Las Vegas Here We Come!

While I sit here contemplating how to start this post it's hard to not look back on all of the experiences, people and memories that have brought me to this point in my life. After graduating high school, continuing my education was by far the number one priority in my life. This was so true that I even decided to start into school during the summer versus waiting to start in the Fall.

I started at Snow College and FELL IN LOVE! With the school that is, well, and the town, the people, Kent's Market workers and their fabulous Pepsi!, My favorite Maverick worker and his 'to die for' long hair, My FAVORITE professor of all time, Senor Schiffman, My Aerobics Class and rad instructor, My Poly friends and all of the luau dances they taught me while living at The Beach House, Daily ring around the blocks with my best friend Kirstin belting out some Spice Girls along the way, All of my coworkers from the Registration Office (Lacey, you kept me sane and are truly one of my very best friends), Subway, Beach Bumz and Sami's Cafe...I could go on and on, but I want to actually finish this post, so I'll stop at that. Anyways...this place helped me to LOVE school even more. It helped me to want to continue into something that I knew I would love doing for the rest of my life. I love looking back on these experiences. Some Ephraim times weren't all that great, but great things came out of all of them. One of the hardest choices I had to make in my life...knowing it may hurt someone else...in turn, helped me reunite with my one true love, and was just one small step that helped me get to the point I am today. Married to my best friend, and truly the only man I could ever see myself with. Really, this was the only, truly difficult, experience that I faced while in Ephraim. Calling off that engagement taught me so many life lessons. It helped me grow as a person. It helped me solidify the fact that I was so in love, just not with him. Oh Ephraim how you are missed. I will be back one day, I just know it.

After graduating from Snow with my Associate of Arts/Spanish, I continued through to SUU. Honestly I never saw myself at SUU I thought it would always be the University of Utah for me...what brought me here I don't know, but I'm so glad. Once again I FELL IN LOVE! With all of my punk friends that are still punks haha, but life longers- Spencer, BJ, Radio, Frankie, Rob, Coop, Randall.. I miss their lovely faces every day! I miss my amazing job, seriously, who would've thought Denny's would change my life? I was always so ashamed to say I applied for work at Denny's haha...it felt so...what's the word I'm looking for...ghetto maybe? Well...it did...But it wasn't. It was so far from that it was ridiculous! I loved my job from the moment I took that first order, how funny does that sound?! I made relationships there that will always be in my life. And as with everything, experiences I'd rather forget. I miss my 2nd Dad, my boss Doc. I appreciated everything he did for me and all of the advice he always gave me, one of my favorite (ripping me a new one in the front of the restaurant in front of all of the customers because I pierced my eyebrow)...Oh Doc, you will always be my favorite. You trusted me to manage your restaurant, I don't know why you did, but I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for all of the leadership opportunities this position provided me with. Thank you, thank you. This job brought so many great friendships, friendships I'll never be able to replace, Mckenzie, Charvel, Damaris, Celeste, Franard, Matt, Kansas, Jamer, Beison, Britt, Bethany, Cindy, Idonna...I love these people so much and even though I'm not able to see them everyday like old times I'm always thinking of them and all of the fun memories we made together! I miss practicing my spanish with the dishwashers in exchange for teaching funny english words haha..good times. I spent a good chunk of my life in this place and wouldn't change it for the world. I learned. I grew. I became a better person. I loved. I lost. I survived woo!

After graduating from SUU with my Bachelor's in Exercise Science I decided to move to St. George. I needed a change. I needed to be closer to David. I needed to figure my life out and focus on more than just school. This was the first move that wasn't a decision solely based because of a location of a school. I decided to take time off, to stop working so much, and work on my relationship with [future] husband =). I definitely do not regret the two years I took off of school, but man, I sure did get a little off track with the whole school thing. I was on a roll for a minute. I just call those two years works in progress. I accomplished so many things outside of school that NEEDED to be done. That I'm so so happy I did. If you're asking yourself what am I getting at in this post...well here we go...

I started my application process to enter a Master's Program in Occupational Therapy in May of 2011. After I had Beckahm I went to town on filling out applications and collecting recommendation letters, transcripts, money ughhh, the whole nine yards. But I was bound and determined to finally finish my schooling. To get it done and over with before Beckahm is older so I am able to spend my time with him...and any kidlings that may be in our future =). I finally finished and submitted all of my applications in July and then got to play the waiting game. In November I received a call from Touro University (Located in Henderson, NV) asking if I would be interested in an interview for placement into their program. I was so stoked. Not only was this the program I wanted due to the fact that it's an Accelerated Program and only two years long versus the normal three, it was the closest school I had applied to, meaning, closer to family! I set my interview for the soonest date possible and on Nov. 17th I headed down. The interview started at 8 AM and was scheduled to end at 2 PM. This was by far the longest six hours of my life! I've never had so many interviews in one day! But all in all it was a great day and I was excited to find out their decision, although it was nerve racking because they only choose a measly 34 out of on avg. about 450 applicants, so my chances seemed slim...The next week we went home for Thanksgiving and came back to find a mailbox full of random ish....amongst this random ish was a letter. It was from Touro. I all of the sudden wasn't so excited. I started to play out all of the situations that could happen, ways to cope with being denied...I just held on to the envelope for a while. After fighting it for about ten minutes, I decided to take a look inside..I opened it to find a letter starting out with Dear Shantel Bishoff, It is our pleasure......and that's about as far as I got. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I was. I didn't know how, or why, but I was totally okay with it. I feel so blessed. starting in July I am going to be part of the 2014 Graduating Class from Touro University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Oh what a great feeling that is.

I'm so excited for this new adventure for my family and I. I'm excited to live in a new place that's a little more diverse. I'm excited to finally finish what I started 8 years ago! I'm excited to take the necessary steps needed to finally immerse myself in a career I will absolutely love. I'm excited to be an Occupational Therapist. I'm excited to be able to help people in so many different walks of life. I'm excited to finally conquer a goal I've had set for myself for so long. I'm excited. I'm grateful my husband is so supportive and willing to make this move so that I am able to do what I love. He is so great. I can't wait for all of the fun new experiences we will make while we're down in Vegas.

Sooooooo excited!!!

'said' Acceptance Letter

B wanted in on the celebration

Soon to be Vegas Family

He has the cutest little smirk

Such a random picture but I loved Beckahm's face so had to add it..don't mind my half naked husband he had just finished football practice =)

Love my bug

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it's in the right direction." Here's to becoming official residents of Nevada!