So glad we had the party last week! The girls are sick again so we would have had to cancel if it was this week. Dawn is really struggling. We go back to the dr tomorrow. He's concerned it might be RSV. Please keep her in your prayers. I can't wait for the warm weather!!!

Feb update from Mike

I'm still plugging away at school.  This semester is mostly pretty good.  I have some really fun and interesting classes and some that really suck.  I hate my adult development class.  The teacher doesn't actual teach and it is full of meaningless busywork.  I love my history and systems of psych and my intro to psychotherapy classes.  Those are very interesting and require intellectual engagement.  They are lots of fun.  I am enjoying TAing for a psych of gender class.  I have only heard from three grad schools.  I have been officially rejected from Michigan, I'm ok with that, and Kansas (that was a bit harder because it was one of my top choices) and I have been invited to interview at Seattle Pacific University.  I'll be heading to Seattle on my birthday and come home on March 5.  I'm pretty excited.  I have already arranged to meet up with Dantzel and meet her hubby and baby.  I'm planning on contacting Melvin and possibly seeing him.  The following week I'm going on a cruise with UVU's honors program and I'm pretty excited for that.

Hi

Hi family,
Life here is interesting its been snowing for 2 days straight. Got stuck in the the snow this morning on my way to work. um... what else... Christmas was good. Really excited for the New Year! Trying to stay warm.
                     -Rach

Christmas Party

I was so sad to miss our Christmas Party. Both Abi and Dawn are sick. Dawn has been miserable. I just didn't feel comfortable taking them out. Thank you so much mom and dad for doing the Party. Even though I couldn't be there it was like a party at my house afterwards. Thank you everyone for the gifts! Abi loved opening hers and Dawn's. I was sad I didn't get to see you all open the gifts (especially the kids...their excitement is so amazing!). Abi had so much fun making the magnets and was really excited to give them to you. I hope the girls will be all better for Christmas Eve at grandma's! I love you all and hope you had a great time tonight.

I'm not dead yet. I feel happy!

Update from Mike

The fall 2012 semester just ended.  This was a brutal semester for me. I actually had to talk to a professor and get an I because I took on more than I could handle.  I am very  grateful that I was able get an I this way I can still get an A in the class and not have my GPA ruined.  I took physiological psychology, adolescent development, domestic violence and child abuse, applied research, modern legacies, intro biology, and honors colloquium.  This combined with being an TA for two sections of abnormal psychology proved to be a bit much for me.  In addition to taking too many classes this has the semester for graduate school applications.  I applied to Duke, Yale, University of Kansas, University of North Carolina: Greensboro, University of Virginia, University of Michigan: Ann Arbor, Texas A&M, and Seattle Pacific.  We'll see if I get accepted to any of them.  Clinical psychology PhD programs are extremely competitive.  Also, I was finally published.  We submitted our manuscript in May and in December we were notified that it was published.  That was a pretty awesome feeling.

I'm pretty excited for next semester.  I am taking intro to psychotherapy, history and systems of psychology, adult development, family systems, honors thesis, and honors colloquium.  I really hate colloquium.  The class is pointless, but it is required for the honors program.  I am also going to be the TA for a psych of gender class.  After this semester I have 3 classes to take over the summer then I am done with my undergraduate degree.  Hopefully this fall I will be going to grad school.

I'm also excited for Rory to be moving in after Christmas.  It will be fun having him here.

Purpose of the blog

Merry Christmas!  I'm poor and feeling out of touch so I decided to create this blog as my 'gift' to the family. It is a gift that will require work from everyone.  This is place for all of use to share news, give updates, inform the family of upcoming events, or whatever you want to use it for.  I was thinking this could be like the Gubler newsletter, but for us.