Last Days

Today is my LAST day working at Mountainlands Family Health Center (previously Mountainlands Community Health Center). I am actually at work right now and I know I should be working but who actually works on their last day on the job? In fact, I am wearing jeans, which are usually reserved for Friday but I could care less :) I am employee of the century anyways so it doesn't matter. Mountainlands has been a really good place to work...I have been here for over two years and they have been good to me and treated me well. I love the mission here to serve and treat the underprivileged and uninsured. It will be hard to leave and I hate saying good-byes knowing I might not see a lot of my co-workers/friends ever again. Here is a picture of our old clinic, situated in downtown Provo:



"Welcome to Mountainlands" Poem
There is just something special about the ‘Lands
All here to serve, to dedicate and offer a helping hand
When the unfortunate sick need somewhere to go
Troubles they find when without the required peso
They come to us with medical attention yearning
All we ask is a slip or evidence of monthly earning
From there our patients and friends they will become
To aid them we strive and cure them of every symptom

Every single employee chips-in in some caring way
Making each patient feel special like on their birthday
At the front desk, oh we do have such a fine crew
Melinda, Ivonne and Tomas to name just a few
Speaking Spanish, English or any other language to try
Assisting patients all day, their courage to never deny
The medical assistants can be found guiding our friends to an exam room
Doing their job faithfully and diligently is a very safe conclusion to assume
Our Providers do their very best dealing with patient concerns
Dr. Grover, Dr. White plus more, even the likeable Dr. Richard
Oh the joy, for we can offer so much more for a hurting soul!
A psychologist we call Monroe…counseling is his grand goal
Who knew that this magical place also could include dentistry?
To clean all thirty-two teeth sparkling white and plaque-free
The diversity and special care of our patients we must meet
Especially those with a chronic illness or disease like diabetes
And our educating expert, Vanessa, teaches them oh so well
To lower their blood sugar, eat right and the ways to excel
Other deserving “Moutainland-ers” sadly are left off this small list
Like the billing ladies, always smiling and working, who can resist?
The record girls file faster than anyone else that we have ever seen
And must possess a sixth sense to find those lost charts with such ease

As a community health center, serving the needy is always in our mind
For this is why we are here, to care for those stuck in a truly desperate time
We may not be perfect, yet a full and charitable heart we seek to possess
Hoping to affect our small demographic amidst this troubling economic mess

Payson Lakes Campout/Ward Campout

Highlights of my Payson Lakes campout:

*Floating on the lake with a sweet inflatable toy
*Talking with Jewels
*SMORES!!
*Getting excellent sleep!

Highlights of the ward campout

*Learning at the last second a member of our crew was not going to make it...and celebrating that event.
*Meeting Dad at Little Acorn to return Julie's keys and driving behind him/beside him for several minutes before he realized it was us.
*Getting pulled over by a cop for doing 60 in a 35 and getting a warning..Thanks Melissa!
*Treacherous drive to the luxurious cabin.
*Trying to sleep despite people talking and marshmallows throwing at our tent.
*Getting horrible sleep!!

All in all, I enjoyed my camping outings!

The Summer So Far...

What has happened so far this summer has already put this near the top of the best summers of my life. What will soon transpire will surely push it over the top. I will include a short recap accompanied by pictures.

In May, after getting out of school we made a trip to Laramie, WY to see Gordon graduate from pharmacy school:

Even though I do not necessarily enjoy that drive, it was fun to see family and see Gordon accomplish his goal. It was also surreal, knowing that I will soon be in his position down in Laramie..scary!

Throughout the spring, I have been spending time here in Provo playing lots of softball and golf. I actually had a golf class, which was one of my favorites:

I have talked a little about my softball experiences in past blog entries, but it has been lots of fun and a good experience meeting some new people. We are actually in our second season right now and our team looks very promising.

My other two spring classes were biochemistry and backpacking (yes, backpacking is a real class!!). Biochem was a TON of fun actually, my professor was amazing! Backpacking was even better...and we went to Escalante for our 3-day trip, which was incredibly beautiful:


I met some great people, experienced a flash flood and we saved a scout troop from perilous danger. Here is our group:


During that term in school, I also went with my parents and my sister down south during memorial day weekend. We stayed at a casino in Mesquite and also saw the valley of fire, hoover damn, las vegas and the grand canyon. Hoover Damn:


Grand Canyon:


After school got out, I spent a couple days in Lake Powell with my old singles ward from Payson. It was fun, I helped prepare lunch and showed the world my white side:


Finally, this last weekend...me and one of my great friends from Wyoming, Tim, went to Zion's National Park and overnighted the Narrows. It was brutal but so so so so SO SO much fun!!! We fell into the river multiple times and almost died from heat exhaustion, hypothermia and almost drowned when we had to swim a little bit with our backpacks on:


Also, fireworks with friends:


I probably missed a few things, but here is a short list of things I will do before I leave for Wyoming in August:
*More softball*
*More golf*
*2 one-night camping trips*
*Work party in the park*
*Paul McCartney concert*
*2-day trip to Layton*
*Salt Lake Bees game*
*Mt. Timp day hike*
*Cedar City trip*
*Another 3-day backpack Escalante trip*
*Las Vegas and California for a week*

That is all!!