JentTRilMdD5DRi5R0rblz/s320/BAH+sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now that my life has begun to fall into a rhythm, I have had time to sit
back and evaluate how far I have come in my 26.5 years of life. I hate the term "bucket list" because the meaning behind it is all backwards. My goals in life are not things I want to DO before I "kick the bucket", they are things that I want to conquer in my real life goal of making every moment count. So here is my as-complete-as-possible "To-Conquer List": (naturally the X means I have already conquered it!)<br />
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(X) Become a Veterinarian<br />
( ) Own a practice<br />
( ) Have enough money to not have to worry about money <br />
( ) Be there for a pet and their family for a first puppy/kitten visit through the end of their life<br />
(X) Save a life (doesn't have to be human!)<br />
(X) Make research advancements in my field<br />
(X) Play soccer at the college level<br />
(X) Marry my best friend <br />
(X) Be a bridesmaid<br />
(X) Buy a house<br />
( ) Start a family<br />
( ) Raise my children to be good people<br />
( ) Become a team mom<br />
( ) Coach one of my children in a sport (hopefully one I actually played!)<br />
( ) Plan/host a major fundraising event <br />
(X) Be close to my family and my in-laws<br />
( ) Host my family for Thanksgiving Dinner <br />
(X) Go bungee jumping <br />
( ) Go skydiving<br />
(X) Learn to SCUBA dive<br />
( ) Dive Crystal River with my Daddy<br />
( ) Dive the Great Barrier Reef<br />
( ) Hike the grand canyon<br />
( ) Hike a portion of the App Trail (talking like a week's worth)<br />
( ) Visit every state in the US<br />
( ) See Niagara Falls <br />
( ) Go deep sea fishing<br />
(X) Walk/bike across the Golden Gate Bridge<br />
(X) Go white water rafting <br />
(X) Visit New York<br />
( ) Visit the Galapagos<br />
( ) See the Northern Lights <br />
( ) Travel to the United Kingdom<br />
( ) See Stonehenge <br />
( ) Travel to Australia/New Zealand<br />
(X) Travel to Central/South America<br />
(X) Hike in the South American Rainforest <br />
(X) See the Redwoods<br />
(X) Travel to Europe<br />
( ) Visit Henny in Germany <br />
(X) Hear the Pope speak <br />
(X) Travel to the Middle East<br />
(X) Float in the dead sea<br />
(X) Be baptized in the Jordan River <br />
(X) Visit Petra in Jordan<br />
( ) See the pyramids <br />
(X) Travel to Asia<br />
( ) See the Great Wall of China <br />
(X) Ride a camel<br />
( ) Ride an elephant <br />
( ) Travel to Japan (this one is for Matt) <br />
( ) Go on an African Safari<br />
( ) Go to Wimbledon<br />
( ) Go to the Kentucky Derby <br />
( ) Do an Olympic Triathlon<br />
(X) Run a half marathon <br />
( ) Run a marathon<br />
( ) Run a tough mudder/warrior dash<br />
( ) Run a color run<br />
( ) Run a zombie run <br />
(X so far) Stay physically fit throughout my life<br />
(X) Donate 1 wig (4, 10 inch donations) of hair <br />
(X) Learn to defend myself<br />
(X) Learn to shoot a gun<br />
(X) Learn to play an instrument <br />
<br />
That is currently all I can think of. Feel free to comment and leave suggestions!! I am always open for new experiences!!<br />
<br />
Until next time! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-3080044265984400612012-06-05T14:22:00.000-07:002012-06-05T14:22:10.394-07:00Getting in the Groove<br />
The past month since graduation has flown by! <br />
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The first week, I decided to go to Charleston with Laura to visit Adrienne, Weatherly, and see the Matts (my wofford study buddies/lab partners, both named Matt). We had SUCH a great time!! On the way down we stopped in Greenville to visit Rachel and Craig and see Chanel, all of whom are doing fantastic. The beach was wonderful and VERY relaxing!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGU7AX50qt-vN9HBbhQZJ2ckJ3LH_BI7cWHua8HcFdg_188Z58PX3VT_wGVF19hBH9VhezQ40mxQf6KfHivDDdsPHQblUAPG6THlvX5p7H9-AEVSGPiwyKTOj49EGSXI3vDTVtscJlqEL/s1600/P1010756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGU7AX50qt-vN9HBbhQZJ2ckJ3LH_BI7cWHua8HcFdg_188Z58PX3VT_wGVF19hBH9VhezQ40mxQf6KfHivDDdsPHQblUAPG6THlvX5p7H9-AEVSGPiwyKTOj49EGSXI3vDTVtscJlqEL/s320/P1010756.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing friends on a very educational boat ride :)</td></tr>
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The next week, I was off to Amelia Island for Melia's bachelorette weekend with some wonderful ladies. I only knew two of the other bridesmaids before that weekend and the wedding, but now I am happy to say that I have several more friends that I adore :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWzvBW2RlvH6UXAhNZRu_bRtwuvyILoHq2n_WNyUJzMIwHuECg1iF0677gaAjs5D_jwI9px3ViVT6ltYBFSU4PIqiEwRujaom_mfEaXNSq1XXBEv4FH6id0nW10IO7MqFf8CE55HIs1l6/s1600/P1010772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWzvBW2RlvH6UXAhNZRu_bRtwuvyILoHq2n_WNyUJzMIwHuECg1iF0677gaAjs5D_jwI9px3ViVT6ltYBFSU4PIqiEwRujaom_mfEaXNSq1XXBEv4FH6id0nW10IO7MqFf8CE55HIs1l6/s320/P1010772.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a little windy on the deck, but the weather for the most part was perfect!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For memorial day we spent the weekend in the mountains with my family. We went to an art festival in Blue Ridge, did some fun afternoon runs up and down the mountains, and watched some awesome SciFi original movies :)<br />
<br />
Then came Melia's wedding last weekend. I was so honored to have been asked to be part of it! The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was SO fun! We had to have a search party for the groom's ring that morning, do some minor surgery on her veil, we had one plant casualty during the ceremony and a groomsmen near casualty right after the ceremony, but otherwise everything went smoothly! The bride looked AMAZING, and I know the two of them couldn't have been happier. I love weddings, and I love these two wonderful people!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF3s6uO0XP98Z07hs2oYiQgjKdusx867Hn91CSIw9mhiupGH339yRzK47tpPiC4V9MICCIwxpllArSunfWfrM7baoz9z-qdcyvXOId_YphyTpIheZ1lvbKCAtAZKBykWaO8ZXkg-pn8L3/s1600/melia+and+wil" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF3s6uO0XP98Z07hs2oYiQgjKdusx867Hn91CSIw9mhiupGH339yRzK47tpPiC4V9MICCIwxpllArSunfWfrM7baoz9z-qdcyvXOId_YphyTpIheZ1lvbKCAtAZKBykWaO8ZXkg-pn8L3/s320/melia+and+wil" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful! I can't wait to see the rest of the formal pictures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On another exciting note, my brother and sister-in-law FINALLY got their house!!
While we were house hunting, they saw a house on the same street as ours
(actually about 8 houses away) that was just PERFECT for them. We
signed the contracts for our house and theirs on the same day, but
because theirs was a short sale, those are complicated and take a lot
longer than a regular sale. But they FINALLY GOT IT!!! They moved in
this past weekend! It has already been amazing! Matt and I made them a casserole as a "welcome to the neighborhood" gift while they were moving :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNB7jD_C44T_24ehTiXhKWhBMfkwc3SrAKRQHWGM6AaJUv1X3A5V0SKYZX3figEqmom6jqeRo1sl8sIVMD5ladbkAlIduI4zxardwnOYMl-EMXsgXZvOKS_bF2Jdqr9y4Udu6S3v-jNGM/s1600/h+and+n+house" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNB7jD_C44T_24ehTiXhKWhBMfkwc3SrAKRQHWGM6AaJUv1X3A5V0SKYZX3figEqmom6jqeRo1sl8sIVMD5ladbkAlIduI4zxardwnOYMl-EMXsgXZvOKS_bF2Jdqr9y4Udu6S3v-jNGM/s320/h+and+n+house" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayden and Natty's new house!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yesterday was my first official day of work ever! It was a little stressful trying to remember to dot my I's and cross my T's (since every hospital does it differently), but I know in a few weeks I will have everything down, and it wont feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off! I thought that most of the day was just going to vaccine appointments, but it actually ended up being different and quite eclectic! At the end of the day my brain was exhausted. I think I am going to enjoy the "real world"!<br />
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Matt and I are also starting "Insanity" together (along with Hayden, Natty, and two of my new friends Elissa and Charlie), so we have an amazing accountability group to make sure we all die together. We took the fitness test and wrote down where we are now so we can track our progress over the next 60 days. Lets hope for some good results!<br />
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That's all for now! Until next time!<br />
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<br />Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-31546490707159462342012-05-22T12:16:00.000-07:002012-05-22T12:16:14.187-07:00It is FINISHED! When I was 6 years old, my second grade class had career day. A veterinarian named Dr. Delahay brought a cat skeleton, a pig heart, and several other things to the class to talk about what he does for a living. I was one of the very few people (and the only girl if I recall) to go and touch the things that he had. From that moment, I was enthralled. I went home and told my parents that I was going to be a vet when I grew up.<br />
Fast forward to high school... When I turned 14 I ran one afternoon (literally... I was suppose to be training for cross country) from school to Brookwood Animal Hospital and asked if I could volunteer to walk the dogs in the clinic. They told me they hired high schoolers to work that job, but they had to be at least 15 to work. I waited a year, and came back, filled out an application, and called almost every day asking if Dr. Yeomans had decided to hire anyone yet. Finally he asked me to come in for an interview and I got the job.<br />
For the next 3 years I spent working the kennel, cleaning the runs, feeding the dogs, picking up poop, working spring breaks, Christmases, Thanks Givings, and every other holiday and most weekends making minimum wage (at the time: $5.15/hr, but I got a few raises along the way). I did this because I knew that if I wanted to get into vet school, I would have to have work experience and a letter of recommendation.<br />
I went to college, on scholarship: academic, soccer, running track, and doing community service. I majored in Biology and picked up Religion later on to be more "well rounded". During school, I found that the best time to study was Friday night.
That was when most of the people we would partying, and I could have the
biology building mostly to myself.<br />
Every summer I would come back and work two jobs: the first as a receptionist/veterinary assistant at Brookwood (moving up in the world), and the second a Zoo Keeper at Zoo Atlanta in the reptile house. I got THAT job by going to volunteer to sweep and clean the glass in the reptile house, and after a week or so of that every day, they asked me to come and help with cleaning out a few of the enclosures, and eventually they let me clean out the enclosures by myself. Before the end of the summer, I was hired. Through that experience I was sent to Panama and Vietnam to do frog conservation and a Herpetological Survey respectively. These were amazing experiences that let me have a resume that stood out among the others.<br />
I was accepted to veterinary school at the University of Georgia. After 4 grueling years of work, constantly studying, and having very little life outside of the school building... I was done. But not after one more challenge: Boards. As you all know, I didn't pass the first time. I studied almost every night from August until I took the exam in November, and still failed. It seemed that after all this work and sacrifice, my dream would not become a reality. Instead of giving up, I pushed on. I took an online course, found an amazing study buddy (Sas, I <3 u), and together we dominated the exam the second time. I not only passed... I killed it.<br />
Finally, it was time. there I stood on the stage at UGA with my cap and gown on. Drs Cornell and Roth put the hood over my head and my life-long journey came to completion. I AM a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. I will be working at Brookwood Animal Hospital now as a Veterinarian starting in June.<br />
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Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Don't every let circumstance change your desires. YOU have the ability to make what you dream into a reality. I was never forced to make any of these decisions... I made them because I saw the goal I was trying to achieve and I knew the path I had to take. Im not saying I didn't have any fun. I met friends that I will keep forever, I met and married the man of my dreams, and I have memories that will always be there. I just knew that sometimes I had to make the hard decision... like getting a job and working during the summer instead of spending it having fun with my friends at the pool every day. It doesn't matter your situation or your background, all that matters is how bad you want it. I wanted it. And I got it.<br />
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<br />Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-44940365671474323022012-04-20T13:51:00.003-07:002012-04-20T14:17:44.755-07:00The Final Countdown!I'm beginning to get really excited about graduation! One more week left of my externship, then one week until graduation! May 5th cannot get here soon enough! I have been doing my externship at Eastside Animal Medical Center in Grayson. I love it! Everyone is so nice and they let me do everything... they even call me Dr. Verlander! The other day, I did a femoral head ostectomy! It was awesome!<br /><br />Now that the board exam is over I have had time to run AND play some soccer! Running with my amazing sister-in-law through the neighborhood has been amazing. There is also a Grayson women's running club that I am joining. We have a 5K next weekend. Im pumped. Ive been playing soccer with Natalie on a co-ed team from people that she knows from work. It has been really fun! I just need to figure out how to keep my ankles from rolling :)<br /><br />I have also had some free time to begin working on the house. Getting things put together, decorating, and picking out things that I would like to purchase to really make this house look nice.<br /><br />After the board exam I decided to go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get some decor for the guest bedroom... 1) because we needed it, and 2) because when I am depressed, shopping makes me happy :) If you don't remember, this is what the guest bedroom looked like in the condo in Athens. We had it basically the same way here in Grayson:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1kIgr3jON1DmZgcEYkucLcdneygYDJPCCk9jyKPHpIfeXmXN1rmHnin-0gUYME8nf9ggpQyYjq3RrB-L7pin8m6pbV_9OOElQVTSacbJKLdrsq_gFRp49Pq-c4n0LGikgD0PSFWTdxf/s1600/P1010587.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS1kIgr3jON1DmZgcEYkucLcdneygYDJPCCk9jyKPHpIfeXmXN1rmHnin-0gUYME8nf9ggpQyYjq3RrB-L7pin8m6pbV_9OOElQVTSacbJKLdrsq_gFRp49Pq-c4n0LGikgD0PSFWTdxf/s320/P1010587.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733586871351079202" border="0" /></a><br />And here is how it is decorated now!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPZkUCc9BIz3-0hU1k9RpvKr23S-oIBweJLPH9Pzej0HVL9hcYE0O3xXka6nLHz90kwTAgPw5PVVAksTHRatER_XHSkETbQlT3HU3VaryQJVmvAjBqZUt5PzMBMOauQvoEnteFsKw5MTs/s1600/P1010672.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPZkUCc9BIz3-0hU1k9RpvKr23S-oIBweJLPH9Pzej0HVL9hcYE0O3xXka6nLHz90kwTAgPw5PVVAksTHRatER_XHSkETbQlT3HU3VaryQJVmvAjBqZUt5PzMBMOauQvoEnteFsKw5MTs/s320/P1010672.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733587131494834498" border="0" /></a>I love it! Ready for anyone who wants to come visit! I also purchased the bedding for the other guest bedroom, we just don't have a bed in there yet. When that is set up, expect pictures!<br /><br />This is about as far as we have gotten in the Master... The headboard I made (because we don't have one... yet). Thanks Pinterest! I took 6 pieces of canvas and covered them in fabric, decorated them, then just hot glued them together. Didn't take long at all and was REALLY inexpensive. I think it turned out nice. The rest of the master bedroom is still in boxes... eventually things will be put up!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdfByTEKfNSeiWJ9vM_FUf4maDWKswH4Zz5tY2fyTXlW_HMY0h2ftgJunY-2z2Q87ldYgPINdvcBGJpVN2kz0G1DOGmBHmxKH1Vk0h6JEv3S3sKNKzV1Q9UWdaEgLPSJt3LQ4xc-SuNJN/s1600/P1010676.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdfByTEKfNSeiWJ9vM_FUf4maDWKswH4Zz5tY2fyTXlW_HMY0h2ftgJunY-2z2Q87ldYgPINdvcBGJpVN2kz0G1DOGmBHmxKH1Vk0h6JEv3S3sKNKzV1Q9UWdaEgLPSJt3LQ4xc-SuNJN/s320/P1010676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733589788042584562" border="0" /></a><br />This is the master bathroom. We originally had white bathmats, soap dispensers, etc. and it looked really good in Athens because the bathroom was blue. Because it didn't go as well with the new bathroom, we moved the white stuff to the guest bathroom and got new slate gray mats and brushed nickel accessories. Love how it looks now!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAq1bbgLVTQKxC3v6DWh3GagVLREsWfGoC0EO39Z1TA0rCZU2easGc7MgBkO7-brzobcBY2bJ2RI0YEcWhthKdQd0nfA-ySdg11o5YiE4B03ER-T3-4kGmoz3HiRirLu1GPv0nSO3WutV3/s1600/P1010679.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAq1bbgLVTQKxC3v6DWh3GagVLREsWfGoC0EO39Z1TA0rCZU2easGc7MgBkO7-brzobcBY2bJ2RI0YEcWhthKdQd0nfA-ySdg11o5YiE4B03ER-T3-4kGmoz3HiRirLu1GPv0nSO3WutV3/s320/P1010679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733590612520190786" border="0" /></a><br />Here is the white in the guest bathroom. It also looks good and transitions nicely into the new guest bedroom (with the blue).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtu1Yb0G-GHWW93xiPmBnAHzDHmwLs_PHoCDD5uRvUrsOkLfcpNFstum1D89STM2wlnlkLTKi6x1Qb29i-TbJn1BZlE3h7bNEMX6H2TRLqjLOHRiwXBMUadEidWShYNURAA3868GF7jRem/s1600/P1010674.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtu1Yb0G-GHWW93xiPmBnAHzDHmwLs_PHoCDD5uRvUrsOkLfcpNFstum1D89STM2wlnlkLTKi6x1Qb29i-TbJn1BZlE3h7bNEMX6H2TRLqjLOHRiwXBMUadEidWShYNURAA3868GF7jRem/s320/P1010674.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5733590837936539778" border="0" /></a><br />Im sure that after graduation there will be some very exciting new purchases and decorations to come, so keep an eye out!<br /><br />Until next time!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-60934486482377648622012-04-08T13:41:00.008-07:002012-04-08T14:07:16.410-07:00Beginnings of the House --> Home TransformationGreetings!<br /><br />As an attempt to avoid studying at all costs, I figured I would keep ya'll updated on what we have done around the house! After the 12th, there will be a lot more posts (with exciting before and after pics!) probably for the next year or so as we slowly change our new house into our dream home. Its a slow process, but with Michelle Verlander's help (Matt's sister, who HAPPENS to be an interior designer!!) it will be AMAZING!!<br /><br />While I was gone in Mobile for 3 weeks, Matt (because he is awesome) completed some very big tasks around the house. First: Fence in the backyard...<br /><br />BEFORE, no fence for us, just our neighbor's fence:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIfDXTMhvH-zmhPA0-SKbdAX40hH6XPVRgDB6T-HeCyzqI9GKtDHUCibg8e-TLoK7GWsyIFML5e_f20gYdHuEbIR8FCyKrE3sHfm5i6gDZGq0p1MS2lAmSKlp3z0Wy5RYmO9T1cIXWunp/s1600/P1010439.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWIfDXTMhvH-zmhPA0-SKbdAX40hH6XPVRgDB6T-HeCyzqI9GKtDHUCibg8e-TLoK7GWsyIFML5e_f20gYdHuEbIR8FCyKrE3sHfm5i6gDZGq0p1MS2lAmSKlp3z0Wy5RYmO9T1cIXWunp/s320/P1010439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729135485991472418" border="0" /></a><br />AFTER, AMAZING:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBJAL291PUt64xqp_z2e3kc9cFT3Euf6uo9NTQllpL_8N-HZQvAwe4vsId67WvWp8yQylXT6VgQLtTLXTBMg2V5tCbb13DMucskNKZFr4kYLrK7ncZGVm-3W8hXXTa3dYZKzeP5i0bq2-/s1600/P1010659.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBJAL291PUt64xqp_z2e3kc9cFT3Euf6uo9NTQllpL_8N-HZQvAwe4vsId67WvWp8yQylXT6VgQLtTLXTBMg2V5tCbb13DMucskNKZFr4kYLrK7ncZGVm-3W8hXXTa3dYZKzeP5i0bq2-/s320/P1010659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729136001171852482" border="0" /></a><br />Next task, paint the kitchen... Before it was a dark red color:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_d1efZqCROJG8U4fsiq8SMmQl_VM_b3i6Fxp3k7uf4mL_bZDBF-UKjGZc11XaWROLT5Fdeh8qrJtNifD-5qGKvCa0JQfu8hlkwdeVv9-XzB8DXY76jSbDcS8dwsidL9NRuAFYhgGOJUQ/s1600/P1010430.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_d1efZqCROJG8U4fsiq8SMmQl_VM_b3i6Fxp3k7uf4mL_bZDBF-UKjGZc11XaWROLT5Fdeh8qrJtNifD-5qGKvCa0JQfu8hlkwdeVv9-XzB8DXY76jSbDcS8dwsidL9NRuAFYhgGOJUQ/s320/P1010430.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729136677434434418" border="0" /></a><br />Now, BLUE!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyMLEE9rWT6S7SNdlRXIm2sDR_Pp3RW_1OMnEBg5QQU-bBMf3Rf1g9RE0F6SvGD3-KruF41EjXl5T2LuakxfMeGZrLwP5TejE5QWaedfLcN1DC5kV1zwIL69yYYQ8mtgxXOu2fSgk2rRX/s1600/P1010653.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyMLEE9rWT6S7SNdlRXIm2sDR_Pp3RW_1OMnEBg5QQU-bBMf3Rf1g9RE0F6SvGD3-KruF41EjXl5T2LuakxfMeGZrLwP5TejE5QWaedfLcN1DC5kV1zwIL69yYYQ8mtgxXOu2fSgk2rRX/s320/P1010653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729137080616176754" border="0" /></a><br />Third, and I helped some with this one before I left and after I came back, we sanded, painted, and sealed the old DVD shelf that we had... Before it was black (in the corner):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI98qoE5Dcz-dPumWFQcZDMutirBsfqg2E8yN5XMkOliylpw7oKhG9h5V-lU95UAmQGrBWEg0vS041XDRhEB5ipfAsTO3DDty2TR-4atwfuAGhEXclAqUB4rRgz1fz5reUsBwvi7zfRXwb/s1600/P1010577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI98qoE5Dcz-dPumWFQcZDMutirBsfqg2E8yN5XMkOliylpw7oKhG9h5V-lU95UAmQGrBWEg0vS041XDRhEB5ipfAsTO3DDty2TR-4atwfuAGhEXclAqUB4rRgz1fz5reUsBwvi7zfRXwb/s320/P1010577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729138204091513314" border="0" /></a>Now it is white, and he removed the back on it so that the fireplace and various cords can be accessed :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQOjDpgbFm1WYf9UbNNj9SO1B6r4YTa2YhbYr5EwRTca6VKlEt7iF0YebAOHZ68hnqBZg5YxGVFeMst7cNtb03JLak8t53G-voZNJDpdNvsGXiZ-kbjXvk5MXJaQsUe2ys7fBuB7B_HI7/s1600/P1010669.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQOjDpgbFm1WYf9UbNNj9SO1B6r4YTa2YhbYr5EwRTca6VKlEt7iF0YebAOHZ68hnqBZg5YxGVFeMst7cNtb03JLak8t53G-voZNJDpdNvsGXiZ-kbjXvk5MXJaQsUe2ys7fBuB7B_HI7/s320/P1010669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729138772818993650" border="0" /></a><br />He also installed a cat door :) No pics of that though, sorry! haha.<br /><br />Thats it for now! Get ready for some exciting new additions once I get some free time!<br />Until next time!!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-54665251463906248362012-03-26T17:51:00.003-07:002012-03-26T20:45:14.812-07:00Past, Present, and FutureMy sincerest apologies for this update being late!! Its what happens when the bowels of the vet school swallow you. I decided to make this post somewhat organized in going over the things that have happened since the last post, the current state of affairs, and what the future has to offer as far as I can see (as in until May).<br /><br />PAST:<br />Matt and I have officially moved! We got the house that we wanted (previous post) and are now residents of Grayson, GA. We rented a UHaul and snagged a few friends and moved everything down to the house just in time for me to leave on externship to Alabama for 3 weeks :). Everything seems to really be coming together according to text messages from Matt, and once I get there photos will be taken and posted (I PROMISE!!).<br />We had to find a new home for Chanel. When we moved, neither cat really handled it well, and I decided to separate them until they both calmed down. After I did, both cats seemed to be MUCH happier without the other one around. Then I put 2 and 2 together and realized that for the past year I had been trying to make work something that just wasnt working. Strauss and Chanel never really got along, and they were both pretty stressed about the other one. So Matt and I made the decision to find Chanel a new home where she could be an only cat... and we found her the PERFECT home. She is now Rachel and Craig's baby and they are all doing SO well together!! It worked out perfectly, as all things tend to do.<br />I can officially say that I officially have a job after graduation and passing boards. I will be the newest Vet at Brookwood Animal Hospital in Snellville, GA. Therefore, everyone who is reading this post (except the future veterinarians) you are now required to bring all pets there. I will be starting (HOPEFULLY, pending Boards), in June.<br />I am also officially done with Athens, GA until graduation!! I finished my last rotation at UGA on St. Patrick's Day. No more basement hospitals for me!!<br /><br />PRESENT:<br />I am currently in Mobile, Alabama doing a 3 week externship with some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. I met Dr. Long my junior year at Wofford, giving him, his wife, and his son, Philip, a tour of campus, and helping host Philip for his deciding visit to Wofford. He picked Wofford, and started as a freshman my senior year. When Dr. Long found out that I was accepted to vet school, he sent me my stethoscope as a present, and he was one of the people that I called to tell. So when time came to pick my externships, I knew I had to do one with him. I have never been fed so well! The Longs are some of the nicest, most giving people you would ever meet :). I am learning a lot on this rotation as well. The clients come in all varieties/shapes/and sizes and I am learning every range of veterinary medicine. From the people that have 1 little white fluffy that is their baby and would do anything for it, to someone who has 6 dogs with heartworms and no money; and being able to treat both sets with quality medicine while meeting the owner's needs. Amazing.<br />One thing that I have noticed while being here is that for the first time in my whole life, I am homesick. I am a world traveler and have spend months away from home with little to no contact with anyone, and I have never once felt homesick. But for some reason after about 4 days here, I was missing everyone terribly, especially my family. I guess in my old age (;)) my wild and free spirit is becoming more tame... either that or marriage did it. But thankfully I had some visitors this past weekend! My parents came down and we had a WONDERFUL time on Dauphin Island and visiting Bellengrath Gardens. I would post pictures, but I forgot my camera cord... so in a few weeks (after April 7th), expect some!<br /><br />FUTURE:<br />I will be in Mobile until April 7th, then I am starting at an emergency clinic for my final rotation April 9th. The clinic is about 5 min. from our new house, so it will be nice not having much of a drive. I take the NAVLE on April 12, so I expect everyone that is reading this to be praying non-stop from 8:30AM-3:30PM that day :). Dr. Long said it best the other day, "You are going to make an amazing vet" then he shook his head, "having something like a vet license decided by a dumb test like the NAVLE is like having a soccer game end in a shoot out. You work so hard for so long to have it all come down to chance. Doesn't matter who is the best." That is a wise man.<br />Graduation is May 5th, then I will just be waiting around (probably doing a lot of decorating and home projects, exercising, and enjoying the beautiful weather) until I find out my board results mid-may. After that... who knows!!<br /><br />Until next time (which I promise will be sooner than this one was, and full of pictures)!!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-72839352850504543322012-01-22T15:33:00.000-08:002012-01-22T16:01:34.227-08:00Ups and Downs2012 has shown itself to really been a roller coaster thus far. It ranges from excitement that is impossible to contain, to let downs that feel like I am moving backwards more than forwards. I like to end on happy notes, so we will start with the let down...<br /><br />I didn't pass the NAVLE. That was possibly the worst email I have ever gotten. It was like I have worked so hard for so long just to have it all come crashing down at the very end. Not only did I go to college for 8 years, sacrificing all of my free time and energy to the future, I also studied for this test more than most people I know that passed. 3 months for at least an hour a night, practice question after practice question, notes, handouts, reviews... all for nothing. All to just turn around and have to do it over again in April. I ruined my future job, our future house plans, wasted another thousand dollars on retaking the test... everything! I needed a 65% to pass... I made a 63%. And the worst part was that the breakdown of each species on the test showed that I did about the same for all the species. It wasn't like I did terrible on cows and just need to study cows more... I need to take the whole test differently. I have never been a strong standardized test taker and generally don't do well with multiple choice tests anyway. So for me, this test is not about what I know, it is about how well can I take the test. How well can I figure out what the person writing the question was trying to ask me. Basically, for the next 3 months, I am starting over.<br /><br />It has been very upsetting to think about that for the next 3 months I will be studying each evening (again) while all of my friends get free time with no stress. But trying to stay positive, I will have all of this information fresh in my mind when I start my new job (hopefully after I pass the April test!). I really appreciate the support of all my friends and family that have been standing by me giving me encouragement through this very upsetting and stressful time.<br /><br />(on to positives) Speaking of job... I called my future boss, Dr. Craig Yeomans, to tell him that I had failed. I told him that I understood if he wanted to try and find someone else sooner, or if he did not want me to work there anymore since I failed that I completely understood. I would not find out about the results of the April test until the end of May and that even then there was a chance that I wouldn't pass again. <br /><br />His response: I don't care, I want you to work here. So we wait another month, big deal. Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward.<br /><br />HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?! That response really solidified that I was making the right decision to work there. He made the official announcement this week to the rest of the staff that I would be working there most likely starting the end of May pending the April test results. I feel very honored... and lucky.<br /><br />Another BIG deal... Matt and I are going to try and make an offer on a house that we looked at the other weekend!! It is in a BEAUTIFUL neighborhood in Grayson, Wheatfield Reserve, which offers swim and tennis, and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. The house is in a cul-de-sac and is just PERFECT for what we want. The address is: 15 Little Barley Lane, Grayson GA 30017. You should check out the pictures online <a href="http://www.trulia.com/property/3064029002-15-Little-Barley-Ln-Grayson-GA-30017">here</a> (doesnt do it justice) and let me know what you think!! KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED that everything works out and we get our dream home!!!<br /><br />Thats all for now... Until next time!!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-28521076598892365942012-01-07T13:20:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:56:59.134-08:00The Search Begins!First, I would like to wish a very Happy New Year to my friends and family! I know hat 2012 has a lot of exciting changes in store, and I am looking forward to sharing all of them with you!!<br /><br />Christmas was as wonderful as I could have hoped for. Everyone was together and the love at every event was tangible. <br /><br />I have (almost) officially accepted the job at Brookwood Animal Hospital. I have verbally committed, and I will sign the contract mid-January. We have discussed the contract and pay etc. etc. The official contract just needs to be written up, and then we have the signing day! It sorta feels like I am in the process of beginning a pro-sport... Matt thinks I should get a signing bonus ;) I am excited because I will only be working 3.5 days/week! It will be SUCH a change from what I have been doing for the past year (working 24/7), it probably wont feel like I am working at all. The hours are stable, and it will give me time to begin working on other parts of my life (house, family, and actually getting to spend time with my husband).<br /><br />SPEAKING OF HOUSE... Matt and I have begun the intense process of house-hunting. He was not as enthusiastic as I was about it (as goes most things), but he is coming around. We sat down and wrote out a "house must haves" list that was basically this:<br />- Under 300K (thats what we were approved for) in Grayson, GA<br />- 4-5BR/3+BA<br />- Open floor plan<br />- Big kitchen (lots of counter tops and cabinet space, large pantry)<br />- Formal dining room that can hold a table for 12<br />- LARGE master bathroom with tub and extra large shower<br />- Swim/tennis community preferably with sidewalks through the neighborhood<br />- (Matt's request) Driveway good for basketball... always thinking of the future, he has decided our children will be professional basketball players :)<br />- (my and Levi's request) Large backyard that is either fenced in, or easily fence-able to be done RIGHT when we move in<br />We have just been looking online, but when I find one that meets most of our criteria I will show him, and he will start deciding where he would put the furniture that we have. It is getting pretty exciting! Ideally, I would love to be able to move in around April to whatever we can find since my last two rotations are not in Athens, and my last one is in Grayson, there is no reason to stay living in Athens. The problem is that a lot of banks will not give you a loan on a house until you have worked at your job for at least a month... that means we wouldn't be able to move in until July. That is a lot of driving, and as you all know my Jeep is NOT the most fuel efficient car. So we are going to try and see if there are any smaller banks that will accept a contract to work, or if Matt can get approved for the houses we want on his salary alone. Grown-up stuff is complicated... but exciting! I can't wait to start looking at houses in person!!<br /><br />Pending my NAVLE results (TBA end of Jan, beginning of Feb... unless I failed), graduation is May 5 at 10:30AM (118 days away, but who is counting??). I. CANT. WAIT. Everything that I have worked for since I was 6 years old will finally be a reality. A life-long goal achieved. 4 years of torture finally ending. I might ACTUALLY cry (which is saying something considering I didn't even cry at my wedding).<br /><br />Until next time!Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-91460676654003360332011-12-19T16:53:00.001-08:002011-12-19T17:43:32.982-08:00Catching UpIt has been a little bit since I've updated...<br /><br />I took my NAVLE (National Board Exam) and I will find out the results end of January/early February, which is a bit stressful, but at least it is over (for now). Everyone else seems as concerned as I am about the results (which is slightly encouraging, at least I am not the only one who feels there is a possibility of failure). I know that it really doesn't say or mean anything about how good of a vet I am going to be, but it would be REALLY nice to not have to devote another 6 hours of my life to retaking it in April.<br /><br />I presented my research that I have been working on since second year of vet school at the Science of Veterinary Medicine Symposium. For those that are interested (probably not many!) my research is on diagnosing septic peritonitis using a hand-held glucometer (like those used to test blood sugar in diabetic people). It involved a LOT of data collecting, analyzing, and interpreting, and just as preliminary results were being written up, the company that makes the glucometer asked if we would repeat the study with the newest model of glucometer. They would fund the project and send the prototype, but basically everything that I had worked on for two years wouldn't be used. As you can imagine, I was a little saddened by this news... but it is all for the progress and improving diagnosis in veterinary medicine and not about me. BUT I did get to present the research that I had worked on. I had so much fun! The auditorium was full (probably 150-200 people) and I didn't see anyone fall asleep! AANNDDD I won 3rd place for presentations! I felt inspired by telling people something that was brand new, and teaching them everything they ever wanted (and didn't want) to know about abdominal fluid, bacteria, and glucose, and I realized that I would REALLY enjoy teaching.<br /><br />This inspired me to consider applying for internships instead of deciding to just go into private practice. So I filled out my applications, got my letters of reference, and had a conversation with Matt. We discussed the pros and cons of each decision:<br /><br />Private Practice:<br /> PROS: Client relationships (which I LOVE), money (which is very helpful being 120K in debt with student loans), time, starting the next chapter of life with a house and family, being close to our families<br /> CONS: No teaching<br />Internship:<br /> PROS: Step one towards doing what my ideal job would be (emergency specialist and teaching at a school), flooding experience with a very high caseload<br /> CONS: Possibly having to move somewhere for only one year, voluntary servitude for another year, no time, no family, no money, having to deal with the bureaucracy of a public institution, and if I did an internship, I would want to do a residency (another 4 years after the internship) to get my specialty in ECC, which then would be very time consuming and wouldn't allow me to have the family time that I would want.<br /><br />To a sane person, this seems like a no-brainer. But it was a decision that caused a lot of angst to me. It was the first time in my life that I didn't know EXACTLY what I was going to do. I have wanted to be a vet since I was 6... I didn't ever think about what KIND of a vet I wanted to be. The decision basically broke down to choosing between the career that I decided I wanted, or the family life I always wanted. I have always wanted kids, a nice house, and being able to host my family, Matt's family and our friends for dinners/parties. All of that, not really possible being a Criticalist and being on-call 24/7. So with Matt's help, we decided that I should apply for only the internship at UGA (so if I did get it, we wouldn't have to move), and also apply for jobs, as to have many options and just let the decision be out of my hands. He is smart :)<br /><br />THEN... I had Neurology. Another REALLY intense rotation (6AM-4AM, back at 6AM... yea...) And I started to feel more and more annoyed at little things... like the inefficiency of the hospital, and some of the people that work in the hospital. Granted, it could have been 3 weeks of "that time of the month" (unlikely), but maybe I was moody from being tired and overworked. But by the end of the 3 weeks I had come to the conclusion that I COULD NOT handle working for the rest of my life in that environment and be a happy person. So really, I didn't want the internship. The afternoon I made that decision (literally had the conversation with Matt) I got a phone call offering me a job at a clinic that I LOVE (Brookwood Animal Hospital), and love everyone that works there. I mean... can Someone hit me over the head a few more times to get the point across??? I can't tell you how happy it made me to drive past the Hospital and see that there was a new sign out front, raised slightly higher off the ground to fit one more doctor name :) Lindsey Lane Verlander, DVM<br /><br />As for now, me and Matt are getting excited about CHRISTMAS!!! We are having our Christmas on the 22nd, Matt's Aunt Janie's birthday is the 32rd, Matt's family Christmas on the 24th, my family Christmas on the 25th, then my Mom's best friend, Andie's Christmas the 26th. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! My most favorite thing in the WORLD (and how I show that I care for people) is giving them things that they want/need/love, and Christmas is an excuse to do that for everyone that I care about. Watching them open the presents, seeing their happiness, and spending so much time with families just enjoying each others company, seeing friends that I haven't seen in so long... there is just nothing better.<br /><br />So I leave you with the most Merry Christmas wish of all from the Verlanders!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4m3MB-f85mHb6zKJYCKKCL4a6UNlU8Ju6k0CTdcDzqq855EbeUrHEFyF7Uj-RAisA_XxV9Kx0u8TeYxmiGDbXkZWgbPjpPgpJDfG_jSk6UZVt_5McnBdxH_1dKHb6QNu1zA84Bd3iui4z/s1600/P1010317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4m3MB-f85mHb6zKJYCKKCL4a6UNlU8Ju6k0CTdcDzqq855EbeUrHEFyF7Uj-RAisA_XxV9Kx0u8TeYxmiGDbXkZWgbPjpPgpJDfG_jSk6UZVt_5McnBdxH_1dKHb6QNu1zA84Bd3iui4z/s320/P1010317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688019815966793890" border="0" /></a>Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-56804505980311130592011-10-18T14:40:00.000-07:002011-10-18T14:53:55.125-07:00Finally, time to breathe!I just ended two very difficult rotations back to back... small animal and large animal internal medicine. So basically for the past six weeks I have not had time to do anything except work and sleep (the former a lot more than the later!). I am THRILLED to now be on dermatology, not because I have an interest in it, but just for a chance to breathe!<br /><br />The plan for taking derm right now is that I will have some time to study for my board exam (the NAVLE) which is scheduled for November 14th. I have been studying almost every night (until the last 6 weeks) for an hour since August 1. At first I was very stressed and anxious about it, rightly so. It is the test that determines my future. Everything I have worked for since I was 6 years old decided by 6 sections of 60 multiple choice questions and 66 minutes each section (I think the numbers are significant by the way). Then a took a second and realized that:<br />1) November 14 is going to come anyway, and stressing isnt going to do anything to help me<br />2) The test isnt everything... if I dont pass, then I will just take it again in April<br />3) The test doesnt actually mean anything about how I will be as a doctor... it only determines if I can take standardized exams<br />So I can make the choice to continue worrying about it OR just say whatever happens will happen, enjoy my life, and when November 14th rolls around do the best I can with how I have prepared, and be done. Which is what I have decided.<br /><br />Since I havent had a life the past 2 months, I have made several plans during this block's amazing 9-5 schedule (weekends OFF) including Mellow Mushroom Trivia every Wednesday, camping in Helen one weekend, and actually spending some time with my WONDERFUL Husband who lives with me but never actually sees me.<br /><br />On the Husband front... I think I am the luckiest girl in the world. He has been SO amazing during the past few months making me dinner, taking care of Levi, Strauss, and Chanel, cleaning, and just taking care of everything for me so that all I have to do is focus on school. Husband of the year.<br /><br />Im ready for November 14th. Im ready for May 5th 2012. Im ready to start the next chapter. Ready, and excited.Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162367793511259982.post-77841351612455317742011-10-08T14:32:00.000-07:002011-10-08T14:43:37.403-07:00Here goes nothing!Several of my friends have blogs and I really enjoy reading them because it lets me keep up with the important things going on in their life even though I may not get to see them often. So I figured, hey... maybe people want to know whats going on in my crazy, random, ever-changing life!<br /><br />So for those of you that are interested... here it is... my blog. I cant promise to post often, but I will do my best to keep it updated on new and exciting life events, of which will be many very soon!<br /><br />I am at quite the crossroads currently.<br />1) Newly wed... what's not life changing about that??<br />2) Finishing my last year of vet school... basically I have no idea what I want to do after May 5, 2012. internship? residency? specialty? general practice? emergency?... the options are endless and change with my ever-changing mood.<br />3) Things to come... house hunting, moving, starting a family...<br /><br />So I hope you enjoy! Please leave your comments :)Lindsey Lane Verlanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655296423455451651noreply@blogger.com1