Kristen Kinamon, Pharm.D

Or technically you could call me Dr. Kinamon... But no pressure or anything! 


Saturday was my graduation from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. Friday night we had a senior banquet to celebrate and give out some awards. Then Saturday was the big day!


After six long years of school, I am so very glad to be graduated. It still does feel a little bit surreal. I don't really feel any different today than I did last week. Also the fact that we still have to take the boards and get licensed which means there is still studying to do doesn't really make me feel very done with school just yet. 


So Saturday we got up early to head to Athens. Graduation was on the volleyball court in the Ramsey Center. Charles and Jason's parents met us there. Then I had to put on my cap and gown. Honestly the gowns were a little ugly. Apparently the pharmacy school color is a nasty green so it looked weird on the black. After getting the cap and gown on I had to go back stage to get in line in alphabetical order (hopefully my last line ever!). We waited for what seemed like forever before we finally went in and sat down. Luckily I'm in the middle of the alphabet so I got to watch all the people in front of me so I would know what to do! The dean and our class president gave their addresses then the name calling began. We got a certificate, then we all got hooded. At a graduate school graduation you get hooded. Then we all shook hands with the dean and had our picture made. There are only 121 people from my class that graduated. I'm so glad it was a small number. I can't imagine having to graduate with all of UGA! 


After taking a bunch of pictures we all went to lunch to celebrate!

Getting the gown on

Walking in

Me and Jason

With the future in laws

Hood

With the fam :)

Overall, a good day :)

So now we are down to one countdown:

12 Days until Dr. Ellis!! :)

It's MAY!

In case you haven't noticed it is now May 1st! We are officially in the month of graduation and the wedding! Woo Hoo! :)

Friday Mom and I had our final planning meeting with Flint Hill to give the final head count and finish up everything with decorations. It was pretty easy. All of that is officially done. After the meeting Mom and I headed to the mall to do some shopping. I needed some new shorts and stuff for the honeymoon and a dress for graduation and the rehearsal dinner. It was a very successful day! We were able to get lots of good stuff and even found two great dresses. And everywhere we went was having amazing sales. One of the sales was just because of the royal wedding. So thank you William and Kate for getting married on Friday so I could have 40% off at Banana Republic!! :)


Then Saturday my bridesmaids and I went shopping for their shoes. We were able to find some that they both like and feel comfortable wearing. And it was fun to hang out with them! 



Jason has been gone all weekend. He went on a bachelor motorcycle ride with his sisters. They went up to North Carolina and have been riding through the mountains all weekend. He has been sending me pictures all weekend.

River they stopped at

Mountain top view

Jason being attacked by a bear in Cherokee, NC

Jason's bike with new saddle bags

They are on their way home now, but it sounds like they had a great time! Charles and I are trying to figure out what we are going to do for my bachelorette sibling time. We don't have an entire weekend, so it will have to be a day trip.

The wedding plans are coming along. Tomorrow Jason and I are meeting with our pastor and the musician to figure out exactly how the ceremony will go and all the processional and recessional song. Hopefully after tomorrow we will have all the song information for the programs so we can get them printed. Tuesday I have my trial run for the hair. That should be fun! I'm excited to get that figured out as well. Mom and I were also talking about how we need to get all the gifts from the showers washed and ready to use and start moving my clothes and things downstairs to our apartment. Wow. I can't believe in less than 3 weeks we will be married!

Graduation is this Saturday, May 7th. This is definitely a busy time. Our class is having a graduation party on Thursday night. On Friday, we have a class meeting to get our gowns and a senior banquet. Then graduation on Saturday morning! At least I have started studying for the boards this weekend. I am praying for good time management skills over the next 3 weeks!!

6 days until graduation!

20 days until the wedding!!

Easter

Jason preached at the church we have been going to last Sunday. He was nervous about preaching on Easter because he never has before. The pastor of the church spoke in the main sanctuary, and they had a second service in the youth room for youth and "young adults". So actually, it ended up being the group Jason is most used to talking to! 


Jason's sermon was about being good enough. A lot of people think that all it takes to get to heaven is to be a good person. But really, that's not true. You have to be forgiven to get to heaven. Jason asked us to rate ourselves on a scale of 1 to 100 of how good we thought we were. According to God's standards we are all 0's!! But the amazing thing is that Christ makes up the difference. Alone we are zeros and will never be good enough for God, but because of Jesus's death and resurrection we can all be 100's. 


Romans 3:20-23
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been known, to which the Law and Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God 


Jason wanted a new pink dress shirt for his Easter message... Here he is :)

Lots to Do!

Today was my first day on the job. It was a pretty good day. It was pretty awesome to work and know you are going to get paid for it! I'm so very glad to be done working for free!!


I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed though. There are still a few things that need to be done for the wedding, now I am working, and I still have to study for my boards. I definitely have to pass the test now that I have a job! It just seems like there is a lot to do in not very much time! I guess this will be a good time to work on my time management skills. 


On Friday Mom and I are going to Flint Hill for our final wedding planning meeting. It's hard to believe that the final planning is already here :) Then Jason and I are going on Monday to meet with the pastor and the musician to really get the timeline down for the wedding day. Tuesday is the trial hair style day, so I guess I probably need to figure out exactly how I want my hair done before that. It will be a project for this weekend. Mom and I are also going honeymoon shopping on Friday which I am excited about! I need some new clothes and swim suits for St. Lucia! I will be so glad when the wedding is over and we are on vacation. This vacation is much needed for both me and Jason. Jason has been very busy working these last couple of weeks. He has been out of town a lot and he has to work overnight most of the time. He definitely needs a vacation too


10 days until graduation!!
24 days until the wedding!!

We So Excited

I have great news! Yesterday, I was offered a job at the clinic where I am on rotation now. They have several clinics and a few have pharmacies. The one in Lavonia, Georgia has a pharmacy but no pharmacist. So they offered me the job. I of course accepted. Because it's a clinic, they have regular doctor's office hours so I will not have to work til 9 or 10 at night which is awesome. Probably the latest I would be there would be 7. Also, this particular clinic is only open two days a week. It's a part time gig with the possibility that in the future the clinic may be open 3 or even 4 days a week. But for now, I'm content with 2. I am so very thankful for this opportunity. I will probably be making exactly the same as I would have made doing a residency but will only work 2 days a week instead of all 7 days! God was definitely watching out for me. I know this is a God thing because when I got my original list of rotations this rotation was not included. I was actually supposed to be somewhere else for these last 5 weeks. That preceptor backed out last semester and this was my new assignment. And now God has given me the opportunity to be a pharmacist without having to work nights or weekends! I'm so happy about that! Now I will be able to eat dinner with Jason every night and have weekends off with him and our families. I have always said I wanted a cushy part time job, and I think that's what I got! I am so relieved that Jason and I are not starting our lives together unemployed. Apalachee Construction, Jason's company, has been very busy lately (which is a good thing of course!) and now I will be bringing some income to the table as well. Tomorrow is my last day of school (YAY!!!). Next week, I will start working at the clinic in Lavonia. I will be working there and training with another pharmacist until I get my license in June or July. So excited!!! :)


It's so hard for me to believe tomorrow is my last day of school ever. I don't feel like I'm really ready to be a grown up, but I guess I am! And closer to graduation means closer to the wedding :)


Mom and I have a busy day planned on Friday getting wedding things taken care of! I am having the final fitting for my wedding dress and hopefully bringing it home on Friday! Then we have some errands to run to pick up some things for the wedding reception. It's getting so close. I'm so much looking forward to having it behind us and relaxing in St. Lucia on our honeymoon!! 


Countdown:
1 more day of free labor
17 days until graduation
31 days until the wedding!

Time

"Time's flying by moving so fast, you better make it count cause you can't get it back..."


This is a line from the Carrie Underwood song So Small. I was thinking about it today because time really is flying by right now! 


Next Thursday is my last day of school ever. EVER. It's a little hard to believe. I feel like I've been in school forever, so the fact that it is almost finished is a little strange. Will I know what to do with myself when I don't have school to do? I'm sure I will! It's not like I've really been doing school this year. At least after May 7th I can work and make money instead of doing it for free! These 6 years of college and 4 years of pharmacy school have definitely flown by. I graduated from high school 6 years ago, it certainly doesn't feel like it's been that long. I'm getting old! :)


Time is also flying by when it comes to the wedding! Being almost done with school also means that the wedding is right around the corner. I feel like our engagement has flown by as well. We started out at over 500 days until the wedding and now there are only 5 weeks left. At this point, to be honest, I'm tired of planning. I don't want to make any more decisions or do anything else. I just want to BE married to Jason. Unfortunately, there are still things to do, so I can't just sit back yet. I went to get my dress fitted two weeks ago, so it will be ready next Friday for me to pick up! Yay! Mom and I are working on the formatting and details for the programs. We are also working on the music for the ceremony and of course the reception! I can't wait to dance after the ceremony :) Our final planning meeting with Flint Hill is in two weeks. And my sweet bridesmaids are throwing me a lingerie shower next weekend! Woo hoo! As soon as I'm done with school, I'll be going shopping to get new clothes for our St. Lucia honeymoon. We are so much looking forward to that vacation. I guess somewhere in the midst of all this wedding stuff, I also need to study for the pharmacy boards!!


Also, I'm doing the Insanity workouts right now to get back in shape for the honeymoon. And it's definitely insane. I hate it while I'm doing it, but I feel much better when it's done! :) 


Updated Countdowns:
5 more days of free labor
24 days until graduation
38 days until the wedding!

Blessings

LAURA STORY - "BLESSINGS" LYRICS

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

I heard this song for the first time a couple of weeks ago on the radio. It was a real eye opener for me. I am so thankful for this song because I really felt like God used it to speak to me. This song is the perfect description of how I (and probably many others) have been acting as a Christian. I think we often want and expect to be comfortable. We want everything to be okay. We want to be happy, to have things go our way. We all have our own plans and think we know what is best for ourselves. But what if we are wrong? I have often gotten angry with God, or at least frustrated because I can't feel Him. I don't feel like He is there or speaking to me. But at the same time I want things to be nice and peachy. I think the point of this song is that these things don't always go together. Often times the hard times are what bring us close to God. The trials that we face are actually blessings because they bring us closer to Him. We can't have our cake and eat it too. Everything can't be perfect and along with that comes closeness to God. God doesn't want us to stay the same. The question is are we, am I, willing to give up comfort and ease in order to become closer to God and become the person He wants us to be. I  pray that I can say, "Yes, God, if a thousand sleepless nights is what it takes, that is acceptable to me because I want to grow closer to you and become the woman of God that You want me to be!"

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

"Blessings" Video