Ashlynn's Thespian Talents

Ashlynn recently wrote a poem which was entered in the Rexburg Civic Club's Annual Art & Poetry Contest for Children. Much to her surprise (and to our delight), it won first prize! Here she is reading it in front of all the parents at the Rexburg Tabernacle.
Here is the winning poem:

Are We There Yet?

Are we there yet?

I just cannot wait!

To be where I've dreamed of

my excitement can't wait!

Are we there yet?

"NO!" yells mom

But soon we will be

to where I have dreamed of

my whole life long!

YAY!

Because she was the winner from her grade level, her poem has been entered in the General Federation of Women's Clubs' state competition, in Boise. It is rumored that, if her poem wins there, she will get to read it on the radio! Her poem was also published in the local paper; you can link to the article by clicking here.

Here are a few other examples of her recent work (perhaps it is the budding artist in her, or perhaps it's the twenty bucks they gave her when she won, but she has had quite the creative streak lately). I've put them here how she typed them, including the font colors.

Dishes

Dishes, Dishes, Dishes.

I hate dishes!

Washing dishes is horrendous,

horrible, and atrocious!

Some dishes have slimy beans

And some dishes have

Squished bananas!

YUCK!

I HATE DISHES!!!

AYLA

WHO'S THAT GIRL WITH CURLY, CURLY HAIR?

WHO'S THAT GIRL THAT'S EVERYWHERE?

WHO'S THAT GIRL THAT'S CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY?

IT'S AYLA BAYLA RUNNING EVERYWHERE!

Creations of God.

The sun, the moon, the snow, and rain, and

lots of other things,

Are all of God's creations,

that he made for you and me.

Any interested publishers can contact me or my agent directly to discuss the rights. :-)

The (New & Improved) Rexburg Medical Center

My medical office has undergone a major renovation/expansion over the past year and a half or so, which was finally completed in November. The building was completely redesigned for efficiency, and to maximize our space usage.The first thing we did was convert our record-keeping system to electronic. We have been using a system called eClinicalWorks for 2 years now. It was an expensive changeover, but well worth it, I believe. It has created a lot of efficiencies for us in our day-to-day processes, and the usable space we gained by getting rid of our paper records more than pays its expenses.We added some new space, most of which has been leased to a group of Physical Therapists and to a local General Surgeon, Dr. Coray.

The PT group has a whole suite for kids downstairs, and they have this cool climbing wall with a mural of the Tetons painted on it. This would be the coolest part of the building, except...This is our new 350 gallon saltwater fish tank. Granted, it doesn't look like much yet, but it is a work in progress; soon it will be teeming with sea life of all kinds, including fish, of course, but it will also have corals, starfish, anemones, sea snails, and other kinds of aquatic wonders, sort of like this similar tank at our local hospital.

Anyway, having a saltwater tank in my place of employment has given me the "SCUBA bug" all over again. I'm going to need to spend some time underwater in the near future, somehow.

Now we have all our exam rooms in one place, in a sort of oval configuration, with the nurses' work station in the middle. Check in and check out are in a totally different place, and redesigned to provide more privacy for patients. The only place in the whole building that is in the same place is xray; we kept them in the same location because all of the lead-lined walls are really expensive to move. All in all, this has been a much more efficient way of doing things.We have also added a separate suite for "DermaChic," which is our skin care clinic that does laser hair removal, Botox injections, and that sort of thing. And, our latest addition is the "RMC Wellness Center," where we provide medically supervised weight loss and other preventic health care services. We have some additional space to rent, and a dermatologist has recently signed a lease for that space, so we'll be all full again.
I think the floor coverings, paint colors, and all the other trimmings are very well done and really add a new touch of class to the office. Most of our patients seem to think so too, although I did get one comment recently from a patient who really misses the "homey" atmosphere we had before. (Personally, I think if your doctor's office feels "homey" to you, you might want to try to spend less time there. Just a thought.) And, of course, we have always had the best staff anywhere, so that isn't any different at all!I am really appreciative to Dr. Zollinger and Mary for all of the blood, sweat, and tears they have invested in the new and improved Medical Center. They really stuck their necks out, and I hope it pays off for them; I think it will.

As for me, I am still really excited every time I go to work there, and think it is a great place to build a strong and stable medical practice for many years to come.

I Can't Believe Nathan Is 12!

Twelve is one of those landmark birthdays that, when you reach it, signals the beginning of growing up, the prelude to teenage-hood, and a lot of other landmarks in the life of a child, particularly an LDS child, who graduates from Primary and starts going to Mutual. Nathan's twelfth was January 30.

Twelve is, apparently, about the age when kids begin to discover they are smarter than their parents, if Nathan's attitude lately is any indicator. Don't get me wrong, Nathan is a GREAT kid. I believe you simply could not ask for a better one. But, it is strangely comforting and disconcerting at the same time to watch him develop "a mind of his own." On the same subject, though, it is fun to watch him develop a more sophisticated, grown-up sense of humor, to have little "inside jokes" with him, and to laugh at a lot of the same movie lines (does that mean my own development is stuck, suspended at around age 12? Please, Jillyn, no comments.)

He is excited, because he is pretty sure he got "straight A's" this term; the trimester just ended and he hasn't got the report card yet. This would be quite an amazing accomplishment for him, he works very hard. I can't believe how much homework he has, particularly in math. I don't remember ever having that much, not even in high school!

Here he is in his new suit, ready to go to church and pass the sacrament. He is very conscientious about his priesthood duties.

He received his Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class rank advancements at a recent court of honor. Here he is attaching the pin on his mom's lapel.