Wow...I realized I have not posted here in a long time and so much has happened since my last post. Lets see where to start. Well as last stated my mom was having problems with her back. She had to have a MRI to really find out what was one. We found out that she had a herniated disc in her lower spin...which was also pinching her nerves causing the numbness in her right leg. Within four days of finding this out she had surgery...ya it was really quick. The surgery went fine...I was a little worried cause so much can go wrong when you are working around nerves and along the spin. She is now walking fine but her body gets fatigued easily so she isnt able to be as active as she use to be. She has a bit of permenant nerve damage in her right leg...but it is just some numbness.

There have been other things going on with my mom lately. During the time of her surgery and her recovery..she and her boyfriend decide to move. The big thing about that is that she decided to move out of state. I was shocked and very emotional when it came to this issue. She has been such a big part of my life...we are more like friends that mother and daughter. This is due to how close we became after my parents got a divorce...and finding out that she was going to be move 8 hours away was devastating to me. Then she tells me that she wants to do this before the weather gets bad (since we live in michigan) so whe decides to move at the end of my semester right before christmas...It made things a lot more complicated for me for the holidays. For one the holidays is not a completely happy time for me cause it was during this time that my parents were splitting up so the holidays are a constant reminder of that time in my life and now my mom wants to complicate things by moving away around this time. It use to be I got to visit all my realitives on both sides right on christmas...mom's side in the morning and my dad's in the evening...now that wasnt going to happen because of this move..it was just such a big change in my life. Well we ended up working the schedule out....me and my brother would stay the first half of the break in missouri with my mom..so we spent christmas with her....then we would come back and spend new years with my dad and finish up break. It worked out ok...except that during the whole time I was at my mum's new home i was very emotional especially near the end. It was a sad period in both my mum's and my life...since we were so close and it was a sad goodbye.

Before I get talking about the rest of my break I might as well finish up what else happened during the rest of my fall semester. Well it was a very busy and hard and long semester. I was sick several times including the week of finals. I got this horrible stomach flu and barely got through my finals. Overall the semester was on of my best...I was so close to getting on the Dean's list. I want to at least once! But overall my GPA did go up. OH and also during the semester I found out about the Mayo Clinic..Its this great hosipital and now Im considering working there after i graduate with my BS. There are three major locations. One in minn., arizona, and FL. Im considering minn. to start out with because they have the program that i want to go further in...cytogenetics...Im very excited cause they really want people right out of school and because of the field that im in I will get right into the interview process. Im also looking into trying to get a internship there for this summer...its a paid internship which is even better and it will better prepare me for the clinicals in my senior year. So I hope I get it...applications due in March.

Well back to my break...Christmas was great..I got my Ipod...i was so happy...I love it...and I also got my coat from my dad that I really wanted..So christmas was great..My mum's new place is really nice...plus the fact that there was no snow while i was there...yes! I really am not a big fan of snow but I love having four seasons so I deal. Her place is so country and I love that...so many trails to explore and the woods...plus she has horses surrounding her. I told her to get good with the neighbors so maybe when i come and visit I will get to ride...That would be awesome. There was also some sadness that happened during my break..My cousin was pregnant and she went into labor about a couple months early..She gave birth and the baby boy was still alive but they discovered that his kidney's had not developed yet, so they went ahead and pulled the plug and lost the baby. It was very sad time for her..and it didnt help that she lives so far from family so there wasnt that much support around her. She has gotten a bit better with it but she wants to start trying for another baby as soon as possible...this is mostly due to the lost of the child but another reason is that her husband is going to be going back to iraq in aug. and who knows when he will be back. So i wish her all the luck with that....Well on a lighter note...my birthday was during break and i turned the big 21! It was a lot of fun. My dad took me to my favorite blues club and I got to see the band going to Nashville for the national competition...they were really good and I had seen them prior as well..I started off having my first "legal" drink...which I ordered a Bicardi O3 which I have had before...then my dad goes and orders me a very strong drink called Love Potion..I guess it was equivalent to a Long Island Ice Tea...all I know is I felt really relaxed at the end of the night..but I really dont like the feeling of loss control...Well i get home that night and pass out right as my head hits the pillow...It was a good time overall....no hang over or anything which made me happy. I also visted my grandma that day and my great grandfather...she made me my favorite meal which is her spam and cheese...oh its so good..and we played a couple of rounds of peanuts..(a card game)..it was so much fun...my great grandfather was hilarious during the game..he couldnt play but he had fun helping us cheat...it was a riot..

Well now its been a week into my new semester. Here is the list o' classes for this semester:

• Cultural Anthropology
• Diagnostic Microbiology
• Intro to clincial lab
• Health Care Management
• Mass Media and Racism

Its going to be another long and hard semester again! Woohoo! oh well it will be interesting especially when i start drawing blood this monday! AHHHHH! Wish me luck and I will talk to you all real soon I hope.