UCDH Graduation

It finally came...

I graduated from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene on December 12, 2011!

My biggest supporter- Love him.  He put up with A LOT!

And boy am I tired or what? 

It was a fun night though!  I was honored by the invitation by the Dental Hygiene Honors Society to be a member of Sigma Phi Alpha.  I got to sport the purple and gold cords that took me back to the days being an Eagle Middle School Colt :)  Haha but really, I was so shocked!

I've learned so much while attending UCDH.  The staff is absolutely amazing and I really do miss them after just a short time of being graduated!  They worked so hard for us and pushed us to become better.  

Our amazing teachers!  

As for the girls, I am going to miss them!  It was comforting being around 58 other women who knew exactly what you were feeling!  The stress- only they could understand. And only they could relate to the passion I feel towards oral hygiene :)  Because I'll be honest, who else really does?  Now I leave dental hygiene school and I miss them!  They were practically sisters to me for almost 2 years... well some of them I guess :)  

Alexa, Robin and Chantel

Oh Joci!

My carpool buddy Kelly- and we were visiting teaching companions :)

 Lindsey Dance!

I've treated the biggest variety of people.  From those who only came in with 13 teeth, to those who brush their teeth so dang much they are brushing their gums away!  I have a whole new respect for the profession that I never had before.  

My parents came to Provo to support me, and my aunt Martha and friends Nick and Karli also came to cheer me on.... I just keep wondering what life would be like without those people that boost you up and support you always.  I am so grateful for good people in my life!! 

Proud and supportive parents

Nick and Karli

With graduation over, I still had 3 board exams to complete.  Talk about stressful!  I woke up Wednesday morning to a sore throat and cold... just in time for anesthesia boards.  Perfect! But I have nothing to complain about... I was seriously praying so hard to Heavenly Father that everything out of my control would go smoothly, and He delivered.  My patient for clinical boards showed up on time, he DIDN'T have any coldsores (which would have disqualified him, and he does get them from time to time- phew!), and they accepted my first submission- which is the best possible scenario!  I have yet to hear the results back.  I won't hear for another 2-3 weeks probably.  Talk about torture!  

A HUGE thank you to all those who helped me get through school!  Whether you came and got your teeth cleaned or just let me vent to you- I sure needed it!!!

Throughout finals and graduation and boards, we still needed to pack as well.  Luckily, I got a headstart about 2 weeks before we moved.  Bridger laughed at me that I would start so soon, but he was sure thanking me when we got to the weekend before moving.  We still had plenty to do, but I can't imagine what we would've done if we had waited!  I found myself so many times sitting and staring at the disaster in my apartment thinking, "I just need my mom!"  She was able to help a lot for a couple hours when she came for graduation- what a blessing!  She's a whirlwind when it comes to that stuff!

We probably had double the amount of boxes pictured!

I still had my cap and gown from my BYU graduation- and since the University of Utah doesn't have a graduation until April or May, we had to get a picture to celebrate both of us graduating!  Congrats Bridger!!

We packed up the U-Haul and pulled out of Provo on Monday, December 19th- just in time for McKay's birthday and my parents 28th anniversary!  But not without some tearful goodbyes first.  It's so strange- a year ago I would've left and never looked back.  But we've made some of the best friends in the world during our time in Utah and I was honestly heart broken!  My mom always says that it's good to miss things sometimes... but sometimes I just love people too dang much :)  

Now we are here in Boise and just enjoying the peace and relaxation of being home for the holidays.  It really hasn't sunk in that we actually live here- and it probably won't  until Christmas and New Years wrap up and we don't go back.  In the mean time Bridger and I are just going to look for a new place to call home for the next year.  I have a feeling this was the first of many moves together.  It will definitely  be an adventure!!