The past three days have been really great. Friday, I got my first experience with collecting oocytes. Jessy went to Bean Station after our Therio class and brought back a bunch of ovaries. I got to practice slicing, which is the process by which we collect the oocytes from the ovaries. Unfortunately, my experience ended with the four-letter-word that is not to be used in the lab...CLOT. When you're slicing ovaries, you are slicing the follicles (which contain the eggs). If you slice one that is too large, they tend to release clotting factors. If this happens, all of your oocytes will instantly poof into this mucous-like glob, which will not go through the filter, and therefore you cannot use them. Needless to say, I did not get to search for my own oocytes. Hopefully I will not do that anymore! For practice, I searched Becca's plate once she was finished with it. Searching happens after you filter the oocytes and put them in a gridded dish. This dish has a checkerboard pattern on it, which allows for easy and thorough scanning for oocytes. This is all done under a microscope.
The means by which we remove the oocytes from the plate is mouth-pipetting. This is a very tricky method, but with practice, gives you the most control and accuracy. Basically, you have a glass pipette attached to a long tube that you wear as a necklace. On the other end, there is a small plastic piece that has a hole in it. This piece goes in your mouth, clenched between your teeth. You have to use your mouth to draw the liquid (and oocyte) up into the pipette and then hold your tongue over the hole to keep it in there. You also have to realize that it is extremely difficult to maneuver microliters of liquid with your mouth. It takes a lot of practice and patience, but I got much better as time went on. It will also take practice to be able to identify every oocyte, as they come in MANY different shapes and sizes. While I was practicing, I got to watch Kim doing various other things to the oocytes. I watched how she denuded them (taking the cumulus off from around the egg itself) and then got to see the before and after of Pronasing, the removal of the zona pellucida. This was all very interesting and made the time in the lab go by quickly.
Saturday was pure relaxation. I slept in until 9:00 AM and then did a thorough cleaning of my apartment. I scrubbed, vacuumed, wiped, and straightened. I really enjoy cleaning (especially vacuuming) and it always brings a sense of accomplishment once I have finished. After my cleaning, I watched the last half of Stomp the Yard and all of The Prince and Me while doing some scrapbooking and crafty things. I ran an errand to JoAnn's and found a 5 for $1 scrapbook paper sale. I bought 15 sheets! :) Dinner was Buddy's BBQ...pulled chicken, baked beans, green beans, and hush puppies. If you ever come to Tennessee and like bbq, you MUST go there! Saturday evening, I spent a few hours on skype talking mostly to Justin, but a little bit to my parents. I love the technology these days!
Today was also quite relaxing. I went to church this morning where we started our Fall Festival of Faith. This morning's Sunday School class was very good, thought-provoking, and uplifting. I bought the book we are studying and am really enjoying it so far! I have decided to join the small group study for college students on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM that goes along with what we are studying in Sunday School. I think this will be a great way for me to meet some people my age and really dive head first into this book. I truly believe God led me to this church because I feel so warmly welcomed every time I am there. I have not met anyone that was not genuinely glad to meet me, interested in my story, and incredibly kind.
Although I still miss home, Justin, family, friends, Ivan, etc...things around here are beginning to feel comfortable. I am starting to feel like this is my life, like I belong here. I am getting excited about what I will be studying, what my research will be like, and learning everything I can in the lab. My "lab family" are all very supportive, helpful, and understanding. They know what it is like to be in my shoes and are always willing to answer my questions and teach me the proper techniques. The classes I am taking this Fall are going to be great. I told Justin earlier tonight how nice it is to be taking classes in only the things I need to be studying. I have no physics, literature, or history to trudge through like in undergrad. I am only taking classes pertinent to my research, and I love it!
The days go by slowly, but the weeks are fairly quick. This is good news, especially since I get to see Justin, my parents, grandparents, and future in-laws in less than two weeks for Labor Day!!!!!!!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Back Online
Hello World Wide Web! Oh how I've missed you! The tenants of the apartment next to mine moved out last week, requiring the unplugging of their services. Apparently the cable man unplugged the wires to my apartment instead and I have since been without cable or internet, until tonight. So, many things to update since I last shared my thoughts.
Last week ended fairly well. I spent a few hours Friday learning CASA (computer-automated sperm analysis). It is a program used to analyze sperm (motility, concentration, etc) and I will be using it to run stress tests on some bulls once I perfect the technique. It is not a difficult task to perform, but there are many specific steps that require immense concentration and aseptic technique at all times. It takes some getting used to, but I am more aware of where my hands are, where the pipette tip is at all times, and how to keep things sterile that need to be.
Saturday was a lab-wide sushi party held at Louisa's house. Louisa works in the lab and lives about 45 minutes from Knoxville in an area that is full of rolling hills, green fields, and trees. It is very pretty! I, being a person of particular taste, was skeptical at first about trying sushi. I do not eat seafood, so I did not know what I would be able to eat. When I arrived, there were a plethora of things we could put in the rolls other than seafood. I made my roll with tempura-fried green beans, cream cheese, and cashews. The rice Louisa made for it was white, fluffy, and sticky. Yum! She also made some delicious potstickers (pork, mushroom, cashews, various seasonings, oils, etc stuffed in a little triangular, thin pastry). It was nice to be with everyone in the lab out of the lab setting and to meet most of their significant others.
Sunday, I visited First Baptist Knoxville which is downtown. I attended Sunday School in a combined college/young careers class. The worship service is very similar to Hayes Barton, which was comforting. They have a fabulous choir and sang many familiar hymns. The pastor, Dr. Sheill, gave a great sermon on being our own, unique selves and allowing God to restore us when we're led astray. I met two other girls there who were first-time visitors and they were extremely nice. I plan on going back to FBK as they are starting a 6-week Fall Festival of Faith, which is a church-wide curriculum during Sunday School using John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You. I'm glad to have found a place where I can attend, that feels familiar, comforting, and welcoming. I know it will help me immensely to have a church family to guide me through the journey ahead.
Essau has been doing very well. Everyone still OOH's and AHH's over him, which I think he enjoys. I have lunged him a few times and ridden him a few times. It amazes me the difference in his gaits between the two activities. He acts like a 20-year-old Quarter Horse on a lunge line, but a 4-year-old Thoroughbred under saddle. I guess that's just part of what makes Essau special.
Today was the first day of classes! I started the morning with Theriogenology over at the vet school. It is a class for 3rd year vet students, but Jessy and I seem to fit right in. The course is going to be spectacular! We have about 10 different professors teaching it and will go in depth into the reproductive systems of male and female for each of the main species. I really enjoyed our lecture today, a brief overview of sex determination/differentiation, female reproductive tract, and abnormalities of the female tract. Jessy and I realized that we saw one of the abnormalities last week while cutting tracts! I made an interesting observation while waiting for the class to start. The vet school classes seem to have the same environments no matter where you are. I can feel the energy in that room, the bonds between classmates, and it is the exact same as when I am around Justin and his vet school class. I just thought it was cool how similar they were. I guess being with the same 80 people all day every weekday for years yields similar effects.
My next class, Molecular Biology & Genomics, was very quick. Our professor simply went through the syllabus, answered any questions, and dismissed us. We will start with our first lecture on Friday. That class will be an in depth study of the cell. It will cover a lot of information I learned in genetics, as well as biochemistry. There are two different professors teaching it and we have weekly discussion sessions.
Some other tidbits: While I did not have cable and internet for the past 5 days, I "read" The Da Vinci Code. By "read" I mean that I listened to it. Rankin and Kristen (from HBBC) let me borrow a bunch of books on CD for my long trips in the car. I really liked it! The book itself was very magnetic, suspenseful, and interesting. It reminded me a lot of National Treasure. I also very much enjoyed having it read to me. I find that when I read books, I am somewhat slow, and get tired quickly. When I could listen to the book, it allowed me to picture what was going on in my head more clearly and also allowed me to do other things (ie brush my teeth, cook dinner, etc). I just started Angels & Demons tonight, which is 15 discs compared to the 5 discs of Da Vinci Code. This one will take me MUCH longer to finish...
Last week ended fairly well. I spent a few hours Friday learning CASA (computer-automated sperm analysis). It is a program used to analyze sperm (motility, concentration, etc) and I will be using it to run stress tests on some bulls once I perfect the technique. It is not a difficult task to perform, but there are many specific steps that require immense concentration and aseptic technique at all times. It takes some getting used to, but I am more aware of where my hands are, where the pipette tip is at all times, and how to keep things sterile that need to be.
Saturday was a lab-wide sushi party held at Louisa's house. Louisa works in the lab and lives about 45 minutes from Knoxville in an area that is full of rolling hills, green fields, and trees. It is very pretty! I, being a person of particular taste, was skeptical at first about trying sushi. I do not eat seafood, so I did not know what I would be able to eat. When I arrived, there were a plethora of things we could put in the rolls other than seafood. I made my roll with tempura-fried green beans, cream cheese, and cashews. The rice Louisa made for it was white, fluffy, and sticky. Yum! She also made some delicious potstickers (pork, mushroom, cashews, various seasonings, oils, etc stuffed in a little triangular, thin pastry). It was nice to be with everyone in the lab out of the lab setting and to meet most of their significant others.
Sunday, I visited First Baptist Knoxville which is downtown. I attended Sunday School in a combined college/young careers class. The worship service is very similar to Hayes Barton, which was comforting. They have a fabulous choir and sang many familiar hymns. The pastor, Dr. Sheill, gave a great sermon on being our own, unique selves and allowing God to restore us when we're led astray. I met two other girls there who were first-time visitors and they were extremely nice. I plan on going back to FBK as they are starting a 6-week Fall Festival of Faith, which is a church-wide curriculum during Sunday School using John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You. I'm glad to have found a place where I can attend, that feels familiar, comforting, and welcoming. I know it will help me immensely to have a church family to guide me through the journey ahead.
Essau has been doing very well. Everyone still OOH's and AHH's over him, which I think he enjoys. I have lunged him a few times and ridden him a few times. It amazes me the difference in his gaits between the two activities. He acts like a 20-year-old Quarter Horse on a lunge line, but a 4-year-old Thoroughbred under saddle. I guess that's just part of what makes Essau special.
Today was the first day of classes! I started the morning with Theriogenology over at the vet school. It is a class for 3rd year vet students, but Jessy and I seem to fit right in. The course is going to be spectacular! We have about 10 different professors teaching it and will go in depth into the reproductive systems of male and female for each of the main species. I really enjoyed our lecture today, a brief overview of sex determination/differentiation, female reproductive tract, and abnormalities of the female tract. Jessy and I realized that we saw one of the abnormalities last week while cutting tracts! I made an interesting observation while waiting for the class to start. The vet school classes seem to have the same environments no matter where you are. I can feel the energy in that room, the bonds between classmates, and it is the exact same as when I am around Justin and his vet school class. I just thought it was cool how similar they were. I guess being with the same 80 people all day every weekday for years yields similar effects.
My next class, Molecular Biology & Genomics, was very quick. Our professor simply went through the syllabus, answered any questions, and dismissed us. We will start with our first lecture on Friday. That class will be an in depth study of the cell. It will cover a lot of information I learned in genetics, as well as biochemistry. There are two different professors teaching it and we have weekly discussion sessions.
Some other tidbits: While I did not have cable and internet for the past 5 days, I "read" The Da Vinci Code. By "read" I mean that I listened to it. Rankin and Kristen (from HBBC) let me borrow a bunch of books on CD for my long trips in the car. I really liked it! The book itself was very magnetic, suspenseful, and interesting. It reminded me a lot of National Treasure. I also very much enjoyed having it read to me. I find that when I read books, I am somewhat slow, and get tired quickly. When I could listen to the book, it allowed me to picture what was going on in my head more clearly and also allowed me to do other things (ie brush my teeth, cook dinner, etc). I just started Angels & Demons tonight, which is 15 discs compared to the 5 discs of Da Vinci Code. This one will take me MUCH longer to finish...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
What a Difference
It is amazing how things can change in just a few days. I am very glad no one saw me Sunday and Monday (except Justin). I was a wreck! What with him leaving and me being all alone in a new, strange place...let's just say I was not my normal self. I went into the lab Monday after taking him to the airport to get the rental car and spent the entire day reading safety rules, doing IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) training online, watching videos specific to certain animal species, and taking care of other random paperwork. It was quite boring, but it got my mind off of the mess and kept me busy.
Tuesday was a lot more training as well. I started the morning doing Blackboard training (which I am already familiar with from NCSU). That was easy and went by quickly. I met Brooke, who is in charge of most of the lab as far as ordering supplies, doing some of the more dangerous tasks, training new students, keeping track of paperwork, etc. She showed me around the lab and we went through the safety rules and stations in each lab. I also got to help Kim and Jessy (two graduate students in their second year) cut up some tracts that Jessy had gotten that morning from the slaughter house. By the time I got back there to help, there were not many left, so I only got to prepare one (which was simply to cut the rectum away from the repro tract). Sorry for anyone with sensitive stomachs!! I really enjoyed Tuesday because I got to start doing some things other than reading and am getting to know the girls a lot more!
Today, Essau came to Tennessee!! His new home is RiverTenn, which is about 10 minutes from the lab and about 15 or so from my apartment. Tam and my mom brought him, driving through the night when it was coolest. We unloaded him, walked him around a bit, and put him in his new stall. He is in the last stall in the barn (one long row of stalls). He has a bay QH neighbor who is very quiet, thank the Lord! Essau went in there and started munching on hay like he has lived there for years! I was so relieved! I got all of my stuff in order and headed to the lab.
Once there, I did a pipette training worksheet and then Kim taught me some lab maintenance items. Jessy went back to the slaughter house this morning and brought back 30 half tracts (cut at the cervix) that we had to rinse and bag for use in later courses/labs. I learned how to change the carbon dioxide tank which is used in the incubation containers which house the embryos. I also learned how to check the carbon dioxide levels in the incubators, as well as the weekly "check" of each container. This included reading the temperature, CO2, and O2 levels displayed on the outside, reading the actual temperature inside, checking the water level in the water baths, and checking the pressure of the CO2 and O2 in the tanks. It was nice to actually learn something in the lab!
A bit later, all of the girls (Kim, Jessy, Brooke, Louisa, and Becca) and I went on a cupcake run. We went to a little store called The Cupcakery and I got a cinnamon streusel cupcake. Yum! It was fun to relax and I really enjoyed getting to talk with everyone. Not to mention the deliciousness... I went back to the barn to check on Essau around 5:00 and he was content. I took him for a little walk and then groomed him in one of the outside grooming stalls. He seemed to enjoy that. I am really surprised how relaxed he is and how quickly he has adapted to the new place. Everyone there loves him and thinks he is beautiful. He's a very different horse than all of their stock horses and walking horses. I'm so glad he is settling in nicely and I can't wait to start riding him. I will be lunging him in the arena tomorrow so he can get used to that before I try riding.
Things are much brighter now. I have my little (but actually rather large) piece of home just down the road and am enjoying my time in the lab. I know this will be an amazing learning experience and I think I am ready for it now. If you had asked me three days ago, I would have said, "Please take me home."
This album has some pictures from the barn!
Tuesday was a lot more training as well. I started the morning doing Blackboard training (which I am already familiar with from NCSU). That was easy and went by quickly. I met Brooke, who is in charge of most of the lab as far as ordering supplies, doing some of the more dangerous tasks, training new students, keeping track of paperwork, etc. She showed me around the lab and we went through the safety rules and stations in each lab. I also got to help Kim and Jessy (two graduate students in their second year) cut up some tracts that Jessy had gotten that morning from the slaughter house. By the time I got back there to help, there were not many left, so I only got to prepare one (which was simply to cut the rectum away from the repro tract). Sorry for anyone with sensitive stomachs!! I really enjoyed Tuesday because I got to start doing some things other than reading and am getting to know the girls a lot more!
Today, Essau came to Tennessee!! His new home is RiverTenn, which is about 10 minutes from the lab and about 15 or so from my apartment. Tam and my mom brought him, driving through the night when it was coolest. We unloaded him, walked him around a bit, and put him in his new stall. He is in the last stall in the barn (one long row of stalls). He has a bay QH neighbor who is very quiet, thank the Lord! Essau went in there and started munching on hay like he has lived there for years! I was so relieved! I got all of my stuff in order and headed to the lab.
Once there, I did a pipette training worksheet and then Kim taught me some lab maintenance items. Jessy went back to the slaughter house this morning and brought back 30 half tracts (cut at the cervix) that we had to rinse and bag for use in later courses/labs. I learned how to change the carbon dioxide tank which is used in the incubation containers which house the embryos. I also learned how to check the carbon dioxide levels in the incubators, as well as the weekly "check" of each container. This included reading the temperature, CO2, and O2 levels displayed on the outside, reading the actual temperature inside, checking the water level in the water baths, and checking the pressure of the CO2 and O2 in the tanks. It was nice to actually learn something in the lab!
A bit later, all of the girls (Kim, Jessy, Brooke, Louisa, and Becca) and I went on a cupcake run. We went to a little store called The Cupcakery and I got a cinnamon streusel cupcake. Yum! It was fun to relax and I really enjoyed getting to talk with everyone. Not to mention the deliciousness... I went back to the barn to check on Essau around 5:00 and he was content. I took him for a little walk and then groomed him in one of the outside grooming stalls. He seemed to enjoy that. I am really surprised how relaxed he is and how quickly he has adapted to the new place. Everyone there loves him and thinks he is beautiful. He's a very different horse than all of their stock horses and walking horses. I'm so glad he is settling in nicely and I can't wait to start riding him. I will be lunging him in the arena tomorrow so he can get used to that before I try riding.
Things are much brighter now. I have my little (but actually rather large) piece of home just down the road and am enjoying my time in the lab. I know this will be an amazing learning experience and I think I am ready for it now. If you had asked me three days ago, I would have said, "Please take me home."
This album has some pictures from the barn!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
And So It Begins...
Well I have now been in Tennessee for a little over a week. It has been very busy and I have only just now found time to sit down and update yall on how things have been going. Justin, my parents, and I packed up all of my belongings into a UHaul Thursday July 29th and drove to my grandparents' house in Granite Falls. We enjoyed dinner with them and my aunt, uncle, and cousin. The next morning we finished the journey to Knoxville and arrived at my apartment complex with plenty of time to start unloading before the cable man arrived to hook up my cable and internet. My parents stayed until Sunday, helping me get everything where I wanted it. My dad helped hang pictures and decorations with mom's perfectionist eyes aiding along the way. Needless to say everything is hanging squared and centered.
Justin has been here for the entire week helping me as I get to know the area and settle in. I am so grateful he stayed because I would have been a wreck without him here. It is such a crazy experience being somewhere completely new. You never realize how comforting it is to just recognize where you are driving or to see the same faces day after day. It's definitely different and I was not expecting the feeling of being out of place. After a week, however; I am beginning to figure out roads and locations of the essential stores (Wal-Mart, Food City, Michael's, Lowes, the mall, movie theaters, Walgreens, tack shop, etc).
Justin and I have been enjoying our time together. We have gone to a few movies (Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4), visited the mall, wandered around the Worlds Fair Park, walked around a greenway, layed out by the pool, eaten at a few restaurants (Olive Garden, Buddy's BBQ, Domino's, Marble Slab), and just enjoyed each other's company while we can. He leaves tomorrow and will start classes this coming Wednesday! I think he is not really excited about getting back into classes, but also not dreading it either.
On Thursday and Friday (5th and 6th), I got to attend the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Conference in Nashville, TN. I went along with 5 other grad students from UT. It was a great conference. It lasted all day Thursday and most of the day Friday. It was filled with lectures on all sorts of reproductive topics from making a calf to artificial insemination to synchronization protocols to embryo transfer. Some topics were definitely more interesting than others, but all in all, it was a great way to refresh on the material and to get to know the grad students and some of the faculty at UT.
Monday will be my first time in the office. I will be reading research articles and hopefully getting to know my way around the lab a little bit. I will certainly need something to keep my mind busy and occupied since Justin is leaving that morning. Essau will be arriving Wednesday morning, so that will be good. I am ready to have him here so that I will have something else to do and so that I will have something from home just down the road at all times. I think he's going to be a great stress reliever for me and will help me along this journey.
I have uploaded some pictures from the move and my first few days here. I will be updating it with pictures from the barn and when Essau arrives. Enjoy and feel free to SKYPE me sometime!! (mgmacdougal)
Justin has been here for the entire week helping me as I get to know the area and settle in. I am so grateful he stayed because I would have been a wreck without him here. It is such a crazy experience being somewhere completely new. You never realize how comforting it is to just recognize where you are driving or to see the same faces day after day. It's definitely different and I was not expecting the feeling of being out of place. After a week, however; I am beginning to figure out roads and locations of the essential stores (Wal-Mart, Food City, Michael's, Lowes, the mall, movie theaters, Walgreens, tack shop, etc).
Justin and I have been enjoying our time together. We have gone to a few movies (Toy Story 3 and Shrek 4), visited the mall, wandered around the Worlds Fair Park, walked around a greenway, layed out by the pool, eaten at a few restaurants (Olive Garden, Buddy's BBQ, Domino's, Marble Slab), and just enjoyed each other's company while we can. He leaves tomorrow and will start classes this coming Wednesday! I think he is not really excited about getting back into classes, but also not dreading it either.
On Thursday and Friday (5th and 6th), I got to attend the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Conference in Nashville, TN. I went along with 5 other grad students from UT. It was a great conference. It lasted all day Thursday and most of the day Friday. It was filled with lectures on all sorts of reproductive topics from making a calf to artificial insemination to synchronization protocols to embryo transfer. Some topics were definitely more interesting than others, but all in all, it was a great way to refresh on the material and to get to know the grad students and some of the faculty at UT.
Monday will be my first time in the office. I will be reading research articles and hopefully getting to know my way around the lab a little bit. I will certainly need something to keep my mind busy and occupied since Justin is leaving that morning. Essau will be arriving Wednesday morning, so that will be good. I am ready to have him here so that I will have something else to do and so that I will have something from home just down the road at all times. I think he's going to be a great stress reliever for me and will help me along this journey.
I have uploaded some pictures from the move and my first few days here. I will be updating it with pictures from the barn and when Essau arrives. Enjoy and feel free to SKYPE me sometime!! (mgmacdougal)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Packing, Painting, Preparing
So I leave for Tennessee in two days. I have been spending the last few days painting my room with a coat of white since it was a lovely shade of minty green. I have also been slowly packing up my stuff. The apartment is currently very bare except for stacks of boxes, containers, and suitcases full of clothes, books, linens, kitchen gadgets, and decorations. I am still very excited, mostly just ready to get the move over with so I can get there and get everything organized (my favorite part!!). Preparations have also been coming together for Essau. He will be coming to Tennessee about a week and a half after I get there. That will give me time to settle in before he comes. I have also been running errands like crazy. Mostly just getting last minute things for the move and for Essau.
This morning my Dad came out to the barn and took pictures of me and Ivan because I do not have any that are not of me riding him. They turned out great, just have to upload them. Now for some more packing...
This morning my Dad came out to the barn and took pictures of me and Ivan because I do not have any that are not of me riding him. They turned out great, just have to upload them. Now for some more packing...
Monday, July 19, 2010
A Week in the Mountains
Wheew! I can't believe how fast this summer has flown by! Here I am less than two weeks away from Tennessee and it hardly feels real yet. This past week was spent in Western North Carolina at various and sundry places. Justin and I went to a good friend of ours' wedding last Saturday in Hiddenite, NC (near Statesville). It was lovely, sweet, and happy. The reception was a lot of fun with great food, a HUGE dessert bar, and lots of dancing. After the wedding, I went to my grandparents' house in Granite Falls and Justin went back up to Marion. I spent a few days with my grandparents running errands, relaxing, watching tv, etc. The three of us met Justin and his Dad and his wife Louise for dinner at Cracker Barrel. YUM. I had some of the best chicken and dumplings ever!
On Tuesday, I went up to Marion to spend the remainder of the week with Justin. We hit all the hot spots in the area including Jack Frost (best homemade ice cream in the world), Nara (best dirty Japanese food ever), Fatz, Moondoggie's, and the movie theater. Justin was working in the area during the days with his USDA job and then we hung out in the evenings. I enjoyed spending time with Alice and Rick, Erica, Bryson, Amber, and Kelsey during the days while he was gone. Bryson, Kelsey, Rick and I went to Grandma Shirley's pool one day and had a blast swimming. Alice cooked an unbelievable meal for us including cube steak, mashed potatoes, fresh cream corn, green beans, macaroni, biscuits, and cream cheese danish.
On Friday, Justin and I took a road trip to South Mountain State Park and hiked up to the waterfall. I tried out my new tripod and caught some great pictures! Saturday morning was also a photography day. Justin and his two sisters, Amber and Erica, wanted to get pictures made together because it had been 10 years or so since their last group pictures. I went with them to the local train depot and we got some fantastic pictures on the tracks and around the depot. I had such a blast taking their pictures and they had fun goofing off and just being together. I am loving photography more and more...
Some other highlights of the week were evenings in the hot tub, sonic slushies, Despicable Me (which is hilarious, I highly recommend you go see it), and just spending quality time with my future in-laws :) I am so blessed to get to be a part of this family. They are all wonderful, loving people who are special in their own ways and who have taken me in as one of their own. I love them all!
This week will be full of packing and organizing as I get ready to head West next Thursday! It's hard to believe I'm so close. Adventure, here I come!
Check out this Photo Album to see pictures from the past week!!
On Tuesday, I went up to Marion to spend the remainder of the week with Justin. We hit all the hot spots in the area including Jack Frost (best homemade ice cream in the world), Nara (best dirty Japanese food ever), Fatz, Moondoggie's, and the movie theater. Justin was working in the area during the days with his USDA job and then we hung out in the evenings. I enjoyed spending time with Alice and Rick, Erica, Bryson, Amber, and Kelsey during the days while he was gone. Bryson, Kelsey, Rick and I went to Grandma Shirley's pool one day and had a blast swimming. Alice cooked an unbelievable meal for us including cube steak, mashed potatoes, fresh cream corn, green beans, macaroni, biscuits, and cream cheese danish.
On Friday, Justin and I took a road trip to South Mountain State Park and hiked up to the waterfall. I tried out my new tripod and caught some great pictures! Saturday morning was also a photography day. Justin and his two sisters, Amber and Erica, wanted to get pictures made together because it had been 10 years or so since their last group pictures. I went with them to the local train depot and we got some fantastic pictures on the tracks and around the depot. I had such a blast taking their pictures and they had fun goofing off and just being together. I am loving photography more and more...
Some other highlights of the week were evenings in the hot tub, sonic slushies, Despicable Me (which is hilarious, I highly recommend you go see it), and just spending quality time with my future in-laws :) I am so blessed to get to be a part of this family. They are all wonderful, loving people who are special in their own ways and who have taken me in as one of their own. I love them all!
This week will be full of packing and organizing as I get ready to head West next Thursday! It's hard to believe I'm so close. Adventure, here I come!
Check out this Photo Album to see pictures from the past week!!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Kinston Mission Trip
This past week I spent my days at the Kennedy Baptist Children's Home in Kinston, NC on a mission trip with Hayes Barton Baptist Church. When I heard about this mission trip a few months ago, I felt called to go. Thank God I did! The trip was incredibly rewarding.
Kennedy Home is a large campus with cottages for the children (ages 10-18), a gymnasium, food locker, craft building, administration building, school building (which is no longer in use), tennis court, volleyball court, and swimming pool (opened this year for the first time in 3 years thanks to gracious HBBC funds and hard working men and women). There are currently four cottages, two for girls and two for boys. Each cottage has "house parents" that take care of them and they work in 2 week shifts. I really enjoyed getting to know the house parents that were working while we were there. They are all so dedicated to these kids, devoting their lives to helping, listening, comforting, teaching, and healing the pains of the residents.
Our first day was spent moving into our cottage and getting to know the kids. We had a few ice breakers, ate pizza, tie-dyed t-shirts, and watched Rudy. Everyone had a blast! The remainder of the days were generally the same with differences in the evenings. Each morning we had breakfast in the food locker, which was very quickly dubbed the "foot locker". The girls from the Blackwell cottage cooked us grand breakfasts including eggs, grits, biscuits, and sausage one day, and Belgium waffles and bacon another day. After breakfast everyone met in the gym for a relay/warm up game. Those became quite competitive at times and I think the kids enjoyed them. Next was Bible study and English or math/science tutoring. After a small snack, it was time for crafts and hand chimes. The crafts for the week included birdhouses for each cottage, lap desks, and photo boards. Hand chimes started out in a cacophony of clanking, scraping, and ringing. Needless to say, the chimes took a small beating, but they survived heartily. Lunch was hosted by a different cottage each day. This was a great opportunity to get to know the residents better and it was so nice to eat with them in their homes.
After lunch, we HBBC folks worked on painting a cottage that is preparing to open. I really enjoyed this, not because painting is terribly exciting, but because I got to paint with Reece Edwards. He used to be the broadcaster for NCSU football and basketball, along with some UNC and now Duke athletics. He is absolutely hilarious, sarcastic, dry, and whitty. I enjoyed his company so much that I hardly even noticed I was painting. Once 3:00 came around, it was time for the girls to swim, followed by the boys at 4:15. They loved swimming, diving, doing flips, and relaxing at the pool. Our group did as well.
Each evening held a new excitement for the residents. Tuesday was "mystery night". Each cottage worked as a team with HBBC members scattered around. I worked with Jones cottage (all boys). We had clues that told the story of a princess who was receiving roses from a secret suitor. We had to solve each clue to find the next that took us on a wild goose chase around the campus, ending up at a nearby BBQ buffet restaurant. Our team won! They were adamant about me reading each clue, hurrying me along as I speed-read each part. With a lot of teamwork and a rather fast driver, we sped to the finish and arrived victoriously at the restaurant to receive our prize. The buffet was delicious and I got to know a few of the guys a little better since I was sitting with them.
Wednesday was our Hawaiian luau party at the pool. There were decorations galore and the food included grilled chicken, rice, green beans, fruit and cake. We served fruit punch, tea, and lemonade in bright cups with umbrella straws. Everyone wore leis and with the blistering weather, it felt quite tropical! The residents had so much fun, especially since they could all swim together.
Thursday was our cookout under the picnic shelter. A few HBBC men drove down to grill hot dogs and cook chili. They then made smore's which were heavenly, if I do say so myself. Thursday we also had battle of the bands, boys vs. girls, on the hand chimes. I was thoroughly impressed! Both groups played their songs and they sounded like songs! You could tell what songs they were and there was hardly any dissonance at all. I could not believe it. Later that evening, Kristen and I went with Jones (boys) cottage and a few girls to the Kinston Drag Strip. This was my first drag racing experience and it was awesome! Because of an enthusiastic crowd of kids and houseparents, we perched ourselves on the railing right where all of the vehicles burn out before they start the race. This resulted in a lot of white, smelly smoke that the guys just couldn't get enough of. I had an adorable 11-year-old racing expert next to me telling me which was going to win for every race. He was right most of the time. I also got three corn rows from one of the girls, which I wore all night and most of the day Friday.
My job description for the week was to be the photographer. I bounced around from Bible study to tutoring to crafts to music with pool time and meals in between. I took around 700 pictures throughout the week and printed the best 5 of each resident at Wal-Mart for them to put on their new photo boards. They were so excited to have them and ended up trading them around so they could have pictures of each other on their boards. The more I take pictures, the more I love it! Maybe some day I will take one of the resident girl's advice and become a professional photographer.
As you can see, it was a busy week, but I am so thankful I went. I made such wonderful relationships with these kids in just five short days and they touched my life. Each one of them was special in their own way and it was great to figure out who they all were. I loved hearing their stories, learning their likes and dislikes, and just becoming friends with them. I saw and experienced relationships being formed in the most unbiased, non-judgemental environment. I have never so easily or so quickly made friends with so many different kinds of people and I believe that Christ made that happen. He filled me up with love and allowed me to see these kids through His eyes. Getting to know the house parents was also a blessing. They are all incredible people doing God's work by showing love, support, kindness, and care to these kids.
I was also equally as blessed to have the opportunity to get to know those from HBBC that came on this trip. I have learned so much about people I have known of my entire life and am incredibly thankful I had the chance to learn more about them as they learned more about me. Our group was fantastic, full of laughter, and giving 100% every day for this mission. I could go on for much longer, but I am just going to wrap it up by saying God led me to this trip for a reason and I am so thankful I went. This was a trip I will always remember and I thank God for allowing me to be a vessel through which He coulc bless these children this week.
Just a few little highlights of the week on a personal note:
* I now am the proud owner of 3 silly bands (truck, corvette, and cloud)
* I am in love with my telephoto lens
* Kinston is a great place to run because it is FLAT as a flitter
* We brought the equivalent of the contents of an entire Handy Hugo's for snacking during the week. This caused quite a problem because my sugar monster got very bright-eyed and forced my hand to grab a cookie, some peanut M&Ms, or a piece of candy almost every single time I walked past it. This was on top of Kennedy home feeding us like champions. Current status: feel like a fatty :)
Kennedy Home is a large campus with cottages for the children (ages 10-18), a gymnasium, food locker, craft building, administration building, school building (which is no longer in use), tennis court, volleyball court, and swimming pool (opened this year for the first time in 3 years thanks to gracious HBBC funds and hard working men and women). There are currently four cottages, two for girls and two for boys. Each cottage has "house parents" that take care of them and they work in 2 week shifts. I really enjoyed getting to know the house parents that were working while we were there. They are all so dedicated to these kids, devoting their lives to helping, listening, comforting, teaching, and healing the pains of the residents.
Our first day was spent moving into our cottage and getting to know the kids. We had a few ice breakers, ate pizza, tie-dyed t-shirts, and watched Rudy. Everyone had a blast! The remainder of the days were generally the same with differences in the evenings. Each morning we had breakfast in the food locker, which was very quickly dubbed the "foot locker". The girls from the Blackwell cottage cooked us grand breakfasts including eggs, grits, biscuits, and sausage one day, and Belgium waffles and bacon another day. After breakfast everyone met in the gym for a relay/warm up game. Those became quite competitive at times and I think the kids enjoyed them. Next was Bible study and English or math/science tutoring. After a small snack, it was time for crafts and hand chimes. The crafts for the week included birdhouses for each cottage, lap desks, and photo boards. Hand chimes started out in a cacophony of clanking, scraping, and ringing. Needless to say, the chimes took a small beating, but they survived heartily. Lunch was hosted by a different cottage each day. This was a great opportunity to get to know the residents better and it was so nice to eat with them in their homes.
After lunch, we HBBC folks worked on painting a cottage that is preparing to open. I really enjoyed this, not because painting is terribly exciting, but because I got to paint with Reece Edwards. He used to be the broadcaster for NCSU football and basketball, along with some UNC and now Duke athletics. He is absolutely hilarious, sarcastic, dry, and whitty. I enjoyed his company so much that I hardly even noticed I was painting. Once 3:00 came around, it was time for the girls to swim, followed by the boys at 4:15. They loved swimming, diving, doing flips, and relaxing at the pool. Our group did as well.
Each evening held a new excitement for the residents. Tuesday was "mystery night". Each cottage worked as a team with HBBC members scattered around. I worked with Jones cottage (all boys). We had clues that told the story of a princess who was receiving roses from a secret suitor. We had to solve each clue to find the next that took us on a wild goose chase around the campus, ending up at a nearby BBQ buffet restaurant. Our team won! They were adamant about me reading each clue, hurrying me along as I speed-read each part. With a lot of teamwork and a rather fast driver, we sped to the finish and arrived victoriously at the restaurant to receive our prize. The buffet was delicious and I got to know a few of the guys a little better since I was sitting with them.
Wednesday was our Hawaiian luau party at the pool. There were decorations galore and the food included grilled chicken, rice, green beans, fruit and cake. We served fruit punch, tea, and lemonade in bright cups with umbrella straws. Everyone wore leis and with the blistering weather, it felt quite tropical! The residents had so much fun, especially since they could all swim together.
Thursday was our cookout under the picnic shelter. A few HBBC men drove down to grill hot dogs and cook chili. They then made smore's which were heavenly, if I do say so myself. Thursday we also had battle of the bands, boys vs. girls, on the hand chimes. I was thoroughly impressed! Both groups played their songs and they sounded like songs! You could tell what songs they were and there was hardly any dissonance at all. I could not believe it. Later that evening, Kristen and I went with Jones (boys) cottage and a few girls to the Kinston Drag Strip. This was my first drag racing experience and it was awesome! Because of an enthusiastic crowd of kids and houseparents, we perched ourselves on the railing right where all of the vehicles burn out before they start the race. This resulted in a lot of white, smelly smoke that the guys just couldn't get enough of. I had an adorable 11-year-old racing expert next to me telling me which was going to win for every race. He was right most of the time. I also got three corn rows from one of the girls, which I wore all night and most of the day Friday.
My job description for the week was to be the photographer. I bounced around from Bible study to tutoring to crafts to music with pool time and meals in between. I took around 700 pictures throughout the week and printed the best 5 of each resident at Wal-Mart for them to put on their new photo boards. They were so excited to have them and ended up trading them around so they could have pictures of each other on their boards. The more I take pictures, the more I love it! Maybe some day I will take one of the resident girl's advice and become a professional photographer.
As you can see, it was a busy week, but I am so thankful I went. I made such wonderful relationships with these kids in just five short days and they touched my life. Each one of them was special in their own way and it was great to figure out who they all were. I loved hearing their stories, learning their likes and dislikes, and just becoming friends with them. I saw and experienced relationships being formed in the most unbiased, non-judgemental environment. I have never so easily or so quickly made friends with so many different kinds of people and I believe that Christ made that happen. He filled me up with love and allowed me to see these kids through His eyes. Getting to know the house parents was also a blessing. They are all incredible people doing God's work by showing love, support, kindness, and care to these kids.
I was also equally as blessed to have the opportunity to get to know those from HBBC that came on this trip. I have learned so much about people I have known of my entire life and am incredibly thankful I had the chance to learn more about them as they learned more about me. Our group was fantastic, full of laughter, and giving 100% every day for this mission. I could go on for much longer, but I am just going to wrap it up by saying God led me to this trip for a reason and I am so thankful I went. This was a trip I will always remember and I thank God for allowing me to be a vessel through which He coulc bless these children this week.
Just a few little highlights of the week on a personal note:
* I now am the proud owner of 3 silly bands (truck, corvette, and cloud)
* I am in love with my telephoto lens
* Kinston is a great place to run because it is FLAT as a flitter
* We brought the equivalent of the contents of an entire Handy Hugo's for snacking during the week. This caused quite a problem because my sugar monster got very bright-eyed and forced my hand to grab a cookie, some peanut M&Ms, or a piece of candy almost every single time I walked past it. This was on top of Kennedy home feeding us like champions. Current status: feel like a fatty :)
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