I always that it would be odd to send out a Christmas letter before I was married but since that’s not going to happen anytime soon and I had an eventful year I thought I’d send one out. So here is my post-Christmas, year-end commentary on my life.
And since I’m a better list writer than essayist…
January - May: I went back to school to pursue my nursing degree. I know, it’s about time. Turns out I’m brilliant at the community college level. I finally began to understand chemistry and managed to trick my stats teacher into thinking I got statistics. During my first semester back I continued working full-time (mostly) at Davey Tree. Sadly, due to my crazy schedule of work and school, I had very little time for my social life. So, sorry no adventures to report.
March: Kelli (Steve’s wife) announced she was pregnant! Yippee! My first niece was on her way.
May: I was planning on taking pathophysiology on-line over the summer. Don’t worry, I recognized the error of my ways and dropped the class. That decision left the summer free and clear for some fun.
July: Karen Cromar, my best friend from college came out for a visit. We drove down to Disneyland with some friends and met up with our other, very pregnant, best friend from college, Bree. Of course I couldn’t have a trip without some adventure – this one, Disneyland at 105°F. We managed to have fun regardless of the heat and, on the up-side, the lines were shorter.
Shortly after Karen left, Tim Jorgensen (and roommate) and Ryan Kump came out for the Laguna Seca motorcycle races. 110° in Monterey. Seriously! It was my first real ride on a motorcycle and for an adrenaline junkie like me – it was a-maz-ing!
The most exciting event of July was Ashley’s (Richard’s wife) announcement that she was pregnant with their second baby. My second niece is due March 2007!
August: I tried to spend some time with my family, a bit of time at the river, reading and trying to relax as much as possible before taking on the most challenging academic semester of my life. The end of August brought the end of my time at Davey Tree. I was sad to leave my co-workers but excited about my next adventure.
September – December: I spent almost every hour studying, thinking about studying or dreaming about studying. I finally took pathophysiology (the class that has scared the beegeebees out of me for the past 10 years) and managed a strong A. I figure if I can do that while taking organic/biological chemistry and anatomy, I can handle nursing school.
I really enjoyed my anatomy class and was able to assist in dissecting our cadavers. Now I know many of you will think that’s gross but it was a truly exciting thing for me. They don’t usually let beginning anatomists dissect. So cool!
October: For my one and only break I went up to Paradise with some friends to watch General Conference. It was a relaxing and revitalizing weekend and I loved every moment. We played sardines which found me, a claustrophobe, hiding with 5+ people in a cupboard under the stairs. I think I did okay; it was just a mild panic attack. In addition to sardines, we played wall ball, truth or dare, on the swings, went for a walk and slept (but only for a few hours). Oh, and we did watch General Conference.
November: Crissie (Dave’s wife), after months of being pestered and questioned, announced that she actually is pregnant and is due in July. I’m so excited!
December: I studied, crammed, panicked and completed my finals. In a matter of two weeks I took four exams (3 of which were not cumulative – harder than cumulative in my opinion), wrote a paper, finished my Christmas shopping, had my family Christmas (Rich, Dave & families went to in-laws for Christmas), and Kelli had her baby – Rebecca Joy. It took me a few days and a brainless novel to unwind.
So what’s next? It’s time to go out and get a job, finish my applications, and spend time with my family and friends. This past year I have been so blessed and have felt the guiding hand of the Lord in my life. I am grateful to have such a loving and supportive family and that I’ve had the past couple of years to live close to them. I am looking forward to going to nursing school and helping improve the health and lives of those in my community. I am grateful for all my friends and miss those that aren’t close. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!
Julie Palmer
December 28, 2006
