online school.

Ever wonder what online school looks like? Well, I can't really speak for other programs, but here's what an average day at school looks like for me:

[Yes...I know...I look both tired and bored. Mainly tired. Slightly bored? And a little hungry...]

I always tell people we do it Brady Bunch style so they get the idea...

Although the Bradys smile a lot more. Source

Professor Beach is in the upper left (an acute care nurse practitioner and all around rock star), TA Jackie is on the bottom row, second from the left, and the rest of us are students. Learning the night away. About the oxyhemoglobin disassociation curve! Yay science! I'm actually really impressed with Georgetown's online format. It's a special program called 2GU for Nursing@Georgetown (their online graduate studies program). The whole self-discipline side of online learning has been a bit of a culture shock, but I think I'll survive to see another semester. :)

We're knee-deep in yet another exam week for Christian, poor guy. He's been busy with a crap ton of extra curriculars (hello CPR in Prescott!) and hasn't had as much time as he'd like to get caught up. Since we were both about to go play in oncoming traffic for some sweet relief, today I called an emergency afternoon rendezvous at the movie theater. We saw My Idiot Brother (this busy business has put us SOOO far behind in the movie department) and absolutely loved it. We're big Paul Rudd fans (who isn't?) and laughed the entire time, maybe even almost shed a tear or two. If you haven't seen it yet, go.  It was just what the doctor ordered (no pun intended) and we might just have to do it more often. P.S. One perk of going to the movies at 1:30 on a weekday? Empty theater. So you can give/get tons of kisses and no one is there to give you dirty looks. :)


Me and Vies just shared some vanilla yogurt for dessert and I think it's time for bed. Hope everyone enjoyed their humpday. It's all down hill from here, right?!

XOXO,
Ash, Chris, & Viessita

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARIZONA!!!

I guess when you're turning 100 years old, it's legit to celebrate your birthday for the entire year. And who doesn't love a good birthday party?!

We spent the day at the Arizona Centennial Best Fest in Prescott (two more will be held before the big birthday in February; one in hometown Tucson, one in the new town Phoenix). I am a huge nerd for my home state, so I really enjoyed it and can't wait to go back for round two tomorrow!

Teaching CPR!!!

The kids were all about it!!!

Panning for gold.

SO MANY DOGS! And so well behaved. Maybe it was best we left Vies at home...

The indian fry bread line...well worth the wait.

I'm married to one handsome fellow.

Fry bread heaven.

More fun tomorrow. We hope Viesa is having fun back at home with our neighbor, Jen. I'm sure she's being spoiled beyond her wildest dreams. Thanks, Jen!

Love from Prescott (it feels like fall here!!!!),
Ash & Chris

Well, husband's birthday and Pizzeria Bianco were amazing. We sure are lucky to be so constantly smushed with love...I could cry sometimes. We even had friends join us from Tucson for the evening and drive the two hours home after dinner (and cake of course! Snickers Blizzard cake to be exact.) I didn't bring my big bulk camera and honestly got one iPhone photo before his phone died. Oops. We'll always have the memories, I guess. :) Oh, and if you live in Phoenix and haven't tried it yet (like us a few days ago), do yourself a favor and have date night at Pizzeria Bianco.

We are currently in lovely Prescott, Arizona for AZ Best Fest! This three day festival celebrates all of the very best things about Arizona as one of three Best Fest festivals to take place leading up to Arizona's 100th birthday (February 14th). The other two will be held in Tucson and Phoenix in January and February of 2012. They are street fair style events with food, exhibits (Christian is teaching CPR on behalf of the College of Medicine Phoenix), non-profit groups, and live music. Oh, and little break from the heat (YES PLEASE).

This is such a cool idea/fun event and a great way to celebrate the oh-so-great state of Arizona. Okay, maybe I'm slightly biased as a "lifer", but I truly love living in Arizona. Not that I would mind an adventure elsewhere eventually, but my heart will always be here in the desert.

Hope to be taking lots of photos of the festival tomorrow! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

xoxo,
Ash

happy birthday, christian.

To my best friend (we just realize we met each other for the first time TEN YEARS AGO...gulp...are we old?!), my husband:

Happy Birthday!!!!

I feel so lucky to know you and I'm really glad you were born.

I think this is the start of a fantastic day (that apparently involves ditching class and going back to bed after birthday breakfast).

More to come from tonight's celebrations (which will include dinner at the much-talked-about Pizzeria Bianco....read about it here; I'm excited!!!).

XOXO,

Ash

And we're back.

In Phoenix, that is. My folks get home from their trip tonight (they have already informed me of the grave travesty that is the fact that we've never taken a cruise as a family before - it was their first one and they loved it). I really enjoyed hanging out with my brother. I can't wait until he gets his license and come see me whenever he wants.

Today we're back to work. I had a meeting for Teen Outreach this morning, drove our neighbor across the street who is having awful luck with her car right now to a job interview, cleaned up a little, and now I'm holed up at Christian's school getting ready to hit the books. Well...MacBook, I guess. If you looked up hot mess in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of me. Shaggy as all heck - in desperate need of a haircut (falling-out-braid or down...makes no difference).

My husband is a dear man who says he's not embarrassed of me going around in public like this. I think my mom might be, though. She's always telling me to get myself together. [Still working on it, Ma.]

I also got to finish The Help on my drive back up to Phoenix. Since I feel morally/academically obligated to be in front of nursing books when I'm actually sitting still anywhere, I decided to download some audio books for my three or so drives back and forth (2 hours each way) I did while staying with my brother so I could actually get some much needed fiction back in my life. I love to read...it's all I used to do as a kid. Some kids would stay up late to talk on the phone or play video games; my mom used to catch me sneak-reading at midnight with a flashlight. However, academia killed any and all opportunity for me to continue my love affair with books and I have really enjoyed getting to read again since graduating from nursing school. The book was amazing. I cried three or four times, laughed consistently, and drove down the freeway with a goofy smile on my face half the time. So very well written, I really truly enjoyed it. Next is either The Hunger Games or Never Let Me Go. I'm a sucker for sci-fi.

All right...better get back to it.

[PS - SOMEBODY I LOVE TURNS 25 TOMORROW....STAY TUNED...]

Oh snap.

Love,
Ash

SUCCESS!!!!!!

One cool thing about Chris' medical school (and something I now envy, being in grad school myself) is the pass/fail grading model. It's easy peasy (the system, that is)....either you pass or you fail. Your grades essentially don't matter because as long as you achieve a passing average on each subject block (ex. all the GI block exams averaged out), you pass and move forward in the class. Grades are never posted, the students are never ranked, and it takes away a bit of the competition felt between the classmates. They feel more inclined to help one another and (in my opinion) it creates a better sense of camaraderie. Takes a bit of the pressure off. Christian seems to really love it and it makes sense to me, especially for medical school.

Well, my school is decidedly not pass/fail. It's A/B/C/Fail (as in, anything below a C is failing...below a B in my assessment class). This daunting fact, combined with the fact that my entire advanced pathophysiology class is comprised of five grades (four exams and a presentation) has had me a little nutty with stress. With the first exam quickly approaching and me trying desperately to catch up on my lectures, I think I started to lose it a little. I did a few hours of cramming and, while reviewing a practice exam, I didn't understand a few questions in a row...so naturally came the water works. Enter husband and his ability to always know the right thing to say. He hit me with a with a solid pep talk and informed me that he'd be so proud of me, even if I got one point for putting my name on my paper (which we don't even do...online exam). What a guy. 

So after all the drama, I just found out a few hours ago (via email): I scored higher than the class average! 87%! I cannot begin to describe the sweet relief. And, according to the professor, this is the hardest exam of the course. I guess I'm not getting tossed out of grad school after all. :)

Woo hoo!!!

Since my brother and I have been hanging out in Tucson together, we've been able to see lots of family. My aunt and uncle invited us over for dinner tonight and somehow we managed to gather eight of the nine grandkids on mom's side in one place (the only girls are my sister and me, and I am the very first/AKA the original grandkid). I lined the boys up for some pictures and, well, I'll leave you with their shenanigans. OH by the way...since when do kids you used to take care of/play with/babysit get driver's licenses and join the military??? Jeeze, cousins. Stop growing up.

Monday is home sweet home (my folks are back from their Alaskan adventure!) for a certain mister's birthday on Tuesday!!! It's pretty much one of my favorite holidays. :)

XOXO,
Ash & Vies (AKA Lazy Bum)

Thursday night lights.

There are few things in this world that I love like my brother and sister. I am so proud of both of them, it's kind of ridiculous.

Tonight was my baby brother's first high school football game. He's played football since he was five or six, with the Tucson Youth Football Wildcats and I must say, I never loved football the way I love it now before he played. I kind of learned about it along with him, from the little guys playing flag all the way to his first summer with the high school freshman team. He's a multi-talented kid (plays club and high school basketball as well) and is smart as a whip. He's also hysterical.

I feel really lucky to have been old enough when he was born to help take care of him, change his diapers, and feed him (well, maybe not the diapers). It makes his growing up all the more surreal for me and now I have a better understanding of why my mom was heartbroken when I grew up and moved away. He's one of my favorite people in the world and he's growing up to be such a cool guy.

Well, kid: Here's to the beginning of your high school football career (and your first victory of the season; 27 - 0)!!! I am SO glad I was able to be there while Mom and Dad are on vacation. There is no place in the world I would've rather been.

GO COUGARS. [#8]

Oh, high school.

XO,
Ash

P.S. My test went all right. I don't want to say anything until I get the score back early next week. I'm weird and superstitious like that (as are most nurses).