Wow! 5 months since my last post. My apologies. It has been a wild ride. Unfortunately I can't spend too much time on this post before getting back to work but I know a lot of you are wondering what I've been up to. So, I will very briefly catch you up with what my life has been like this year so far.
I finished up classes in May and have been putting all my time and effort into research since then. I've actually become more busy without classes, but I'm glad they are over. My first seminar was in April and it went pretty well for my first one. I'd like to improve on answering questions from the audience, but that will come with time. I've been working many, many hours collecting data, reading literature, and helping write manuscripts and grants. Even when I'm not in lab, you can usually find me working on my computer at home. It does get stressful, but I know it will all be worth it in the end. I have my first committee meeting next week, which I am both anxious about and looking forward to. After that, I will be doing a lot of writing and continuing to work on my project. I am hoping to take my qualifying exams early next year.
In April, Chris, Ellie, and I were able to travel back to the Midwest to help our friends celebrate two weddings and see our families. The visit at each destination was short, but was totally worth the 40+ hours we (mostly Chris) drove that week. It was wonderful to be a part of our friends' special days and to visit our loved ones. We have also had quite a few visitors over the past few months, and it was great to host some of our closest friends and family members. I also made a last minute trip up north for the 4th of July, which is always a good time.
In June, I attended my first research conference as a graduate student in Denver. Although I was not able to present my research, I plan on presenting at conferences in the future. I learned so much and got to check out a new city (I'd only driven through it before); it was a very successful trip.
We've had Ellie for 6 months now, and I still can't believe she's mine forever. She has brought so much joy to my life and I'm so glad we adopted her. She is quite a character. She still can be quite stubborn, but I wouldn't have it any other way. She is a beagle, after all.
As you can imagine, it has been difficult for me to keep up with things outside of work, but I'm doing the best I can to maintain some balance. I try to fit in exercise whenever I can and have really been focusing on eating right. I finally hit my goal weight this week and have officially lost 20 lbs since I started my weight loss journey last August. I would like to continue working on my strength and endurance.
I am so thankful for the people in my life. It is very difficult for me to not have time to keep in touch or continue to build relationships like I want to, but I am lucky to have the most caring, supportive, and understanding family and friends to have my back during this journey. I cannot thank you enough. Know that you are appreciated.
That is really all I have time for. I will try my best not to let so much time pass before my next post! As always, thanks for reading. God bless.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Well Hello, 2015
Where does the time go?
I'll just dive right in. I finished up last semester well with some successful presentations and all A's! Even more exciting, this is my last semester of classes! When I complete my current courses, I will be able to focus full time on my research. I had a wonderful break between semesters. My parents and sister visited me and we had a wonderful time. Although short, I was very grateful to have the break.
I have made some pretty big changes since my last post. A huge thing for me was that I bought a new (used) car! It is the first big purchase I have made on my own, and I absolutely love it. The peace of mind that comes with driving a car that I don't have to worry about breaking down on me at any minute has greatly decreased my stress. With so many things going on in my life, it was a much needed change!
Another exciting part of my life began on December 29th when Chris and I added a new member to our family! We rescued our 4-year-old beagle, Ellie from the shelter. She was already house/crate trained when we got her, and she is very smart. She has learned so many things already. We are working to take care of her allergies, but other than that she is settling in quite nicely. She does have a stubborn side, but she's so adorable it is impossible to get mad at her. She loves being outside, smelling everything, and chasing anything that moves. She also loves car rides! She is very food-motivated and likes to get into things she isn't supposed to. She doesn't bark often, but her typical beagle bark comes out when there is a stranger at the door or she sees another dog. When we aren't playing outside or with her toys, she likes to sleep. As a matter of fact, she is snoring next to me right now. I'm so happy we adopted her and still can't believe I get to keep her!
Classes so far this semester have been going well. I am taking a course on Non-coding RNAs and a Grant Writing class. I will also have to give my first seminar in April. Wish me luck! Lab has been busy as usual. I am slowly but surely beginning to make some progress. I've had some late nights, but I know it will all be worth it.
I may have gotten a bit off track for a while with my health goals, but I have recently gotten back on track and was able to maintain my weight throughout the holidays. I have lost 13 pounds since I began taking my health seriously in August. I seemed to hit a plateau after correcting my eating and trying to fit exercise in when I could, so I re-evaluated my goals. I realized that I really want to get stronger and that I'm going to have to kick up my exercise a level to continue to lose weight and tone up. I have started to attend fitness classes at the gym, and Ellie and I have been going on runs together. I'm really looking forward to the progress I'm going to be making over the next few months.
My last bible study was absolutely amazing. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst is a wonderful book and I would highly recommend it. Our current study started this week-we are reading Keep it Shut by Karen Ehman, a study in which we focus on using our words for good and "taming our tongues". As always, I'm looking forward to growing with such a wonderful group of ladies.
I think that's all I have for now. Looking forward to what the future holds! God is good! Thanks for reading and for your continued support on this journey through life!
I'll just dive right in. I finished up last semester well with some successful presentations and all A's! Even more exciting, this is my last semester of classes! When I complete my current courses, I will be able to focus full time on my research. I had a wonderful break between semesters. My parents and sister visited me and we had a wonderful time. Although short, I was very grateful to have the break.
I have made some pretty big changes since my last post. A huge thing for me was that I bought a new (used) car! It is the first big purchase I have made on my own, and I absolutely love it. The peace of mind that comes with driving a car that I don't have to worry about breaking down on me at any minute has greatly decreased my stress. With so many things going on in my life, it was a much needed change!
Another exciting part of my life began on December 29th when Chris and I added a new member to our family! We rescued our 4-year-old beagle, Ellie from the shelter. She was already house/crate trained when we got her, and she is very smart. She has learned so many things already. We are working to take care of her allergies, but other than that she is settling in quite nicely. She does have a stubborn side, but she's so adorable it is impossible to get mad at her. She loves being outside, smelling everything, and chasing anything that moves. She also loves car rides! She is very food-motivated and likes to get into things she isn't supposed to. She doesn't bark often, but her typical beagle bark comes out when there is a stranger at the door or she sees another dog. When we aren't playing outside or with her toys, she likes to sleep. As a matter of fact, she is snoring next to me right now. I'm so happy we adopted her and still can't believe I get to keep her!
Classes so far this semester have been going well. I am taking a course on Non-coding RNAs and a Grant Writing class. I will also have to give my first seminar in April. Wish me luck! Lab has been busy as usual. I am slowly but surely beginning to make some progress. I've had some late nights, but I know it will all be worth it.
I may have gotten a bit off track for a while with my health goals, but I have recently gotten back on track and was able to maintain my weight throughout the holidays. I have lost 13 pounds since I began taking my health seriously in August. I seemed to hit a plateau after correcting my eating and trying to fit exercise in when I could, so I re-evaluated my goals. I realized that I really want to get stronger and that I'm going to have to kick up my exercise a level to continue to lose weight and tone up. I have started to attend fitness classes at the gym, and Ellie and I have been going on runs together. I'm really looking forward to the progress I'm going to be making over the next few months.
My last bible study was absolutely amazing. The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst is a wonderful book and I would highly recommend it. Our current study started this week-we are reading Keep it Shut by Karen Ehman, a study in which we focus on using our words for good and "taming our tongues". As always, I'm looking forward to growing with such a wonderful group of ladies.
I think that's all I have for now. Looking forward to what the future holds! God is good! Thanks for reading and for your continued support on this journey through life!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Mid-Autumn Lowdown
Well, I'm a little over halfway through the semester and my life has been pretty crazy.
Class is going well but keeps me busy. I have some important assignments/presentations due in the coming weeks, so I am a little stressed about them but am trying to work ahead to alleviate any last minute anxiety. I have definitely been learning a lot and am really expanding the knowledge I have for my field.
Working in the lab has been going well. I recently met with my mentor to discuss ideas for my thesis project and am really excited for it and for the direction of our lab. I am currently working on some preliminary experiments to shape the direction of my project, as well as helping contribute to the already existing projects in our lab.
My weekends have been much busier than I am used to as well - we have had a lot of different events to attend. We went to Disney and became Annual Passholders. It was a blast as usual. I made a last minute trip to the Midwest to visit Chris's parents, attend Homecoming/Alumni weekend, and to visit my parents and sister. We also were able to attend my good friends' wedding, which was really beautiful. Needless to say, I haven't had too much time to relax and have had to work hard to catch up and get reorganized.
With all of the traveling and activities, it has been very difficult to keep up with eating right and exercising, but I am not becoming discouraged. I have lost 10 lbs since the beginning of August, and that keeps me motivated to keep going. Plus, I still have the Ride to Defeat ALS coming up! Chris has joined my team, so we will be riding 25 miles together on November 8 to raise money for this great cause. I would like to again thank all who have donated. I still need $50 to participate and Chris needs $80, so any additional support would be greatly appreciated! Our team website is http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Rides/Florida?team_id=310443&pg=team&fr_id=10501. There is also an option to donate by check if you do not feel comfortable making payments online. Please follow the directions on the website or contact me directly if you need assistance. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Our current bible study is fantastic. We are reading The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst and it has been amazing so far. We are exploring how to make the best decisions in our lives. Very eye-opening and very relevant.
Besides a couple more busy weekends with Halloween parties and such, I will be kicking it into high gear for work and class until I get to take a break for Christmas. Knowing that I will get to spend time with my family gives me the motivation to work extra hard to accomplish my goals. Also, good news - my sister's flight is booked and she'll get to visit me too! I'm already looking forward to it.
That's all I have for this update. I'll leave you with my current mantra, "You are confined only by the walls you build yourself."
Thanks so much for your support! God bless.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
1st Year Complete
It is hard to believe I have already accomplished an entire year of graduate school. It has definitely been a roller coaster ride, but I have grown so much in the last year. My fall courses have started and so far they are great. One class is a very in-depth discussion-based course on various topics within the cardiovascular field and the other is a prep course for my qualifying exams (which I hope to take next year). I have been working very hard in the lab (with some very long days) but I am really excited to take off with experiments and development of my project. Things are really starting to come together in my brain, and that is a great feeling.
In my last post, I mentioned I was trying to get back to a healthier version of me. Well I really committed and must say that I am pleased with my progress so far. I have been keeping track of everything I eat in the MyFitnessPal app (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) and it has really helped me stay focused and be intentional about what I eat. It is a really great app and I highly recommend it. It has a very large database of food and a bar code scanner that will just load the nutritional information into the app for you. It allows you to pick your own goals and keep track of not only what you eat, but also your weight and exercise. Although it is sometimes very difficult to get exercise in due to work, I don't let missing a day (or two or five) bring me down. I don't look at it as starting over - life happens and that is okay. I just fit in exercise when I can. Some weeks I can work out every day, and some maybe just one day. I've already lost 7lbs, which is really encouraging. I am beginning to feel much stronger physically and mentally. I have also signed up to participate in the 2014 Ride to Defeat ALS in Tampa on November 8th. It is a 25 mile bike ride and I need to raise at least $250 to participate. I am over halfway there so far, but still need to raise a bit more. If you would like to support me, you can go to my personal fundraising page at http://web.alsa.org/goto/jmeeg. Thank you so much for those who have already shown their support!
The summer bible study I was co-leading went pretty well. I am really excited to start our new study next week. I am so grateful for the time I have been able to share with the ladies in our group and am looking forward to our continued growth, getting closer to each other and to God. I have never met such an encouraging, motivating, and strong group of women, and am so blessed to be a part of it.
Other than my every day life, some exciting things are coming up. Chris and I are hosting a very good friend of ours next week and then we get to join our other close friends at Disney next weekend! Also, my parents have booked their flights to visit for Christmas and I couldn't be more excited. Fingers crossed my sister gets to join them! Chris's parents will also be visiting around the same time. I absolutely cannot wait. It is going to be such an amazing time. I have a lot to get done before then, though. Please pray for me to stay focused and motivated!
Well I need to wrap it up so I can get ready for work (yes-on a Saturday). As always, thanks to all my life supporters. I clearly have the best family and friends.
I'll end this one with my latest motto quoted from William Shakespeare: "Though she be but little, she is fierce."
In my last post, I mentioned I was trying to get back to a healthier version of me. Well I really committed and must say that I am pleased with my progress so far. I have been keeping track of everything I eat in the MyFitnessPal app (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/) and it has really helped me stay focused and be intentional about what I eat. It is a really great app and I highly recommend it. It has a very large database of food and a bar code scanner that will just load the nutritional information into the app for you. It allows you to pick your own goals and keep track of not only what you eat, but also your weight and exercise. Although it is sometimes very difficult to get exercise in due to work, I don't let missing a day (or two or five) bring me down. I don't look at it as starting over - life happens and that is okay. I just fit in exercise when I can. Some weeks I can work out every day, and some maybe just one day. I've already lost 7lbs, which is really encouraging. I am beginning to feel much stronger physically and mentally. I have also signed up to participate in the 2014 Ride to Defeat ALS in Tampa on November 8th. It is a 25 mile bike ride and I need to raise at least $250 to participate. I am over halfway there so far, but still need to raise a bit more. If you would like to support me, you can go to my personal fundraising page at http://web.alsa.org/goto/jmeeg. Thank you so much for those who have already shown their support!
The summer bible study I was co-leading went pretty well. I am really excited to start our new study next week. I am so grateful for the time I have been able to share with the ladies in our group and am looking forward to our continued growth, getting closer to each other and to God. I have never met such an encouraging, motivating, and strong group of women, and am so blessed to be a part of it.
Other than my every day life, some exciting things are coming up. Chris and I are hosting a very good friend of ours next week and then we get to join our other close friends at Disney next weekend! Also, my parents have booked their flights to visit for Christmas and I couldn't be more excited. Fingers crossed my sister gets to join them! Chris's parents will also be visiting around the same time. I absolutely cannot wait. It is going to be such an amazing time. I have a lot to get done before then, though. Please pray for me to stay focused and motivated!
Well I need to wrap it up so I can get ready for work (yes-on a Saturday). As always, thanks to all my life supporters. I clearly have the best family and friends.
I'll end this one with my latest motto quoted from William Shakespeare: "Though she be but little, she is fierce."
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Short Mid-Summer Update
It has been really nice not having to worry about classes this summer. I've been able to relax and refresh, spend time with family and friends, and work on getting healthier. I have been working in the lab full time, learning techniques and reading a lot of scientific publications and background information. I'm slowly beginning to formulate ideas for a potential project with my mentor. It is getting pretty exciting to be able to move forward, but I still have a ton of work to do. I traveled up north to see my family recently and to attend my grandfather's memorial service. The service and being able to see everyone was really nice. I have been eating healthier and exercising regularly, and am starting to feel much better. My young women's group has been going really well-it has been great spending time with other ladies of faith and "doing life" together. This may be the shortest post I've ever written. I guess that's what summer is all about.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
When There is No Peril in the Fight, There is No Glory in the Triumph
The quote that I have chosen to title this post is said to have come from Pierre Corneille, a French dramatist in the 1600s. It fits perfectly with the idea that when we struggle to obtain what we want to achieve, it feels like such a bigger victory because of what we have gone through to get there. With that said, I am pleased to share that I have survived my first year of graduate school (academically, anyway). I took my last exams this past week and will now be focusing on research full-time. I will be using this summer to learn and develop an expertise for laboratory techniques, as well as grow as a scientific thinker. I also hope to begin progress toward ideas for a potential thesis project. Although taking a summer off would be wonderful, I am really excited to plunge into research, and I will really enjoy not having to use all of my free time to study!
Chris and I have an exciting month ahead of us. Between going to Disney and having a number of visitors, we are going to be quite busy. It is going to be pretty hectic, but we love being able to see our family and friends. I will also be co-leading the study for our young women's group and couldn't be more thrilled. I am really excited to get back to meeting with these ladies every week. We really lift each other up. I'm also looking forward to getting back to working out. An injury and exams threw off my whole schedule and I will feel so much better when I get back to being healthy. I may even read for pleasure this summer...I know-crazy thought.
I know this is a pretty short post, but I'm just so glad to get a break from school! Plus, school pretty much consumed my life for the past few weeks so not much happened. My cousin did get to visit for a weekend so we could celebrate our birthdays and we had a blast. Relay for Life was very successful-thank you for all of the kind donations. It was definitely an event to remember and between the 100 teams that participated, over $60,000 was raised for cancer research and support.
Thank you so much for supporting and believing in me. I cannot express enough how awesome it is to be able to rely on so many people for encouragement and prayers. It means so much to me. Thanks for reading!
Chris and I have an exciting month ahead of us. Between going to Disney and having a number of visitors, we are going to be quite busy. It is going to be pretty hectic, but we love being able to see our family and friends. I will also be co-leading the study for our young women's group and couldn't be more thrilled. I am really excited to get back to meeting with these ladies every week. We really lift each other up. I'm also looking forward to getting back to working out. An injury and exams threw off my whole schedule and I will feel so much better when I get back to being healthy. I may even read for pleasure this summer...I know-crazy thought.
I know this is a pretty short post, but I'm just so glad to get a break from school! Plus, school pretty much consumed my life for the past few weeks so not much happened. My cousin did get to visit for a weekend so we could celebrate our birthdays and we had a blast. Relay for Life was very successful-thank you for all of the kind donations. It was definitely an event to remember and between the 100 teams that participated, over $60,000 was raised for cancer research and support.
Thank you so much for supporting and believing in me. I cannot express enough how awesome it is to be able to rely on so many people for encouragement and prayers. It means so much to me. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Mid-semester Check-in
Things sure have been crazy around here lately. Just finished round two of three of exams. I can see the end! As usual, I have been crazy busy with classes but learning so much. I have been getting some hands-on experience in my lab as well which is really exciting. I can't wait until I'm done with classes and can just focus on my research! I will be discussing potential projects with my boss soon and am really looking forward to experiencing the whole process.
Although school takes up the majority of my time, I have done a lot of fun things in the past couple months.
I joined a young women's life group that meets every week and absolutely love it! We have some amazing discussions and really lift each other up.
I have been actively participating in our student organization including our Relay for Life team. We have been holding fundraisers and the event is only two weeks away! (If you are interested in donating to my personal page please go here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=56887&pg=personal&px=35558130. Every dollar goes to cancer research and support! I'll be walking for my grandpa.) I've also been playing on our intramural soccer team and helping plan a lot of fun activities for current and potential colleagues.
I went to Disney! We made an adult trip with our friends from Chicago and had an amazing time! We met a lot of different characters, rode fun rides, and ate way too much food. We're really looking forward to going again in May.
We have also had visitors! We had a few friends from up north visit us for a fun night out and I visited my aunt and cousin in Tarpon Springs last weekend. It was so great catching up.
I've been getting back into running lately (slowly but surely) and ran my first 5k in quite a while last weekend - the Electrodash. It went much better than I expected and I was under my goal for time. I'm planning on running my next race in May.
As I mentioned before, I will be participating in Relay for Life in two weeks, I will be doing some community service this weekend that I am looking forward to, my cousin will be visiting over Easter weekend to celebrate our birthdays (so excited!) and then I'll be finishing up my second semester of graduate school!
Thanks for reading and for all of your support!
Although school takes up the majority of my time, I have done a lot of fun things in the past couple months.
I joined a young women's life group that meets every week and absolutely love it! We have some amazing discussions and really lift each other up.
I have been actively participating in our student organization including our Relay for Life team. We have been holding fundraisers and the event is only two weeks away! (If you are interested in donating to my personal page please go here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=56887&pg=personal&px=35558130. Every dollar goes to cancer research and support! I'll be walking for my grandpa.) I've also been playing on our intramural soccer team and helping plan a lot of fun activities for current and potential colleagues.
I went to Disney! We made an adult trip with our friends from Chicago and had an amazing time! We met a lot of different characters, rode fun rides, and ate way too much food. We're really looking forward to going again in May.
We have also had visitors! We had a few friends from up north visit us for a fun night out and I visited my aunt and cousin in Tarpon Springs last weekend. It was so great catching up.
I've been getting back into running lately (slowly but surely) and ran my first 5k in quite a while last weekend - the Electrodash. It went much better than I expected and I was under my goal for time. I'm planning on running my next race in May.
As I mentioned before, I will be participating in Relay for Life in two weeks, I will be doing some community service this weekend that I am looking forward to, my cousin will be visiting over Easter weekend to celebrate our birthdays (so excited!) and then I'll be finishing up my second semester of graduate school!
Thanks for reading and for all of your support!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)