Paint Nite with Kirstin & Her Birthday 2014-2015

- Paint Nite with Kirstin Riutta 2014 -

I became friends with Kirstin during my 3rd quarter of Chiropractic school. I'm absolutely amazed that we didn't become friends before that! We have basically become almost inseparable since then. It feels like we have been friends forever since we talk about anything and everything.

With Kirstin, you know what she is feeling when she is feeling them, and she is an open book. She is such a wonderful friend. Very thoughtful! I am glad for our study sessions at her apartment (old and new), our baking days when we make birthday cakes for our close friends, our Paint Nites like the ones you see below, and just the fun time we have in general together.

We can be our absolute selves around one another.

We decided to plan a Paint Nite after months of talking about it!

Location: Kells Irish Pub in Portland, OR

We drove down to the Pub after ordering some pizza and studying a little for one of our classes.

Kell's Irish Pub is a really neat Bar that I would definitely go back to. We arrived early, and grabbed our spots at one of the booths. You have to grab a canvas, turn it around, and write your name on a napkin to reserve the spot. We were about 20 mins early, so we ordered some drinks at the bar. I ordered wine, and Kirstin got a hot toddy.

When the event started, it was so simple learning how to paint the picture! The instructor was awesome, and helpful. You basically paint on layer at a time and build upon it one step at a time. We decided to paint a Fall themed picture. 

[Above Photo] My Painting

[Above Photo] Kirstin's Masterpiece

[Above Photo] Enjoying Ourselves in some cool aprons ;)

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Kirstin's Birthday

I am happy to be able to celebrate such a lovely person on her birthday!

For her birthday, I made her a German Chocolate Cake, and got our group of friends together and surprised Kirstin at her new apartment. It was pretty funny being able to surprise her.

Our friends Nadim, Qais, Moe, and Russ helped make her day even more special - we are extremely lucky to have them in our lives.

We spent a little time with Kirstin as well as her boyfriend Matt who also showed up with flowers, wine and chocolate in tow!

Not only did she have a little surprise party, our friend Karin went out and bought Kirstin a cake from this cute little bakery off of Alberta St. in Portland which was absolutely delicious and put my cake to shame!

Karin bought Kirstin a B-day cake to help celebrate!

I cannot wait to make more memories and keep building our friendship during school and after! 

Little Sister Got Married! July 2014

Kirsten Got Married!

First Step Before the Marriage - MOVING TIME!

Before the Wedding, we got Kirsten's things all packed up and moved up to Bremerton, WA where she would live with James after the wedding in a few weeks. The drive was long, but we got there! It was such a change getting used to Kirsten not having anything in her (old) room and getting used to the fact that she was leaving the nest and was going to be a married woman!

I feel very lucky to have Kirsten as a little sister. We grew up sleeping in the same room for half of our lives, but even though we grew up and started sleeping in new rooms, we remained close and for the most part didn't argue until the teen years like normal kids ;)

It was surreal to say goodbye to my little sister - but growing up and entering into a world of the "unknown" can be scary. Never living on your own, or even with someone else for the first time can be intense, but its a part of growing up and becoming an adult.

[Above Photo] KateLynn, Me, Kirsten, and Kaylie on our trip up to Bremerton, WA!

The trip was a success, minus a couch (which was donated)!

[Above Photo] Kirsten and I taking a moment together before she takes the next step in her life

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July 2014 my little sister got to marry James and officially became a Toburen!

I was honored to be asked to be her Maid of Honor and help her plan her wedding with our mother, Becky McAllister.

We got lucky the nice sunshine weather, but hated the heat! But what more can you ask for? A beautiful bride, a loving groom, and a happy family getting together to celebrate this happy moment in Kirsten and James's life.

So many people pitched in to make this day special & it was!

[Above Photo] Me, Kirsten, James, and Ryan (James's little brother) after the ceremony

[Above Photo] Taylor, Me, Kirsten, Ali, and little Miss Kaylie (Flower Girl)

[Above Photo] Kirsten and I at the reception.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your day! Love you! Xoxoxo

[Above Photo] Ring Bearer - Kevin, Maid of Honor - Me, and Flower girl - Kaylie

They were so excited to be in Auntie Kirsten's wedding, and they sure looked cute in their Sailor outfits :)

[Above Photo] Kaylie and Kevin (Twins) looking adorable in their outfits before the start of the wedding

[Above Photo] Sarah & I during the Wedding Reception

[Above Photo] Witnessing / Signing Kirsten and James's Marriage! :)

This will be a day to remember for Kirsten and James. I am so happy for the two of them!

Marriage may be hard at times, but communication, hard work, honesty, and dedication will make it strong!

First Year Of Chiropractic School 2014-2015

Building New Friendships 2014

- 1st Year of Chiropractic School -

Starting Winter Term with this amazing group of people has been absolutely amazing. I am so happy to have such a helpful group of people in my class. First quarter I was invited to my first party, a Bachelorette Party for Jacqui. I had an amazing time getting to know this great group of women during this time. These girls are extremely outgoing and vivacious. Jacqui was getting married in Canada a few months after this party, and even though she didn't return, I am glad to have met her and to have seen how thoughtful everyone is! They made Jacqui's day even more special. I am very happy to have been included in helping her celebrate.

First Party I was invited to at UWS - Bachelorette Party For Jacqui

Quarter 3 [Above Photo] - I received my doctor bag! This moment made becoming a Doctor even more real! Receiving my bag marked a major step in my educational career. Even though times get tough, you have to keep your head up and move forward and keep working hard for what you want to accomplish in life. These tools will help me learn what it takes to become a doctor one step at a time and I am beyond excited for that chance.

[Above Photo] Valentine's Card from Nate. He gave all 40ish students in my class Valentines. It was seriously the nicest thing ever!

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[Below Photos] Halloween & White Trash House Parties

The two photos above are of Kirstin and I getting ready for the Halloween Party that we were invited to in October of 2014. Kirstin spent so much time on making her costume look awesome!

 [Above Photo] All dressed up for the White Trash Party for Alyssa, Cornelius/Chelsea, and Nate's housewarming party.

All of these parties have made all of us at UWS much closer and tightnit as a group. This wonderful group of people are extremely helpful when you need it, supportive as a whole, and are always looking to make your time a memorable one!

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[Below Photo - Complements of Alyssa] Intense Studying for Finals during 3rd Quarter

Gotta keep pushing forward!

[Below Photo] The last time that we were the "Original" group before beginning 4th Quarter with our new friends. This time also marks the end of our Gross Anatomy series (1-3) and Neuroanatomy with Jim Carollo - our favorite instructor who I am so happy to have had while he is still teaching!

- Winterhawks Game 2015 -

Complementary of UWS

Kirstin & I - Laughing like crazy! Enjoying the Winterhawks winning this time around versus our last game together.

We also got FREE hats!

[Above Photo] Glad I could get 2 spare tickets to be able to bring my parents to the game with us! It was great being able to have a fun night out of the house.

Birthday 2014

Birthday Outing - May 2014

Brittany & Alicia decided to take me out for my Birthday!

So where do we go..? PEARL DISTRICT

We visited the Vault and another bar that wasn't as memorable... so much that I don't remember the name!  It was overpriced, poorly made drinks (which I sent back), and REALLY dark inside. Bright side - The Vault had some delicious martini's!

We spend a good while there - and it was really packed when we got there. Luckily we found 3 seats open for us. It's always nice when you can sit down with friends and pass the time away.

We walked around the Pearl for a little while and chatted away and laughed non-stop :)

These two make me feel so special! For my 21st Birthday they took me on a trip to Vegas - all expenses PAID! I am so so lucky to have friends like these two in my life who make every day, and every year that I know them a great one.

[Above Photo] Brittany, Alicia, and I 

[Above Photo] Brittany and I - Blurry, but I love it!

[Above Photo] Alicia and I :)

How did I get so lucky with such amazing friends?

I am absolutely in awe on how fantastic these two are!

<3 you both!

California Trip with Brittany April 2014

- Cali Trip with Brittany for Spring Break in April of 2014-

Monterey Bay, San Francisco, & Santa Cruz

The Thursday after my last final at UWS, Brittany and I decided to drive down to California a day early. We didn't end up leaving until 9pm since Brittany worked until 7pm that night. We didn't even end up leaving town until 9:30pm since we still needed to fuel up and pack our things in the car.

We drove straight through the night. Brittany was such a trooper driving so late! I tried my absolute best to stay awake with her during the 18 hours drive time to Santa Cruz - our first destination of the trip. We stopped at Mt. Shasta where we got 30 mins of nap time before we continued our drive. Coffee and conversation were the reason for getting through lol.

We arrived at our hotel in Santa Cruz. After we went inside, waited for the concierge to look up our reservation - he couldn't find it. We were a little panicked.. 30 mins later... We found out it was the WRONG hotel, and that our hotel was next door haha. That was EMBARRASSING!

In Santa Cruz we found the cutest Crepe Cafe and Arteak! We absolutely loved our Crepes and they had the cutest little outdoor patio at the Cafe, and the atmosphere was very relaxing and inviting. The shop, Arteak had the coolest handmade furniture that I have ever seen! I would love to buy things there when I am a Chiropractor and can afford it! :)

We visited the beach down the road from our hotel and walked the pier down to some restaurants and by the casino. During this time, Brittany had some serious Dorito cravings which was hysterical! So luckily there was a mini mart a couple blocks away where we could get some. That night we grabbed some dinner at a cute little restaurant and then walked over and got drinks at a mexican restaurant with our chips and salsa.

Next Stop... Monterey Bay!

We visited a really cool beach here! We walked around a little "Park" where we got to see some Monarch butterflies, and a deer in a field. The weather was perfect and warm with a slight breeze.

After walking the trail, it took us to Pebble Beach where there was a huge (red) rock walkway up on the side of the cliff. Just sitting there in the sunshine with the warm breeze was so peaceful. We just sat there and walked around for a few hours. There were so many people on the beach that day. I wish that our beaches in Oregon/Washington were as nice! The water was so blue and clear! I'm pretty sure we saw a sea lion in the ocean as well.

Last Stop - San Francisco :)

During our visit to San Fran, we visited Pier 39, Alcatraz Prison, China Town, and drove across the San Francisco bridge!

Our hotel was a "few" miles away from Downtown China Town - and Brittany decided she didn't want to drive anymore, so why don't we walk down there and get homemade fortune cookies? Well, as Brittany is "navigating" the directions on her iphone maps, we rounded the wrong block (in the opposite direction) and found our way. We walked up and down hill after hill. Mainly downhill. My back was hurting at the time and was only getting worse walking downhill, so I was getting mad lol. It was mainly because my back was flaring up and there was nothing I could do about it. Eventually we got to China Town. We were SOOOO OUT OF PLACE down there. I think we were the only people who weren't Chinese downtown. Then to get to the fortune cookie store, we had to walk down a sketchy looking alleyway. But ultimately, we got our freshly made fortune cookies! :)

We walked China Town for at least 3 hours. Bought some small gifts to take back, and ate some Pho before our TREACHEROUS walk back to the hotel room. This was absolutely miserable for me and it was getting dark outside really quickly, and... our phones were dying. 15% of battery life means absolutely NOTHING to our phones apparently, but we managed the uphill hike which took up an hour and a half versus our 30 minute walk there. A block away from the hotel we stopped by a little Bar where we bought some beer (which I never drink) or didn't at the time. It was really relaxing after that walk back.

[Above Photo] Pho

[Above Photo] San Francisco Bridge

[Above Photo] China Town - San Fran

[Above Photo] Nothing like a road trip with your Bestie :)

[Above Photo] On our walk in San Fran

The next day we went to Pier 39 and Alcatraz. We got to the Pier early enough that the stores were still closed. We walked the Pier before our boat ride to Alcatraz. I guess the boats were all booked up that day, so luckily Brittany bought them ahead of time before our trip. Smart thinking on her part!

The boat was solar powered by these panels on the top of the boats which was pretty neat to say the least! The ride took about 15 mins, then we unloaded from the boat and we decided to not do the tour and walk around on our own. We got to watch a documentary about the Prison and how families of the officers actually lived on the island and about Alcapone. It was so neat to get to look around the Prison and learn some of the history :)

 [Above Pic] Brittany & I in one of the halls in Alcatraz

[Above Photo] Panorama View of the top of Alcatraz

[Above] Us coming into Alcatraz by boat

[Above Photo] Brittany in Santa Cruz on our walk back to hotel

On our drive back fro Cali, we stopped at Subway to grab lunch. When I stepped out of Subway, my Gastroc's (Calves) almost gave out on me from so much walking and from sitting in the car so much! They started the day after our China Town adventure and were like that for a few days.

SIDE NOTE:

During most of that walk I tried keeping up with my anatomy - talking about my legs muscles, and Brittany thought it was hilarious. (China Town) :)

The weather was so nice on the way back - Brittany put down the top of her Mustang basically for the entire drive. I hate driving with the top down but Brittany loves it lol. Not my car, and I didn't drive, so I couldn't really complain. The ride back was definitely more bearable and we were more awake.

Cosmic Run with Sarah

COSMIC RUN - APRIL 2014

My sister Sarah and I did a 5k run and it was so much FUN!

I am so glad that we got to experience this together! I had lost 30lbs from the December up until this point and it was nice being able to accomplish this for myself. The last run I had been in was in March of 2009 for the Shamrock run with my office members at Clear Choice which I was in about the same shape. If you know me, you know that I hate running. Not because its good for me, but because I get extremely bored while doing it.

Pictures of us after the run! [Above & Below Pics]

We ran into our cousin Chelsea at the run and walk/ran with her the whole time

The above picture was taken in the middle of the run! We were having a BLAST even if it was raining some. We ran back through the different points where colored chalk was thrown at you. We were coated from head to toe in the neon colors!

[Above & Below Photos]

Taken Pre-Race time. We were getting ready for the run and getting pumped up!

[Below Picture]

Me after the race :)

I call it a success!!

Proud moment of accomplishing the run in 45 mins!

Thank you Sarah for one on one sister time :)

Where it all began...

In March of 2013 I made a huge step by applying to Chiropractic school. After 7 years of working at Clear Choice Chiropractic I decided that I would move forward and become a Chiropractor myself. In all of the years of learning about how an office works, working with patients, learning about billing, insurance and how to manage patient accounts, and schedule, I decided that I wanted to be able to take care of patients and be that reason why they lived healthier lives. I want to make a difference in others lives and I will. 

I felt like my life was changing in a HUGE way! And it was! I had worked so hard to get to this place during my educational experience in undergrad at Clark College. I had some tough times getting through my basic sciences and mathematics, but that would NOT stop me and get in the way of my goals. 

May 2nd, 2013 - My early birthday present!

I was ACCEPTED INTO CHIROPRACTIC SCHOOL!!! This was the absolute BEST feeling! I felt like I made an enormous leap from the person I started out as after graduation in 2008 up to this moment in 2013 when my world did change. This was the moment where everything that I worked for was accomplished and that I was proud of myself.

- Graduation Day June 2013 -

The first accomplishment of my academic career and the last barrier (or so I thought at the time) for me ending my undergraduate experience before going to Chiropractic school.

A month after graduation I received a letter from Western States stating that I needed 4 MORE CREDITS in order to go to their school. I was like "WHAT?!?!" I had already received my acceptance letter and had already had my entrance interview with all of my information such as transcripts sent over to them. So, what do I do? Summer classes had already been in session for 4 weeks when they told me (at Clark) and they gave me sources online where to look to take classes to make up the credits which would have cost me $1,000!!! I was NOT going for that. So I talked an instructor into letting me in her class 5 weeks late at Clark, THANK GOODNESS! I finished 8 weeks worth of course work in 3 weeks and ended up with an "A". This put me at the credit requirement for school.

                                     

- October 3, 2013 -

This is the day that I left my 1st job in order to start Chiropractic school. I feel so lucky to have worked with so many great people and to have had the experiences that I had. I learned so much from this group of people. I have built lifetime friendship which means so much to me. Dan and Abby Thompson hired me October 16th, 2006. I was 16 years old, in High School, and played Volleyball. They were extremely understanding by accommodating my sports schedule which took up a lot of time during the season, up until graduation. During that time I met Sharon who, at the time, I absolutely DID NOT get along with. But over the first year, after butting heads and arguing over what I was going to do, and her telling me what I needed to do, we eventually got along. Over the 7 years of my employment, Sharon and I become the best of friends and I feel extremely lucky to have met someone so special and so kind. She has been a wonderful influence on my life and I feel like I am a better person for knowing her and her compassion for others.

[Above Photo] Sharon's Birthday Tea Party and Dan & Abby's home

November 2009

 [Above Photo] Sharon and Nancy, November 2009

Birthday Tea Party for Sharon

[Above Photo] Coffee Date with Sharon and Angie :)

 In 2009, I met my best friend Brittany Holcomb. Brittany met me after my break up with my ex and she decided that she was going to treat me to a pedicure and lunch at Subway. Ever since that time, our friendship has thrived. Through Brittany I met my other wonderful friends, Alicia Peldo (now Johnson), and Samantha Williams (now Van Dyne). This group of friends have been such a blessing in my life and am thankful for their friendships.

[Above Photo] Alicia and her son Gunnar

I have known Dan and Abby for almost 10 years now, and feel very lucky to have people who support me through my schooling. I also met Raynel Hunt, who has been another wonderful influence in my life.

They threw me a going away party in the picture below:

Thank you everyone for the never ending support that you have given me! I am so grateful! :)