Graduation Day!!!

I finally GRADUATED from college!!!! It only took me four years to graduate but it feels like it took FOREVER. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health.

We ran into Tyson and Kelsey on our way to Commencement

Waiting for everyone to sit down 

Walking up the stairs after Commencement

All graduated

Me and baby Tyson

Trying to get my niece Alaina to smile for a picture

Getting my diploma from Dr. Barnes

My little sister Rebekah and I 

Got my diploma

We're all graduated and grown up

A picture with my Grandparents

My Dad's parents

My Mom's parents

A sibling shot

With my sisters

Mindy's 22nd Birthday

I don't really care for birthdays or any holiday celebration for that matter but this year I really enjoyed my Birthday. Dusty made me breakfast in bed and then let me open my presents and then I got to spend my night with my other half Lily at her bachelorette party. I loved being the only white person with all of the Armenians and I can't wait for Lily to get married!!!!!

My breakfast tray

Randy and Susie sent me Toms <3

Dusty gave me a kindle

Dusty also got me a camera for a graduation/birthday present

Since I went to Lily's party on my birthday, I celebrated with my family the next week. I made cheesecake from scratch and we all pigged out on it!!!

Blowing out the candles

My cute niece Alaina liked helping me open my presents

I got new cups because Dusty broke all of my old ones

Alaina pretended to drink out of my new cups while I opened the rest of my presents

My cute Grandma McClain gave me a cookbook

Alaina walked around wearing me new skirt for a little bit

Alaina showing off her muscles on top of my new air mattress

Alaina would run around in a circle and then hug Dusty, then run in a circle again and then hug Dusty, she repeated this cycle a few times and then started alternating hugging Dusty in-between hugging everyone else 

I got a new throw pillow

And new pillow shams

The 18th was my last day at Costco, so I needed to take a picture to show my utter joy!!!! Here are my before and after shots... 

First day of Costco back in September

My last day!!!!!! I'm so excited that I look crazy haha

Refugee Graduation

In order to graduate I needed to complete 252 internship hours. For my internship I worked with the Catholic Community Services Refugee Resettlement program around the corner from our apartment. During my internship I wrote health education materials for refugees and then proceeded to teach health education classes. I taught four different groups of refugees about Medicaid, primary, urgent and emergency care, public transportation and other basic health topics that are common knowledge for individuals that have been living in the United States their entire life. I was amazed at the little things that I take for granted each day that the refugees in my classes knew nothing about. My internship was a real eye opener for me and I loved it! At the end of my internship we held a class graduation ceremony. Unfortunately, because most of my refugees had already found jobs, they were unable to attend the graduation but two of the refugees from my classes were able to come. Here are a few pictures of our fun graduation ceremony. 

Me with Abdi Bale

Me with Ali

The group 

After my refugee graduation I was trying to make dinner and pulled the handle off of our little microwave. Dusty came to my rescue and took me to get a new one. Our new one is twice the size of our old one and can hold a whole plate in it (the other one only fit little plates and bowls). I am super excited to have a not ghetto microwave :) 

The ripped off handle

The entire face of the microwave fell off