We're ENGAGED!!

So, it's been a LONG time since I last blogged and SO much has happened.  However, to bring you up to speed in my life... FRANK PROPOSED!!  :)

To start off, Frank has been telling me that it will be after the holidays before he proposed, and I quote "maybe around your birthday or something"  so this came as a COMPLETE surprise.

So, I flew home for thanksgiving with my family, and Frank told me that he was going to spend thanksgiving in Georgia with family.  Wednesday night, my ENTIRE family went out to eat at Dead Fish Grill which overlooks Belton Lake.  We were still waiting on Dad to get off work and Callie, my cousin, to drive in from Baton Rouge.  Honestly, I was surprised that they would let Callie drive 7+ hours each way from LSU, but I didn't think anything of it.  Then, our family friends, the Parkers (yes, same last name, no relation) showed up "just to say hi!".  I mean, I understand we always try to get together over the holidays so we can hang out when Brennen and I are in from college, but to come all the way out to a restaurant, with no plans to eat, just to say hi when you're leaving the next day to go see family - yea, a little off, but still, I didn't think anything of it.  Then Callie came in a sat down and we chatted a bit....

....Then, everyone's heads turn to the door, so of course, I did too.  And Frank walks in, with my dad and Kelley Ligon (more about her later) behind him.  I said, "What are you doing here?"  Cameras are flashing, and he strides over to me...

...drops on one knee and says, "Catie, Caitlin Parker, will you marry me?"

  

I was barely able to squeak out a "yes" and jumped into his arms.

  

I was BEYOND surprised.  I didn't even have time to comprehend that he was actually there before he was in front of me on one knee.   Here's a little bit of video, not good quality, but at least you can see how it happened...

It was completely amazing.  My mom even thought to hire Kelley Ligon to take pictures of the whole thing for us, and the photos turned out so wonderful!!

So we took pictures, ate, and Frank was able to spend some of the day on Thanksgiving with us before he had to fly back.  I woke him up early the next morning and we took some pictures ourselves of the place he proposed...

It was a better engagement story than I could have asked for.  My whole family was there and everything was perfect.  I honestly was completely speechless, I don't even know if anyone other than Frank heard me say yes.  I still am amazed that it happened.  It still hasn't quite sunk in yet.  :)

And for all you girls out there - the ring is BEAUTIFUL!  It a huge princess cut diamond solitaire in a white gold cathedral setting.  Perfect!!

So for everyone's information... we're not making any concrete plans until after my finals.  We have some dates and ideas in mind, but nothing will be definite until after I get through this semester :)

Thank you to everyone who was a part of it and who kept it a secret from me (which was basically everyone), thank you to my wonderful parents for helping coordinate everything and especially to my amazing fiance` Frank for the perfect proposal.

81,085 minutes too long...

Howdy everyone!

So, I thought I'd do a quick post during my study break.

Did you know that it has been 56 days since I last saw my parents?  That's 1351 hours, or 81,085 minutes.  I MISS THEM SO MUCH!!  But luckily, I get to see them on FRIDAY!!  YAY!!  Which is less than 4 days away!  That's only 99 hours, or 5971 minutes.  I'm so excited!

Anyway, anatomy update - test is TOMORROW!  EEK!  I'm feeling more and more comfortable with the material, but am still very nervous about the test.  Please continue to pray for me!

Gig 'Em and War Eagle!
Catie

98 minutes... 97 minutes...96 minutes...

from pumpkins to football to karaoke and everything in between...

Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged, so brace yourself for a longer post :)

Have I mentioned that my boyfriend is amazing?  Because he is.  With how crazy our lives have been lately, Frank and I really hadn't been able to spend good quality time together, which I hate, lol.  However, life is crazy, so I just figured life would slow down in a couple of weeks and then we could both just take a breath.  Apparently, Frank can read me completely, which is something that very few people can do.  I am very good at hiding my emotions, but not from him.  He told me last weekend that we were going to spend the whole day Saturday together, whatever I wanted, and put aside all our 'to do' lists.  This is EXACTLY what I needed.  So we went to a pumpkin patch, watched football :), made dinner together, and carved our pumpkins.  It was so fun!

We went to 'Old Baker Farms' in Harpersville for the pumpkin patch!  They had a corn maze, cotton picking, hay ride, yummy food and, of course, PUMPKINS! It was so fun, and such a beautiful day!  We had a ton of fun finding our way through the maze (maybe with a shortcut or two), and looking for pumpkins.

Frank chose a GREEN pumpkin, because of how extra-creepy it would look once carved, lol.  Now, after about a week, its starting to turn orange on parts and looks extra-EXTRA-creepy.  I chose the traditional orange pumpkin :)

For dinner, we made baked tilapia, asparagus, new potatoes and garlic toast.  It was so yummy!  And Frank did most of the baking!  He's such a pro!

Our pumpkins turned out so well!  I really love the creative face on Franks :)  They now sit on Frank's porch for all to see!

So anyway, we had a wonderful weekend.  It was very refreshing, and gave us time to slow down and just enjoy each other.   

Last week was actually a really slow week for school.  Probably the first time we actually have felt like we could catch our breath.  Monday, ALL of our classes got canceled!  It was so great!  And, other than a bonus quiz in Anatomy on Tuesday, the week was pretty stress-free.  Bible study was moved to Wednesday, and although very quick, VERY good.  The verses we read were 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 which talks about the church as the body of Christ, and how each part works together and cannot do without the other parts.  After being in anatomy and the medical field in general, these verses have such a bigger impact than they did when I first read them years ago.  We also talked about being lonely away from home.  Honestly, I do sometimes get lonely and homesick being so far away from my family and close friends.  It was surprising how relieved I was to hear that everyone else felt the same way!  I guess its just good to know that I'm not alone in feeling lonely.  We also decided to be more diligent in encouraging each other and working to grow closer together to help with being in a new place around new people.  And honestly, I am already seeing the group change and grow closer together, even though its only been a few days.  

On Thursday night, a bunch of the girls from the program got together to do our own pumpkin dissection!  There were a lot of people that came, but only 5 of us decided to carve pumpkins. :)  I guess anatomy dissections are enough dissections for some.  I am so glad I decided to go!  We had such a good time being away from school and just having fun!  

 Mine was the spider :)

After the pumpkin carving, some of us went out to celebrate another girl's birthday at Innisfree Pub.  There was karaoke, a band, and dancing!  Honestly, I'm not one to go out and party, but Julie convinced me.  I'm so glad she did!  I had so much fun!

I got some really great action shots of all the action on the dance floor.  Make sure you look at my facebook album to see them all!

On Saturday, Frank, his dad, Sean, Abbey and I went to the Auburn vs. LSU game!  Although the morning was stressful for me - looking for tickets - we found them and the game was so great!  It was Mr. Trivett and Abbey's first game and SUCH a great one to go to.  We WON!  WAR EAGLE!

The tickets we found (3 together - such a find!) were actually GREAT seats!  We were surrounded by LSU fans, but it wasn't so bad, especially because we were winning most of the time.  It was COMPLETELY packed, it really was a blessing that we all found tickets.  Now Auburn is 8-0!  WHOOP!  The Aggies also BTHO Kansas, so all in all, an amazing football weekend!

After we got back from the game, Frank and I headed to 'Starz' for some karaoke with some people from school!  He is such a wonderful boyfriend, because although he was completely exhausted and really just wanted to go to bed, he willingly came and we had so much fun.  Everyone from school has been asking me when they could meet Frank, so I'm glad we found a time when he wasn't working for him to meet some of them.  Hopefully everyone else can meet him at the Halloween party!  For the party, I'm dressing as a flapper and Frank is going to be one of the Rat Pack - SO FUN!  If you haven't already, make sure you watch the video of our rendition of 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls - we're pretty much amazing :)

Click Here for the Video!

All in all the past two weeks have been completely amazing!  

Please pray for me over the next week or so.  My second anatomy test is the Tuesday after Halloween.  For those who don't know, I failed the first anatomy test.  Although I studied hard for it, I fell behind with the material and could never quite catch up.  I was very disappointed in myself, but I have accepted it, and have worked even harder this time around to stay on top of everything.  I've been keeping caught up for the most part, but I really really need a good grade to bring my grade up.  I am confident that I can do it, but I still have times when I start to freak out and worry with the "what if?" and self-doubt.  To say the least, I probably won't be blogging for awhile because I am going to be in anatomy overdrive.  

OH!  So I said a few posts ago that I met a PA that works in the trauma surgery/burn center at UAB hospital.  I get to shadow her on November 5th!  I'm so pumped!  I really want to see a PA in the field I believe will be my field of choice and what the job incurs.  

Countdown to Thanksgiving/trip back home = 31 days!  1 more MONTH!!

Gig 'Em and War Eagle!

Catie

Fall Colors

Fall is HERE!  I'm so excited, it is my favorite time of the year.  And here in Alabama, the trees change colors!  I never knew how beautiful the colors of fall were.  In Texas, the trees are either green, brown or bare.  I'm sure in some parts of east Texas, you could see lots of color, but I've never experienced it.  Here's what I get to see on my morning jog...

It's days like these that I just marvel in God's beautiful creation.  It keeps me grounded and reminds me of the awesome power of our Lord.  

So, yesterday was the first time I was able to go to the PA Bible study.  It was so wonderful!  We read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 among other verses, and it was a very good reminder that God is bigger than me, bigger than school, bigger than an exam - and He has put me here for a reason.  Honestly, I felt rather convicted about how much I complain about how stressed I am, how bad tests are, and whatnot.  I should feel thankful and honored, that God has blessed me with this opportunity.  I am really going to focus more on working for the Lord, and praising Him in my studies, in my classes, and with each aspect of my life. 

Gig 'Em and War Eagle!

Catie

Blessed.

Sometimes, my jaw just drops in awe of our Lord.  Every time I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed with things in my life, the Lord provides relief, even if its just a few encouraging words from someone.

To start off, this weekend was wonderful.  It was a pretty laid back weekend, but my grandparents came to visit!  I was so excited to see them, especially because I've been really homesick lately, and it was refreshing to see family.  Although, the catch-22 is that I now miss home, and seeing my family, even more than before.  Countdown to Thanksgiving... 44 days!  But it was so good to sit and talk, and hear about their adventures and everything.

Now, for those of you who don't like mushy stuff, don't read the rest of this post...

This morning, the sermon was on the subject of marriage.  I was really excited to hear what Dr. Lowman had to say on the subject.  However, he brought up a very good, yet convicting point... Its a long story, but to get to the bottom of it, Frank and I started to discuss the option of waiting another year or waiting until I finished school to get married.  Well, to be quite honest, he discussed it, and I rejected the idea.  I am so excited to marry him, and honestly, I don't want to wait any longer than I have to.  But, logically, it would put us in a better place financially.  Anyway, I got a little upset because, well, I'm stubborn, but I told Frank that if he thought it was better for us to wait, then I would wait.  However, I was still frustrated with the situation because I didn't want to have to be logical - you know, the stubbornness again :)

Well, I just got these texts -
Frank - "We will find a way"
Me - "?"
Frank - "Just thinking that I don't want to wait either and we will find a way if it is the Lords will.  I'm giving it up to him."

That's just it!  If the Lord has intended for us to marry, he will provide a way for us to handle it financially.  Why should I waste my time worrying about having to wait or not?  I don't know how he does it, but Frank always seems to say exactly what I need to hear.  Isn't he completely amazing?  I love him so much.

Well, thats it for tonight.  I need to get to bed... early class tomorrow!

Gig 'Em and War Eagle!
Catie

Tea Talk

Howdy everyone!

I'm here at McAlister's treating myself to salad and sweet tea after a long week of tests.  And, if you know anything about me, you know that this is not an unusual occurrence :)

To start of the blog with my first real post, I figured I'd do a general update about what is going on in my life....

I'm currently a first year student in the UAB Surgical Physician Assistant program, and about half-way through my first semester.  I'm really enjoying it, but nonetheless- it is still school, and I think anyone who says they love studying is completely crazy.  PA school is actually the primary reason I decided to start a blog.  For one thing, being so far away from home, I don't get a chance to catch up with many of my friends.  Secondly, a friend in med school told me that blogging helps with reflection and is almost like free therapy!  Maybe this will take a load off of those people who have to listen to me whine about stress and exams and such (thank you so much to those people, you know who you are!).  Anyway, I'm really loving it here, and no matter how much I complain, having classes that really pertain to your chosen profession is such a blessing.  This semester, I'm taking Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Intro to the Profession.  Clin Lab is definitely my favorite thus far for a few reasons.  For one thing, Dr. Jennings is just always so excited about the subject and always uses a lot of clinical correlations to help make the information stick.  Also, I've never taken this class before - new and interesting information always makes things more enjoyable :).  

Another huge part of my life is my boyfriend, Frank. :)  We have been dating for a little over 2 months now, and it has been complete bliss.  Everyone always tells you when you're single that God has someone perfect picked out for you - well guys, he's the one.  I know you're not supposed to say that out loud, no matter how much you believe it, but I don't care.  I love him so much!  Here's some pictures of us...

He's so wonderful and such a strong man of God.  I don't know how I'd get through PA school and being away from home without him.  

Speaking of, I miss my family and friends so much.  Mom and Dad have been such rocks and amazing for me through this.  I can't wait until Thanksgiving when I get to go home for the first time since I moved in July!  

Anyway, some things I'm excited about right now...

One of the girls in the PA program had an idea to start a Bible study with a group of girls, and originally they were going to have it on Sunday evenings.  Unfortunately, Frank and I are a part of a home group that meets at the same time so I wasn't going to be able to go, but they just decided to change the time and I get to go now!  We will be going through the book Passing the Test: A Bible Study for Physician Assistant Students.  Who knew someone wrote a book so specific to us?!?  The first one is on Monday and I'm so excited!!

Also, yesterday was National PA Day (WHOOP!) and the Alabama Society of PA's provided the PA students with a free lunch (double WHOOP!).  I met a PA who works in the Trauma Center at UAB Hospital - which is what I want to do - and we're going to work out a time for me to do some shadowing!  Honestly, the only trauma experience I have is with a few car and bike wrecks on campus as an EMT, but for some reason, I think I would really love it!  The PA program actually offers a trauma track, where your extra clinical rotations are spent in the Trauma Center.  I'm so excited to get some early experience, and to actually see how much I will love it (or not).  

Well thats about it for my life right now!  Thanks for reading!  Time to go to Anatomy; I think we're learning about the genitourinary system... oh joy.

Gig 'Em and War Eagle,

Catie

Howdy

Howdy Everyone!

So, since I think it would be fun to share my thoughts and experiences with those I love, I decided to start a blog!  This first post won't be very long because I have to go study for my tests, but there will be more to come!

I'm so excited!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!
Catie