Step 1 is over... Hallelujah!!

Have you ever taken a test for 8 freaking hours? It truly is awful. I mean really, really, really awful. I've never been so glad to have something over with in my life. The funny thing is, I took an 8 hour exam, and I can only remember 2 of the questions. That is some serious subconscious mental blocking, my friends.

I studied for 12 hours a day (or more) for almost a month, and last Monday I took Step 1. I stayed with my Mama in Hattiesburg for the month... best decision EVER. I have the best Mama. She not only cooked me dinner every night (and none of it involved the microwave), but she also did my laundry, changed my sheets, set me up a "study space," gave me some good pep talks, and she even drove me to Mobile to take my test. We drove down on Sunday night, went to dinner, and watched the show on TLC about the guy with half a body. It was nice to just relax a little bit the night before the test (between waves of impending doom and nausea). After my test on Monday, Mama picked me up, gave me a big hug, and drove me back to Hattiesburg for some Mexican food. Thank you, Mama... I couldn't have done it without you. Someone told her the other day that it was time to cut the apron strings. This made me panicky. I said, "Please, Mama! Don't ever cut the apron strings!" Haha... I have no doubts that she won't.

This is where I spent every waking moment of May 2010.

Chelsea was pretty bored with my studies.

Now I get 2 whole weeks (that are halfway over) to enjoy the sunshine before I officially begin the life of days filled only with fluorescent lighting. I'll never have a tan again.

Ah.. now that I have some time, there's lots to catch up on. Right before our finals and boards back in April, three other girls and I threw a baby shower for our friends, Matt and Laura Miller. (Not to be confused with this Matt and Laura, whose names do not belong in the same sentence as the word "baby.") Matt is in my class, and his wife Laura has gotten to be a good friend of mine as well. They are expecting their baby boy next month!! I absolutely can't wait. She's so funny... She is having the baby at Women's Hospital and not at UMC. When asked about it, she said that there's no way she's letting a bunch of short-coats near her newborn baby! Thanks for the confidence, Laura. Just kidding. I wouldn't want my husband's friends in my L&D room either. Here are a few pictures from the shower:

Cutest cake EVER.

Rowdy bunch, we are.

Macey, Hayes, Me, and Morgan, and Matt & Laura.

Another exciting thing has happened during all this study-torture. For Mother's Day, Mama, my sister, and I went to my Mamaw and Pap's house. It was the best day of this past month. On the drive home, I realized that I hadn't thought about school or studying or the Step one single time all day. I enjoyed my family and ate Mamaw's cooking. While we were there, she told me that she was going to give me one of her sets of china. I was so excited! It's so beautiful, and more importantly, it's hers. I'm very sentimental about it. I can't wait to use it! (And yes, I plan on actually using my fine china. Life's too short to keep your china in a cabinet.) Here's what it looks like:

Isn't it pretty? My pictures just don't do it justice. I love the light blue and silver. My great-grandmother actually had a set of china identical to this one, which I think is pretty cool.

Here are a few of my favorite Mother's Day pictures. For some reason, every single time there is a holiday or some other gathering at my grandparents' house, there is a mandatory photo-shoot in the front yard, whether only a few of us are there, or if all 50 of us are there (I have quite a large family). This is usually orchestrated by my mother. At least when we're all old, there won't be any shortage of pictures from the good ol' days.

Mothers and daughters.

This is my Pap. And let me tell you one thing about this man: he can fix a mean ponytail.

Somebody give this woman an award...

Two of my absolute favorite people in the whole world...

Anyway, I guess that's about it. I am an M3!! I'm so excited to be out of a classroom and into the hospital! I start out on June 8 on Pediatrics. Cheers to the first, last, and only 2 weeks of summer--