Labor Day weekend fun.

Labor Day weekend was our last official hurrah before we become buried in school and work this fall. We decided to try something different and go camping in the mountains about two hours away from home. Due to AJ's work obligations, we had to adjust our plans a bit but everything still worked out perfectly.

On Saturday afternoon we drove straight up to a campsite in the mountains of New Mexico. Although we were initially disappointed at how many people were already there, we managed to find our own private spot on the top of a hill nearby. Once we were up there, it really felt like we were all on our own. We set up the tent, and then AJ went back down the mountain to grab us McDonald's salads for dinner. I read a textbook in the tent while he was gone. We shared dinner at a picnic table at the campsite before gathering tinder and wood for a fire near our tent (there was already a fire pit made of rocks, so it was totally safe). AJ got a great fire going, and we spent the rest of the evening listening to piano music on his phone and talking. It was so relaxing.

Although we didn't get a ton of sleep because of the hard ground, the weather was great and there were no scary forest critters to speak of besides the herd of wild horses at our campsite. In the morning we packed up the tent before heading to Denny's for breakfast, just to have a nicer meal. I took advantage of being in the Southwest by adding some "world famous" (as they say here) green chiles to my breakfast burrito while AJ got his usual. It was fun seeing the local crowd with all the men dressed in cowboy hats, button-down shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots. Definitely something we would not have experienced back home!

We grabbed some Subway sandwiches for lunch and then drove back up the mountain for some hiking. We were really the only people on the trails, and went pretty far. Even though most of the trees had been burned in a wildfire a few years ago, it was still stunningly beautiful. I definitely enjoy hiking in the national forest much more than the rocky desert here. After eating our sandwiches we headed back to town, grabbed some tea from Starbucks for the road, and went back home. We loved the chance to get out of the city and enjoy nature, but we sure were glad to come home to the modern conveniences we enjoy every day :)

Hello, fall.

Okay, so it doesn't feel at all like fall here in the Southwest. The temperatures are still in the 90s (although low 90s!) and most days are pretty sunny, with the exception of the last two. Since moving here I have definitely learned that there is such a thing as too much sun. 

Last week I started my second (and Lord willing second to last!) semester of grad school. On Monday I just had one class about advanced practice with individuals. We'll be doing a lot with the DSM-5 (diagnosing related to mental health) and using clinical theories to do therapy with clients. 

Wednesdays are by far the worst day of the week. I have to leave at 7:20am to get to my first class at 8:30. That class is about family therapy, and I can tell I'm going to enjoy it. This professor is teaching for the first time and is pretty realistic about what our lives are like as grad students. She's also an Army wife--who knew?

I have a break for about two hours, during which I grab lunch (and coffee), do homework, and hang out with the other advanced standing students. In the afternoon I have an advanced policy class, which is all about politics and policy as they relate to the interests of social work. I'm going to have to write a letter to the editor of a New Mexico newspaper, research policy, and participate in a mock debate with my classmates. Again, good professor, although not my favorite subject.

I get another two hours of down time before I go to my last class, which is mental health treatment of adolescents. I'm really interested in the topic, but not so much in the style of the course. Due to the fabulous technological innovations of my generation, we can be in a class taught by a professor in Albuquerque. It's basically like a Skype session, with us main campus people together on one end and the professor with the Albuquerque students on the other end. The only trouble is we can't see the professor's powerpoints and class participation is tough for us since the professor is on the other end with another class. It got so tough, and we were so exhausted that sometimes we just muted our end of the session and talked amongst ourselves. Oops. Anyway, I'm finally free at 8:30pm and am almost too tired to drive back to the other side of the mountains. But I do.

This week the real fun begins, since tomorrow is my first day of field! I have my hospital badge and parking permit and am all ready to go. The days are sure to be long and busy, but I'm excited to jump in and start doing social work again. And Lord willing, I will survive grad school to tell you all about it. :)

Wild horses and internships.

It seems like quite a bit has happened since you last heard from me. For starters, I discovered a gorgeous little town in the mountains about two hours from the city last weekend. AJ has been part of two small groups since he first started attending church here, and he's been itching for me to get involved ever since I arrived. Finally, I agreed that we should go to one of the group's retreats just for the day. Others were staying Friday through Wednesday--something I would have loved to do, but I have no idea how they make that work with career obligations. 

It was really fun watching the landscape change from dry, rugged mountains, sand dunes, and open deserts (which are a little greener with the rain we've gotten) to even bigger mountains covered in pine trees. This all happens extremely quickly--if you look at where we live, you'd never know there was a landscape so lush and beautiful just two hours away! On the way we passed tiny desert towns, the kind where you wonder who in the world chooses to live there. We also drove through a reservation, which was also interesting to me.

Once we arrived at our destination, I felt right at home. It was beautiful. It was so much cooler, wetter, and quieter than our big, dusty, noisy city. We spent the morning in a condo doing devotions with the group before splitting into men's and women's lunch groups. After that we discovered a small herd of wild horses, something I didn't even know existed these days! It was incredible how friendly and beautiful they were. Finally, we got around to what I was looking forward to--a hike in the mountains. Unfortunately, it rained on our hike, but we still got some amazing views. That night we had dinner, made a fire, and studied more of 1 Kings. Although AJ and I were out pretty late, it was well worth it. I'm dying to go back--somehow the city just doesn't feel quite right after being in a place so quiet and beautiful. 

In other news, I have a new field placement just in time for the fall! To make a long story short, my original placement fell through at the last minute. Although I did nothing wrong and the staff were excited to have me, certain people neglected to take care of some important details and I lost the placement. Now I can say I have an even better one though! I'll be at one of the major hospitals in the city, working in the Crime Victims Unit. This means I'll see everyone who comes through the ER as a victim of crime, including survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, gunshots, drunk driving accidents, and more. I will also be seeing children who are victims of chronic sexual abuse in the unit's clinic. In addition, I get to sit on the hospital's ethics committee, which is super cool. I'm so excited. The placement is very prestigious, and I was told that my experience in sex trafficking is what got me the internship. I'll also be getting paid! Not as an employee, but it's something! I'm so happy with the way things turned out. Now I'm busy getting CPR certified, making sure my vaccines are current, getting drug tested, etc. so I'm allowed to start working in the hospital. I can't wait!

Meet our pets!

For those who don't know yet, AJ and I have acquired two pets this summer! We love animals and would love to have a dog, but our lifestyle doesn't allow for a dog yet. Between the expenses and living in an apartment with no private outdoor space, it's not ideal right now. So, we settled for two very cute, smaller mammals :)

Meet Otis and Ron the guinea pigs! The name "Ron" is short for "Old Ironsides", the name of the 1st Armored Division. So we're poking a little fun at the Army with our guinea pig ;) We first got them in June, but ended up having to take them back to the vet for about a month when they got colds. Now they are back to their old selves! They love to run around the cage and "popcorn", which is when guinea pigs twitch and jump seemingly uncontrollably. Ron really gets some air! They love to squeak too. The only bummer is that they're still rather shy--Otis in particular is afraid of just about everything. Once you get them in your lap they're pretty cuddly though!

This past weekend we also had some visitors. AJ's grandparents came from Arizona to spend some time with us. This was only the third time I had seen them in the six years AJ and I have been together, so I'm still getting to know them. Even so, we appreciate their willingness to drive out to see us and their interest in our lives over here. We spend a relaxing Saturday with them, hosting them for a last minute lunch to begin with. They have the honor of being the first people we've hosted for a meal here! They were very sweet to bring some vegetables, fruit, and chips to help. After that we went on another tour of post. I learn something new every time! We even looked inside the museum on post, which is pretty big. Next we enjoyed the scenic drive and snapped a couple pictures, chatting the entire way. We treated them to a belated birthday dinner at one of our favorite Mexican fast food restaurants and then brought them back to our apartment to play with our pets. Before long we were all tired, so we said goodbye. All in all, it was a good day. Maybe we'll see them again someday while we're down here.


I'm finished with the summer semester of school, and did really well. So now we're just regrouping before the fall starts--which is way too soon! AJ's busy with deployment-related things, and he is officially going to some training for about three weeks coming up in a couple months. So, we're busy enough these days, but just trying to focus on enjoying our time together as husband and wife. I am one lucky girl!

A visit from my family.

As I hinted in my last blog, my whole family came down for a visit last week. None of them had ever seen the Southwest before, or had even seen a desert until now (just like me before I moved here). They drove the whole way down, stopping at a couple of places along the way including Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they went whitewater kayaking. 

Ghost town!

Finally, on the afternoon of July 2, they arrived in our city. I met them for a visit to the Border Patrol Museum first. The museum was pretty interesting. I'll admit that I hardly knew anything about the Border Patrol, and what I did know I wasn't too thrilled about because of the way immigrants have been treated in our country. However, I discovered that the Border Patrol does more than apprehend immigrants--it often comes to the rescue of people facing death in the harsh desert. I also had no idea what a dangerous job working in the Border Patrol actually was. As I leafed through hundreds of names and photographs of Border Patrol people who had died in the line of duty, I came to appreciate the fact that you never hear about these men and women who are killed trying to rescue others in the desert. Although I may not agree with some of the INS's policies, I can appreciate the sacrifices these men and women make to keep people safe.

Parents at Old Mesilla :)

After the museum I took my family to our apartment to show them around. Of course there wasn't much to see, but they were still impressed. It made me happy to know that my parents were very pleased with where their married daughter is living now. After listening to them relive their kayaking experience (which sounds hilarious), I went to class and they met AJ for a tour of the scenic drive and dinner.

On Wednesday we got up bright and early for a drive to Hueco Tanks State Park. Hueco Tanks is kind of like an oasis in the desert, where you can actually find standing water and lots of plants. As a result, the site has become a refuge and sacred site for local Native American tribes. We went on a guided tour that included climbing over rocks, learning about local plants, and seeing lots of rock art left by different tribes over the past few hundred years. Our tour guide was great, and we learned so much about the local culture. My family agreed that they would have spent the entire day there if they could!

After that my parents dropped me off so that I could prepare a presentation and get to class. AJ took them out for a relaxing dinner, showed them the border, and that was the end of the evening. Finally, AJ and I both had the Fourth of July off to spend with my family. We drove out to the middle of nowhere New Mexico to see a real ghost town. And when I say middle of nowhere, I'm so not kidding. If you think Illinois is rural, you haven't seen the Southwest!

The ghost town was actually very interesting and worth the long drive. We got to learn all about the town and see the place exactly as it was left. Once we finished we drove to Old Mesilla, New Mexico to browse the historic buildings and shops. My dad bought me a Navajo sand painting, which has yet to find a special place in our home. That night AJ and I treated everyone to a steak dinner and we went to check out the laser light show on post, which was actually pretty lame :( Still a great day though.

Brother and sister.

On Friday morning we took everyone on a tour of post and stopped by the museum to do...what else? Take pictures with tanks. ;) We finished our time together by eating at Taco Tote, a fast food restaurant that has migrated over from Juarez, Mexico. It was really sad to say goodbye after lunch. I keep holding on to hope that maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to come home for Christmas. But of course when you're in the Army you just never know!

The men in front of a tank of course.

Army folks.

Life as a graduate student.

Let me tell you, this past week has been a crazy whirlwind. I started school on July 1, and my family arrived for a visit the very next day. I'm really looking forward to telling you all about my family's vacation to the Southwest, but first I'm going to start off with my impressions of graduate school. 

For starters, I'm currently taking two classes that meet at night from 5:30-9:15pm. Thank goodness the latest I've been kept is 8:50, because none of us could make it until nine! One class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the other meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This means that AJ and I have breakfast together in the morning, and then we don't see each other until sometime around nine at night. So far, after I've gotten home each night I've simply pulled out my books and continued to do homework, so I don't get to enjoy AJ's company even at night. It means I miss him a lot during the week.

The first class I'm taking is largely a review course focusing on the key things we should have learned in college. The first two weeks are focused on direct practice (mostly with individuals and families), and after that we get a new professor who spends three weeks on research (my least favorite for sure). This class is for those of us in the accelerated program, so that we can review and catch up to the other students who go for two years. This class has been absolutely insane regarding the work load--even my professor said so! We have to cover so much material in just four classes (of the first segment), which means I have a crazy amount of work to do.  

The second class keeps the same topic and professor for all five weeks, resulting in it being very fast-paced but not quite as much as the other. This class focuses on sociocultural concepts of working in the U.S. Southwest. We talk about theories of oppression and diversity as well as the nuances of working with minority groups. I love diversity stuff, so this class is really interesting to me. 

Thus far grad school has consumed all of my free time. I always have my nose in a book or my eyes glued to the computer. I definitely enjoy what I'm learning, but the sheer volume of reading and work is tough to keep up with. Hopefully the fall will be a little more reasonable, but I'm not holding out hope. As long as I survive with a B average for the next three semesters, it'll go by quick at least! Yes, you need a B average to graduate. Well, time to go...I'm off to prepare a biopsychosocial assessment with a group and then to class I go!

A peek into our kitchen.

Since AJ and I have been living together again I've really enjoyed having more time to think about what we're eating. I'm trying to keep us eating healthy for the most part, but I can always use more ideas so I don't get stuck in the same recipes. One meal I've discovered has become one of our favorites, and it's a new entree for me: salmon. Prior to moving here I had never really eaten salmon, much less cooked it, but after all the crazy things I ate in Ecuador I thought I'd give it a shot. I did, and now it's one of our favorite meals! And it's easy, which is the most important thing for me. :)

Baked Salmon

2 cloves minced garlic
6 T olive oil
1 t. dried basil
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1 T lemon juice
2 salmon fillets

Marinade for one hour. Place on cookie sheet and wrap in foil, back at 350 for 35 minutes or until flaky.

Asparagus

2 T olive oil
1/2 lb. asparagus
3 T lemon juice
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir asparagus in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in lemon juice and cook just a little longer. Serve and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I serve these two things with some rice and a squeeze of lime juice on top. AJ also likes to pour the extra marinade over his rice. So that's it! We love this and hope you do too. :)