Insert 2 months worth of posts here:

Yikes! I didn't realize how much time had gone by since my last post! I have been really busy since Ben graduated in April. I've either been working or playing with Ben and our friends and family every day since then and just haven't had a good opportunity to post pictures yet. I'm still missing the post about our awesome trip to Milwaukee to see Jessica, Mike and baby Wesley! We also had a graduation and anniversary in between... I think even a funeral if I recall the dates correctly. Life has been changing so much so fast and yet in some ways it's not catching up. My work has been great and it's been absolutely wonderful to have Ben at home more and not having to study ALL THE TIME! I really love having him around and being able to get out and do yard work together (when the weather actually allows us to). We've been planning trips and getting into new hobbies while continuing old ones as well. The only thing that hasn't happened for us yet is a job for Ben. Apparently the market is really tough right now in his field, jobs are opening and closing so fast that it's difficult to keep up, let alone keep track of where and when you sent which resumes to. We have some exciting prospects and I'm really not too worried about it at this point since I'm working and expenses aren't too big of an issue right now, but poor Ben is getting bored quickly! When I'm home we have fun but when I'm at work, especially when it's raining, he starts going crazy. I really hope he holds on and can find a job that he loves or at least something to do to keep him nice and busy for now!

On another note, I seriously can't wait, Hailey, my sister, is coming to Mesquite this weekend and she'll be home with me on tuesday and wednesday and I get to spend the rest of the week with her and we get to meet her new boyfriend: Bob. I miss her so much and seriously can't wait to see her!

...And a Happy New Year!

Oh my, 2010 really did end with a bang! 2011 isn't starting out too slowly either. It was an awesome year with graduation, wedding, honeymoon, moving (to the basement, yes, but it still counts!), great parties, starting work, and awesome family and friends.

For Christmas, as usual I went with my family to Manzanillo, Mexico but this year was extra special... Ben was there! It's always just been us 4 Allens there for Christmas for the past 10 years but this year I got to bring someone (of course he had to marry in to the family in order to get the official invite:) It was so much fun to show him this place that means so much to me. He loved it to I believe. He rode with us every day and rode really well too. He joked with the cowboys and played on the beach and ran and ate delicious food and even helped me with the annual christmas puzzle! My sister and I also really loved that we were spared the cat calling and whistles when he was around making our time that much more peaceful. I didn't get as tan as I usually do down there because we really didn't take the time to lay out, instead we were playing and going constantly. We even went to the sea turtle/iguana/crocodile refuge and got to hold a baby sea turtle as well as see all different sizes of turtles and iguanas. They even had a pretty big croc! However, their croc was not quite as impressive as the 3 1/2 meter wild crocodile we saw from about 25 ft away as we rode by the lagoon. It was so crazy!!!

New years was also a blast, we stayed out partying until 3AM and we were dancing and singing and just having a great time with a room full of strangers. The next day, of course we rode again at 8AM and we were able to find 2 little branches where a bunch of butterflies were sleeping so we shook it to wake them up and it was like a slow motion explosion of fluttering colors.

On the 2nd of January we were supposed to fly home but the flight was overbooked so they bumped Ben and I until the next day. To make up for the inconvenience they put us up in a 5 star hotel, with free taxi and food and two $400.00 vouchers for future flights! Holy freakin cow what a great deal. And they flew us home first class (on the first of our 2 flights home 1st class doesn't exist... but on the 2nd it was free movies and endless drinks and pretzels in the wider comfier seats.

'Tis the Season

The weather outside has been a bit frightful so far this season but I, for one, am very grateful for it. Bad weather means fresh snow in the mountains for me to enjoy! I love the snow and I love the feeling of floating through the freshly fallen powder. We have been trying to save money by not going to the resorts and instead we "skin" up to the slopes and then after hours of leg tiring hiking we get to ski the most amazing untouched powder on the most varied terrain I have ever seen! It sure took me a long time to be okay with the hiking part but now I really am starting to love it all. Another amazing bonus is that I'm actually doing a good deal of exercise and getting stronger and healthier without really noticing it. I feel so good and I'm always ridiculously sore afterward (like today) but I am slowly getting stronger and each time I go gets that much easier.

Going to The Chapel and I'm....

Yes, fine, I'll make it official on my blog:) For the three people that actually read this. I'm getting married on May 15, 2010! I just made up my invitations on Monday and now I'm working on sending out the first batches! I'm so very excited about them, so here they are:

Ben's good friend Jeremiah is a graphic designer and he helped us last weekend design these after a rather cold game of disc golf. It was so much fun and now it's starting to become more and more real to me: I'm getting married!

Not only am I getting married, but I'm getting married to Ben who is seriously the most perfect man for me. We have such a close connection and it's always a blast when we're together, from homework to water fights I just love being with him! I really am a lucky girl.

The only thing that kind of scares me is the fact that now I don't have the excuse of Boards to let me get out of wedding planning and now that there is only a little over a month left, it's getting down to the wire! If anyone has some quick and easy last minute tips for a great but not too fancy wedding, I am definitely all ears!

The Luckiest Girl in the World

While sitting here, studying alone at home with the dogs, I've realized something. It's something I've always known but at this particular moment in my life it is especially apparent that I am the luckiest girl in the world. Sure, I have the stress of school and Boards and a lot of other things that come up, but I've also got a lot more.

I've got amazing parents The best sister ever, Three dogs that love me so much. As I study here, they are all laying around me, cuddling as close as possible. While it does make it a little hot at times, I never feel lonely with them around. I have a really great best friend who is always there for me and I've got the very best friend and boyfriend in the world: Ben. He is so sweet to me always and he knows how to keep me happy and calm even in my crazy moments of disparity and stress. He knows when to be sweet, when to be strong, when to talk, when to listen, when to play, when to be still. He just knows me and even more so, he still loves me reguardless. I seriously have a really good life. I'm so happy to always be able to feel loved, respected, and wanted by all the lovely people (and puppies) in my life.

Some of my Favorite Girls!

So this weekend, Ben went to the WRC's yert for work, and my dad took Bear to Island Park with him so tonight I am officially boy-less. I miss my boys so much and having Ben be gone helps me see how absolutely crazy about him I am. It also gave me an opportunity to remember once again how much the girls in my life mean. They've all been a huge impact in my life and helped me become the person I am. I don't have enough pictures or time to mention them all but here are a few that are especially close to me:

Of course, there's the hound, Bagheera. She's really good at cuddling me and making me feel better even when I'm alone. She also keeps my boy happy when I can't be there. She also plays some pretty some pretty mean ball. Que haria sin la hija?

Katy, Brit and I always have the funnest girls nights! I miss Katy and wish she wasn't so far away and she could come play more often.

Of course, I LOVE BRIT!!! ...really, that's the very best way to put it, she's pretty much the best "girlfriend" ever!

My sister is one of my best friends, I miss her so much now that she's in Oregon. I want her to come home more, but she's pretty intent on becoming successful and succeeding through medical school for some reason... obviously I'm more important! :) She's so amazing, I really admire her strength and independence. I can't wait to see her this Thanksgiving! (she is coming home tonight but it's now 9:00PM and she's still on her way home from Moab with her boyfriend Chris and she'll be leaving pretty early tomorrow for a conference. I'm excited to see her tonight but I know it won't be a very long time.

SCHOOL (boo!) and Island Park

Well, School has started again... I'm excited but at the same time really not in the mood to be going to school yet so it's been kind of hard to focus and get everything done early like I usually like to do. I've been getting by though, luckily my classes aren't too demanding this semester and clinic isn't as intimidating which is really nice.
Last weekend right after school on Friday I headed up to Island park with the family which was so much fun! My family left Wednesday night but I had to stay for school and then when I left on Friday I had to drive to 106th south in Salt Lake to get another propeller to replace the broken one in Island Park. With all the construction and then hitting rush-hour traffic on the way back it took 3 hours round trip and add that to the 4-4.5 hour drive to island park, we basically drove to Lake Powell that day!!! It was so long! Well worth it though.
I got to ski and airchair and Ben got to do the same plus surfing and wake boarding. The food, as usual, was amazing, and Chris (Hailey's boyfriend) was really a lot of fun the whole time. He was so positive and excited to get out and try everything even though Hailey wasn't really feeling well the whole time since she's still adjusting to not being in Africa.
Now I'm back from that nice weekend getaway and I'm sitting in clinic, waiting for my patient who's 30 minutes late... Today after clinic I get to move out basically for a month to house sit for one of my mom's patients who has two dogs: an australian shepherd-lab mix named Tooele, and a Collie (just like Lassie) named Hamish! I'm way excited!!!

Summer Update!

This is to document my first and only (so far) time in Denver, Colorado. It is also the time that I realized on my way to DC that my camera was almost dead because it hadn't charged right and of course... I didn't bring my charger!!! Thus why there aren't very many pictures of this DC trip. But it was still very memorable.

Well, July has been great and June was awesome! I went to Washington D.C. to present my research project on Secondlife from June 16-June 20th. It went so well! Our presentation didn't win but we did stir up some interest and excitement among students and educators from across the nation about our National Board Review Second Life project for next year! I also got a bunch of free dental swag and lotions and other random prizes from the ADHA conference. I'd definitely suggest going to the national convention whenever possible because it actually was pretty interesting.

I mean Esther Wilkins herself was there!!! (for those who don't know... she is the author of our very most important Dental Hygiene text book that many refer to jokingly as our "bible". The rest of my time in D.C. I spent at the Smithsonian wandering around all the different museums. I also made it over to my grandfather's grave in Arlington National Cemetary although it took me four hours of walking, phone calling, and searching it was definitely worth it.This is Kara, Pam and I being reflected in the Vietnam Memorial where my Grandpa's name is written.

I was also able to locate his name on the Vietnam Vetrans Memorial: Leroy P. Bohrer. It was a very neat experience for me to feel that much closer to the Grandpa I never got the opportunity to meet in person. I flew straight from D.C. to Portland to help my sister drive home for our family trip to Lake Powell. The drive home went very smoothly and rather quick despite the incredible tempest we had to power through for about an hour. As always, Powell was a blast. We got plenty of ski time in and I got a few great runs on the Air Chair as well.