News

In husband news:
Sam took the Border Patrol entry test a couple weeks ago, and he passed! We are both really excited.  We don't know when he'll start, but there are a lot of BP agents in our ward, and they guesstimate that it will be about a year and a half.  Which is fine by me, because his training will be at least 3 months in New Mexico.  Not looking forward to being alone for 3 months.

In Austin news:
Today he was extubated (Got the breathing tube removed)!  Brad and Tiff say that he is doing well, and off of the asthma medicine that was given via IV.  I'm SO happy he's doing better.  I haven't cried in about 2 days, and I think that is the longest I've gone since before he was admitted to the hospital on Oct. 15!  Thank you so much to everyone who has prayed for Austin and shown him support.  My sister Kourtney is ordering bracelets and selling them for $3 to help Austin's family with all of the expenses.  They are grey, debossed, and say "Fight like Ausitin" on one side and "Asthma Awareness" on the other.  If you want to order some, let her know.  Or, if you can't get a hold of her, just let me know how many you want in a comment and I'll pass along your order and get back to you with more info.
 

Austin

I love this kid.  

To read about what happened, go HERE.

To read about the benefit dinner/auction for Austin, go HERE.  The dinner has been moved to Nov. 19th, but you get the idea.

Keep getting better Austin!  One more week till basketball season, so hurry! (But take your time if you need to - I don't mean to rush you or anything.)

Some people just can't make up their minds

Yesterday I got this e-mail:

Greetings Dental Hygiene Student:

An opportunity has come available to move your start date forward with the Dental Hygiene Education Program to Fall 2013.  Moving students up on the list is based on the applicant’s qualifying date. If you are interested in beginning the program Fall 2013, please reply to this email byOctober 21, 2011, before 5:00PM Mountain Time.  Should you not respond to this e-mail by the deadline date above, you will remain on the list at your original start date.

If you no longer wish to remain on the Dental Hygiene Education Program waiting list, please respond to this email indicating that you formally decline your position with the Dental Hygiene Education Program.  Please note, declination will require reapplication to the program.

Additionally, please be sure to update your contact information.

So of course I jumped right on that and emailed them back saying "HECK YES!" (except in a slightly more eloquent way.  Gotta keep up good impressions, ya know?) and now I get to start school 3 years earlier!

For those of you keeping track (which is probably only me), this is how the waiting list has changed since April: 

• Wait list for the program is 3 years
• Wait list for the program is 1 year
• Get accepted to the program and find out the waiting list is actually 5 years.
• Surprise! 2 years!

So the question I pose is this:  Can Pima just not make up their minds?  

Not that I'm complaining or anything...

Genes

There are some things about me that are distinctly either Dodd or Bushman.  I've got the Bushman gap between my front two teeth, just like my dad and his dad.  I've got what my mom refers to as "short little Dodd legs."  Those things I am fine with.  But one thing I am not so fine with is a new discovery.

I'm getting grey hair.  I've found a few grey strands, and of course they are right in front.  The Dodds are pretty good at going prematurely grey, and apparently I am just Dodd enough to start going grey now.  At 21.  It should be illegal.  I've been so nice to my hair! I've never dyed it and THIS is how it thanks me?!
Not cool.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some plucking to do.