Graduation

Robert graduated on Friday, December 12.  Way to go, Robert!  Robert is the bomb, but we give God the glory for leading us and guiding us throughout this whole journey.  Robert completed a 90+ hour Masters of Divinity with Advanced Standing in 2.5 years.  We've actually only had two friends graduate while we were here, and both of them started before Robert.  It's a rigorous program that puts my 30 hours MA to shame.

We were fortunate to have lots of family come for the event of the year.  Robert's dad, his dad's wife, and his dad's sister arrive on Thursday afternoon.  His mom and her husband arrived that evening, and my parents and Memaw arrived late that night.  We were able to spend some time with everyone together as well as smaller groups.  On Thursday we went out to Red Robin with R's dad and company.  Then he and I headed to the hotel to see Serina and Mark.  My parents and Memaw got to RDU around 11:30pm.  I was a zombie but still excited to see them.  All of our family stayed at the same hotel which was convenient.

Robert had to be up at the chapel at 8:00am on Friday, so I went over to the hotel to do my makeup with Memaw and Mom.  Robert doesn't understand, but it's just more fun to get ready with other girls.  We all headed to the chapel and got some good seats.  Since it was a small graduation they combined the college students with the seminary grads.  In the spring they have separate services.  Our friends Anna, Forrest, and Andrea were able to come as well; such a sweet treat!  It was a good service: President Akin was the speaker, we sang Christmas carols, and Robert didn't trip.

After the service we took pictures and headed to Over the Falls.  Lunch was delish!  After that, Serina and I picked up R's graduation cake from Sweet Traditions.  It came recommended by a co-worker, and it didn't disappoint.  I went with red velvet with cream cheese frosting.  We all went to our apartment to eat cake and chat.  The rest of the day was pretty chill - naps and takeout for dinner.  We wrapped up the day with some Christmas lights

Everyone but my family left early on Sunday.  My family was able to go to church, and we all ate lunch together.  Then it was time to take them to the airport again.  It was such a fun time of celebrating!  

The End of Summer

I suppose summer is officially over, considering Robert is back at school.  Ahh...his final semester.  Technically he will have to take one Jan-Term class for 3 weeks after he graduates, but that's just a technicality.  We're so thankful SEBTS is letting him walk before he takes that final class.  Otherwise, we would have to come back here 4 months later for graduation.  Because of that, we're calling this his last semester.  This semester he is taking sermon delivery, a book study on Psalms, Theology, and 9 Marks (a weekend intensive in September).  Shout out to R for taking 12 hours a semester.  I've only met a couple of other people who do this, and they either aren't married or don't have much of a job.  He's Superman!

We had a very fun Sunday School social on Saturday.  We had a scavenger hunt around town, and my team got second place.  Tasks included a picture of a yellow car, a video interviewing strangers and asking how they met, and bringing back a bottle cap.  We had countless other things to photograph, record, and bring back.  It was a lot of fun!  I was bummed Robert had to work so he couldn't attend, but he made it in time to enjoy dessert with everyone back at the house.

This week we had to say goodbye to some of our dear friends, the Rudolphs.  Emily was the first person to befriend us at Faith.  We met her on Halloween and she invited us to come to her Sunday School class which was taught by her husband.  They no longer teach so we've joined a different class, but they're still our good friends.  Robert and I have house sat for them multiple times.  They're such a sweet family.  Mike finished his doctorate in May, and they decided to move to Ohio.  I helped Emily clean on Saturday, and Robert and I helped out again on Tuesday.  Robert helped with the storage unit, and I helped stage and tidy the house to be put on the market.  They headed out on Wednesday.  It was sad to say goodbye.  It made me think about how difficult it will be to say goodbye when we move, but I left feeling so thankful that we know and love friends so much that it's painful to say goodbye.

Sunday was our Fantasy Football draft.  We had about 10 people from Sunday School at the draft.  I'm not one to brag, but...at the end of the draft the computer system estimated what everyone's record would be and mine came out as 14-0, so...

The main bummer of the week was that our computer broke.  We only have one computer, and it's well used.  Robert got it about seven years ago.  I like to say that it works well, minus the fact that sometimes it locks up, it can't connect to the printer, it doesn't read PDFs, it burns your lap off, and it overheats every 30 minutes.  But other than that it's a great computer.  Anyway, it bit the dust last Saturday.  Pretty much the worst time possible since Robert was to start school on Monday.  We did our research for a few days and settled on an Asus.  In the meantime, Robert had a friend from church take a look at the broken computer and he was able to fix it enough to turn it on again, and he charged us a mere $20.  We were able to boot it up and save everything onto an external hard drive.  Crisis averted!

Also, I can't let this post go by without giving a birthday shout out to my mom!

The Month of June

How did it get so late so soon?  It's night before it's afternoon.  December is here before it's June.  My goodness how the time as flewn.  How did it get so late so soon? ~ Dr. Seuss

I guess it being June 20 means the year is about half over.  Hard to believe, I suppose.

We just passed the 6 month mark til Robert graduates.  It's interesting because when we moved here I hadn't moved since I was just a few months old.  I honestly had no idea what to expect.  Would we find kindred spirits immediately?  How long would it take to find jobs?  What would we look for in a church?  How do you learn where everything is in a new town - grocery store, doctor, gas stations?  On top of all of that I was learning how to be a wife and how to be an adult outside of school.  I guess a positive part about not knowing is that you aren't cynical yet, but a good thing about knowing what is like to move now is that I know that it will be difficult, but that it does get better.  I think we all know that it takes me a long time to adjust, so I'm not going to try and pretend otherwise, but for some reason I just feel more ready for this next move.  We have no idea where we will move, but I just feel peaceful about it.  We might move somewhere that we absolutely love and we'll live there forever, we might dislike living there so much that we move quickly, or it might be a place that we love but still don't stay for long.  It doesn't really even matter what it's going to be like because God already knows what's going to happen, He has cooler things planned than I could ever imagine.  It's also kind of nice not knowing everything because it would be awfully overwhelming to know everything that's going to happen in the rest of my life.

At the start of this month Robert took an intensive summer school class for one week that was Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00.  He finished that class, and then headed to Baltimore 2 days later.  It's interesting to see how different my days are when Robert is out of town.  My days consist of way less talking, less laughing, much more sleep, boring meals, and frantic mornings making breakfast and lunch.  He had a great time Baltimore, and we're very glad he got to go.  The main bummer was a huge storm that made the 4 hour drive home turn into 7.5 hours and left me at home without power, a dead cell phone, and nothing to do for 6 hours.

This week was Vacation Bible School, and it was great!  Last year I was in charge of preschool music, and it was super fun but very time-consuming.  It was difficult to get home at 5:50 and need to be at church at 6:15.  This year I helped with preschool snack.  I guess I'd just like to encourage you to not let lack of time be an excuse for not serving others.  Sure, if you have tons of extra time and the desire then go for it and pursue a leadership position, but just because you work full-time doesn't mean you can't do anything.  

Summer Happenings

Memorial Day was so nice.  It was my perfect kind of day - a day full of ticking things off my list.  We had gotten back to town late the night before so it was nice to have a day to recover and catch up from being gone the week before - unpacking, sorting mail, laundry.  I can tell you that in my short time as a "homemaker" I have learned that it is always worth it to clean your house before you leave for a bit trip.  It's so nice to come home to a house with your bed made, no dirty dishes, no stinky trash, and no clutter to be found.  Definitely worth it.  I also like to unplug everything in our apartment before leaving for a trip.  I don't know exactly how much money this saves us, but I know it sure doesn't hurt.  We also turn the AC up to 80 or the heat down to 65.  Having lower electric and water bills is just an added benefit of traveling.

Anyway, with our extra day off we returned an item at Pet Smart, sold a table and lamps, made a deposit at the bank, and did some spring cleaning.  It was so wonderful that Robert had the day off as well!  We ended the day with a barbecue with our dear friends Forrest and Anna.  We brought the potato salad and homemade ice cream.  They furnished the veggies and meat.  And let me tell you, they went all out with the meat: pork chops, burgers, hot dogs, ham, and spam.  Wowie wow wow!

I don't know about you, but starting the work week on a Tuesday pretty much makes the whole week feel out of sorts.  You would think it would make it faster having a four day work week, but I just spend the whole week confused on what day it is and feeling behind.

We wrapped up the week with a weekend trip to the Outer Banks to meet up with Robert's mom and her husband.  The weather was a little cool, but it was actually nicer than originally predicted.  We got to hang at the beach, swim at the pool, hike up a sand dune, eat lots of tasty food, and enjoy cable tv (which we don't have at home).

This week is pretty nuts.  Robert is in an intensive summer school class which means he is in the same class Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00 for one week, but then it's over and he has three more credit hours under his belt.  He's taking Biblical Manhood and Womanhood - a class which he wasn't interested in, I suggested he take, and he is now enjoying.  Score!  After this class he will have four days to recover before he goes to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual conference.  That's another summer school class.  He'll be gone for three days and will get another three credit hours.  He's really looking forward to this one.  It should be a great experience with lots of time for networking for his future career.  Another benefit?  It's FREE with not tuition cost.  After mid June he will be finished with classes for the summer, and he'll be finished with his assignments by the end of June which will leave all of July and most of August for him to enjoy just working and not having to study so he can get ready for his FINAL semester.  It's going to be so strange when he's finished with school.  We've never known each other outside of school.  I'm excited to see what it will be like.  I know everybody talks about how being in school is sooooo much easier than being a full-time employee, but with two years of full-time experience (I know it still isn't a ton) I can say that I love the fact that I leave work at 5:00 and am free as a bird until 8:00.

Also, I've been inspired by Ann VosKamp's 1000 gifts and wanted to respond to her Joy Dare for June 3.  Today's dare is is to find 3 gifts from today's conversations:

1. Talking with Robert on our nightly walk - Robert and I have found that we both chat more and listen better while we're walking.  I highly recommend it to anyone who feels like they're in a slump in their conversations with their spouse.
2. A surprise call from my Dad after I got home from work - Isn't it great to have parents who think about you throughout the day?
3. Hearing about a job interview that my friend's husband has - It's awesome to hear how God is providing for His people who are seeking His heart.  It also gives me hope and inspires me as we start to think about our future after Robert graduates.

What gifts of conversation did you hear today?

Also, an update on Mittens: She loves my parents, and they love her.  We couldn't have better caregivers for her.  I think they like her almost as much as Robert and I do.  They have been great to give us daily updates and pictures of her.  Her second birthday was on Sunday, and they made sure to treat her like the princess that she is.

Birthday party complete with a banner, kitty cat Pate, and "It's Your Special Day" plate

3 Day Weekend

My 3 day Martin Luther King weekend was absolutely wonderful!  May parents had made plans about two months ago to come to NC for the weekend for a little visit.  The trip was way to short, as usual, but I cherish any amount of time we get to spend together.  We picked them up from the airport Saturday morning at 11:00 and said goodbye Monday evening at 4:00.  Highlights of their visit included:

• Church together
• Getting a little tune up for my car - Oil change, new brake pads, wash, and vacuum
• Grocery shopping
• Delicious restaurants - Brigs, Los Tres Magueyes, Dairy Depot
  
• Games - Anomia and Wits & Wagers
• Mom teaching Robert how to do some mending with the sewing machine
• Replacing the tire on Robert's bike so Dad and I could go for a ride
• Giving Mom and Dad a tour inside several of the buildings at SEBTS.  The last tour we gave them was before Robert started school, and we only showed them the outside of the buildings.
• Hanging with the Vaughts - Dinner, dessert, games, and football on TV
• Catching up with family friends (The Morgans) at Chick Fil A
• Visiting Robert at work, getting to see the flower shop, and meeting his boss and co-workers

Saying goodbye to them never gets any easier.  We'll see them again in about 10 weeks for Easter.  So far away!

Breakfast at Brigs

Chick Fil A with the Morgans

Robert with his co-worker Logan and boss, Alison

Robert started his new semester today.  He has kind of a packed school schedule Tuesday-Thursday in order to be off on Monday and Friday to work at the flower shop all day (plus Saturday).  He's taking Greek 2, Pastoral Ministries, Missions, and Evangelism this semester.  It'll be 12 hours just like last semester.  Wednesdays he'll have 3 classes, and on Thursdays he'll only have one class, so really only Tuesday and Wednesday are crazy.  Hopefully that will pay off in order to have slower days the rest of the week.

Robert finished his Greek class with flying colors!!!  He ended up with an A.  I guess it's all Greek to him?

The Final Chapter

I'm well into my last semester of graduate school.  It's still pretty hard to believe.  The other day I mentioned speech I had given on the Apple cult.  I told Robert I gave the speech last spring, and he didn't believe me at first.  He thought it was just last semester.  It's crazy to think of how much has happened since this time last year.  Let's take a look back:

• Graduated college
• Started graduate school
• I finished my first semester of grad school
• I got a new car
• Robert spent two and a half weeks in Africa
• Robert go a new car
• I finished my second semester of grad school
• We got engaged
• Robert started his senior year of college
• Robert and I went to Alabama
• I finished my third semester of graduate school
• Robert and I went to Pennsylvania
• Robert and I started our last semester at SBU and Drury

I know most of those milestones have to do with school which isn't super fun, but it's still very exciting.  Obviously the most exciting part was getting engaged.  I can't believe we've been engaged for nearly six months.

Let's look forward a bit.  Here's what's happening in the next four months:

• I'll graduate from Drury
• Robert will graduate from SBU
• We'll get married
• We'll move to North Carolina
• I'll find a full-time job.  Robert will find a part-time job
• Robert will start graduate school
• Then I'll take the world's longest nap

Thinking about everything that will be happening in the next few months can certainly feel overwhelming at times.  I don't know if it's the right approach or not, but I try not to think about it much.  Well, mostly I don't think about having to find a job.  Don't get me wrong, I'm looking for jobs, but I'm really trying not to freak out about it.  I've come to terms with the fact that we might not have jobs when we move, and that's okay.  We have enough saved up to last a few months, and God always has and always will provide.

On January 19 we took Chad and Natalie out to dinner at El Rodeo to say good bye to them.  Chad and Natalie are our old married friends.  Chad and Robert met their freshman year of college.  Chad and Natalie got married in June and lived just down the street from me.  They moved to Colorado, and I know they'll do great things, but we miss them dearly. 

I'm taking three classes this semester.

1. Ethics and corporate communication - Online, 16 weeks.  Basically each week I do the reading assignment, view a PowerPoint, answer questions Dr. Gilstrap has posted on Blackboard, comment on other people's answers, find a blog post that deals with an issue we've read about that week, comment on the blogpost, take a screenshot of my comment, and post it to Blackboard.  The big project for the class is a research paper.  As part of it I have to turn in an annotated bibliography before spring break.  I had to do one of these for introduction to graduate studies in June.  I have to find 25 sources, cite them in APA, and right an abstract for each article.  After spring break I'll use those sources to right a research paper.  I'm supposed to take a case and explain why I think it is ethical or unethical by apply it to a certain ethics theory.  My plan is discuss disclosure as it relates to interpersonal communication ethics in a relationship in which one of the partners is HIV positive. 
2. Advanced organizational research - 16 weeks, seated in person.  This class is my capstone.  We have a reading assignment each week, go in for a lecture, and then actually do the thing we've just learned about.  So my project is organizational identification in a university setting.  I'll be interviewing 15+ marketing and public relations communication professionals at colleges and universities in Missouri.  I'll be looking to find how they identify with the organization and how they foster identification for others.  I'll record the interviews, transcribe them, look for themes, and type up a formal paper.  The goal is to get it published in an academic journal, but Dr. Gilstrap has informed up this is very difficult to do.  We'll see.
3. Leadership and management - Second half of the semester, 8 weeks, online and seated in person.  I don't know much about this class yet since it starts after spring break.  I do know that it's taught by Dr. Gilstrap (all three classes are with him).  I also know that when we meet it's from 5:20-9:00.  Usually classes meet from 5:20-8:00.

We bought the stamps for our wedding invitations.  We're doing postcards because a. it's cheaper to mail them and b. for those of you who tend to not open mail immediately (you know who you are), you can read the invite without having to open an envelop.  We knew that postcard stamps were going up at the end of January so we waited to buy them so we wouldn't have to add on penny stamps.  We went in last week and said we'd like 145 postcard stamps.  I asked if there were cute ones like flowers or hearts.  The postmistress said there's only one type of postcard stamps.  I figured that was okay because I remembered the previous postcard stamp being a white bird with a blue background.  Semi-neutral.  She came back with Hawaiian t-shirt stamps that say "Aloha" on them.  Seriously?  First of all, we aren't going to Hawaii on our honeymoon, but I guarantee that's what several people will automatically assume.  Second, if you're only going to give America one option why not go with something a little bit more low key?  I asked if we could go to another post office or come back in a few weeks to get something different.  She said no.  It's like that at every post office, and the picture isn't changing until the price goes up again.  What are the odds?  Thankfully, I've been able to mostly just think of it as ridiculous and humorous.

Bolivar has a new doughnut shop - Sunrise Sugar Shack.  Delicious!  I went there with my former suitemate Laura, and it was great!  I got a sausage roll and a sour cream doughnut.  Since then, Robert brought me a red velvet cake doughnut, and it was great as well!  I would definitely recommend it.

I finished my winter project for school on Tuesday.  I can't remember if I told you about it or not, but it was a project for the accelerated program over January.  We didn't get any credit hours for it which is lame, but the bright side is that meant I didn't get charged for it either.  We did a organizational culture analysis/communication audit for a non-profit in Springfield.  My main part was conducting four interviews - CEO and three directors.  We also sent out an online survey to all of the employees.  Tuesday we present in front of the CEO, directors, and two Drury professors.  It went so well, and it feels great to be finished with that!

I went to Dr. Leo again on Tuesday.  I had called Friday, and the secretary said I wouldn't have to do lab work.  So what happens when I get there Tuesday?  The lab lady came in to take my blood.  I told her I wasn't supposed to get blood work down.  She told me differently.  I wouldn't have cared, but I have such a difficult time with blood work.  Apparently I'm a mess because the lab workers always say stuff like, "You have really deep veins," "Let me get some warm blankets to try to get your blood pumping," "Are you nervous?"  Well, I wasn't nervous until you pushed the needle in and out ten times.  So it only took this lady two different tries.  On the first try she pushed the needle in and out for ten minutes and didn't get anything.  She moved down a couple of inches and got blood after five minutes.  For some of you this would be a nightmare.  For me it was a miracle.  I thought I was actually supposed to see Dr. Leo but I got the physician's assistant.  She is totally fine, but I don't like thinking I'm going to see the doctor, and then not actually seeing him.  Side note:  I pay a $30 co-pay for regular doctor's visit and a $45 co-pay for specialists.  That means a $45 co-pay for Dr. Leo, but if I'm seeing someone who isn't even a doctor shouldn't my co-pay be less than $30?  Ugh.  Anyway, she said my white blood cell count has gone up which is great, but it still isn't in the "normal range."  Thankfully, it's only a tenth of a point less than the lowest part of the "normal range."  There's something else that's a little off.  I can't remember if it's my lymphocytes or monocytes, but that's nothing new.  When I first started getting frequent blood work ten components were either too high or too low, so this is definitely an improvement.  The PA told me this should be a good indicator that my iron levels are up.  Yay!  It takes a couple of days for the iron results so she just called me yesterday.  My iron counts are lower than before.  For women, normal is 65-165.  In November my count was 32.  Now it's 26.  I don't understand.  I'm upset because she got my hopes up.  I'm upset because I'm taking my medicine and trying to eat more iron-rich food.  I'm upset because the six weeks of IV treatments didn't last for long at all.  I'm upset because I have been feeling awful for the past few days so I know the test result isn't just a fluke.  I wish it was, but I've been light-headed, tired, dizzy, and out of it for about three days. 

On a much happier note I have my wedding dress fitting tomorrow.  Mom was the only one that came shopping with me back in August.  At first I thought I didn't want anyone else to see my dress until the big day, but I've decided that it would be a really cool bonding experience to have my mom, dad, and brother come with me tomorrow.  I'm so pumped!  Also, Monday afternoon my mom and I are meeting with my 18 co-hostess (!!!) to plan the details for our March 10th wedding shower.  Holla!

A New Start

I officially started my last semester of grad school.  It's crazy to think about all the things, academically and spiritually, I have learned since May.  I seriously cannot believe this journey started eight months ago.  I'll finish my winter project in two weeks.  Then all that's left is a 16-week online class, an eight-week online/in person class that starts after spring break, and my capstone that lasts all semester.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I get teary-eyed just thinking about walking across the stage and being hooded.  I know that will be such a happy moment.  I'll look back and flashes of God's provision will spin through my head.  God is good.  I'm sure I might also be thinking about getting married eight days later. :)

Wedding progress: You all know how much I love checking off things from my to do list.  I've made quite a bit of progress the past few weeks.  I ordered my wedding shoes and will pick them up today on my way to class.  I ordered ten Wal-Mart giftcards as thank yous to the groomsmen, ushers, and other lovely friends who are so graciously helping us with the wedding.  We'll hand those out at our rehearsal dinner.  Robert and I addressed the wedding invitations.  I'll put stamps on them January 23 after postcard stamp prices go up (ugh).  Then we'll mail them out February 20.  Eek!  All my bridesmaids were in town for winter break so we planned my bachelorette party.  It will occur the night before the rehearsal dinner.  So excited to have fun and be silly with my girls.  We also planned my personal shower which will occur in March.  Kelsey and Elise are hosting.  Additionally, we planned my SBU girl friend shower that Tarah and Tiffani will host.  Finally, my mom and I chatted with the host for my main shower.  Sandy Maupin has volunteered to have it at her house.  I'm so pumped!  She has already secured 14 co-hostesses.  I'm amazed at the love and kindness people show.  The shower is going to be March 10 from 10:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.  Mark your calendars!  We also registered at Roweton's Home Center which was super fun.  Ray bought us to place settings of our dishes for Christmas.  So perfect! We added our bedding to our Bed Bath and Beyond registry.  My wonderful MOH texted me last night and asked for another project.  Today I mailed her tulle, ribbon, and money for birdseed so she can make the little birdseed bags for each guest to throw birdseed at us as we leave.  I ordered a glam comb for my veil.  Aunt Dana came for a visit and took the mason jars back to Texas with her because she is going to dye them blue.  How awesome!  The next big thing on my to do list is a gown fitting on February 4.  I am so incredibly excited to wear my dress again.

I lost another three pounds.  Total weight loss to date is 23 pounds.  It feels so good!

Robert's knee surgery went well.  He tore his lateral collateral ligament.  The doctor removed the frayed part.  He also drained some liquid that was causing bursitis.  He gets his stitches out today.

In other health news, I burned my finger very badly a week and a half ago.  I was at my dear friend Leslie's house for dinner.  I put spaghetti noodles on my plate.  When I went to pour some sauce on the sauce dripped onto my pinky and ring finger on my left hand. (!)  There wasn't a napkin nearby so I rushed to the sink to wash it off.  Initially it honestly didn't hurt.  However, a few minutes into dinner I found myself in extreme pain.  I tried to play it off by holding my two fingers with my cold right hand to provide some relief.  I held onto my cold glass of ice water.  Basically I just sat there thinking, "This is the most pain I have ever been in before."  The second I got into my car I called Robert and said, "I'm coming to your apartment.  Have a bag of ice ready.  I'll explain later."  I zoomed to his apartment and immediately put on the ice bag.  I found out later that you should never put ice on a burn.  Oops.  We went to my house.  My mom had me soak my finger in cool water.  I soaked it in cold milk as well because I thought I remembered my high school algebra teacher saying that was helpful.  I put aloe on it.  I held it upright so the blood wouldn't flow to it.  We started watching Dumbo.  The entire time I was seriously writhing in pain.  Finally Robert noticed I was crying so we decided to go to Walgreens.  He was still on prescription painkiller for his knee and couldn't drive so I had to drive with my disabled hand.  We went to Walgreens and bought Solarplast.  It was 8:05 p.m., so of course the doctor's offices were closed.  And the walk-in clinic closes at 8:00.  Go figure.  Therefore, I couldn't get a prescription that night.  The only other option was to go to the ER.  And seriously, I would feel so dumb going to the ER for a spaghetti burn.  What would they do?  Hook me up to an IV and do an x-ray?  I went to sleep that night with a very tiny blister near my cutuicle.  I woke up the next morning with this:

Needless to say, I was horrified.  I called Robert immediately.  I went to his apartment.  He was shocked.  I had his roommate Wade close his eyes.  When he opened them he was shocked.  I searched blisters on webmd and found conflicting perspectives one whether or not to pop blisters.  I decided to leave the blister unwrapped and went about the day with my hand in the air to avoid the pounding of my pulse in my fingers.  I saw the former SBU school nurse at the park and decided to tell her my story.  She looked at my blister and said that in her 30+ years of nursing she had never seen a blister this tall before.  That night as I walked to my room in the dark I hit my finger on the doorframe.  This didn't officially pop my blister, but it did start oozing.  It oozed through the night, occasionally waking me up from the liquid streaming down my hand and arm.  Now that the blister was partially open I could no longer put Solarplast on it.  It was time to go to Kansas for the weekend to have a belated Christmas with the Varners.  Before we left Mom bought gauze, paper tape, and antibiotic ointment for me.  I alternated between wrapping my finger and letting it air out.  It still hurt like the dickens.  Finally, one day last week I decided it was time for medical attention.  I went to the SBU school nurse.  She looked at it and said it was either a second or third degree burn.  She told me to call my doctor and ask for a prescription for Silvadene.  I was able to get the prescription without an appointment, and the ointment only cost eight bucks.  I've been putting on the ointment 3-4 times a day, and I continue to alternate between wrapping it and letting it air out.  One embarrassing aspect of this situation has been the fact that I have lost my gauze wrap in public places two times.  Somewhere in the Esquire Theater there's a gauze wrap floating around.  A few days after the initial incident my finger looked like this:



So we decided to take medical scissors and cut off the flap in order to prevent it from getting caught on something.

As you can see, I had a huge blister on my knuckle and a smaller blister on my cuticle.  I think I got a burn underneath my fingernail as well.  The burn on my ring finger never formed into a blister and is totally healed now thankfully.  Although this is an incredibly strange and gross injury I must admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed people's reactions to it.  It's gross but cool.  On a more serious note, the nurse told me that I will most like have a scar from this blister.  When she told me this my eyes teared up.  I know it's incredibly vain, but in just four months I'll be getting married and I don't want pictures of my wedding ring with my scarred finger.  I also know that lots of people will say, "Let me see your ring," and I will hate the fact that when they look at my ring they will also see a huge scar.  Once it is fully healed I am going to do everything in my power to prevent or minimize the scarring.  I've heard vitamin E oil is good.  We shall see.

Happy New Year!

Robert and I rang in the new year with a few of our dear friends.  We've gone to Elise's house the past few years, but she was out of town this year.  We celebrated by going to Michael's house and playing Scattergories Categories.  The new year doesn't usually mean a ton to me.  I'm not much of a new year's resolution gal, but this new year represents the start of many changes and new experiences.  This year I will complete grad school, Robert will complete his undergrad degree, I will get married, I will move 1,000 miles away, I will live with a man for the first time ever, I will have my first apartment, I will start my first adult job, and I'm sure there will be plenty of other firsts and new experiences.  It's exciting and scary.  Sometimes I want it to come faster.  Other times I try not to think about all the changes that will be rocking my world in the coming weeks.  I have to remind myself that these changes and new experiences are all happy, good things.  It's exciting!  But it's my natural inclination to allow my thoughts to churn and think too much about the future. 

Here's an updated version of "the list" -

1. August 22 - Drury starts, 4 days til... DONE
2. August 26 - Mom's birthday, 8 days til...DONE
3. September 3 - Bethany gets married, 2 days til... JUST 4 MORE DAYS
4. September 5 - Dad's birthday AND Labor Day, 3 days til...
5. September 8 - My birthday, 34 days til...
6. October 12 - Organizational Communication ends, 2 days til...
7. October 14-23 - Fall break, 1 day til...
8. October 24 - Organizational Change starts, 6 days til...
9. October 30 - Saints game in St. Louis, 1 day til...
10. October 31 - Halloween, 22 days til...
11. November 22-26 - Alabama for Thanksgiving break, 18 days til...
12. December 14 - Organizational Change ends, 1 day til...
13. December 15 - Public Relations ends, 3 days til...
14. December 18-December 23 - Pennsylvania trip, 2 days til...
15. December 25 - Christmas, 8 days til...
16. January 2- Winter project begins, 15 days til...
17. January 17 - Spring semester starts, 10 days til...
18. January 27- Winter project ends, 49 days til...
19. May 16-26 - Spring break, 11 days til...
20. April 6 - Good Friday off, 1 day til...
21. April 7 - Jim's birthday, 1 day til...
22. April 8 - Easter, 29 days til...
23. May 7-12 - Finals, 3 days til...
24. May 10 - Graduation rehearsal, 1 day til...
25. May 11 - School ends, 1 day til...
26. May 12 - My graduation, 7 days til...
27. May 19 - Robert's graduation, 1 day til...
28. May 20 - Our wedding!

My holiday break is officially over.  For the next three weeks all be working on a service project for my grad program.  In the accelerated program we need a "project" in order to make up for the fact that we only take 30 hours instead of the normal 33 hours.  33 hours simply cannot be completed in 11 months.  To satisfy that requirement we are doing a service project for 0 credit hours.  We're teaming up with Ozarks Food Harvest in Springfield.  My three organizational leadership and change cohorts and I will be conducting a communication audit and analysis.  My integrated marketing cohorts will be working for OFH in various ways as well.  The spring semester officially starts January 23.  I can't believe I'm just four months away from graduating.  It's incredible that I started this journey seven months ago.  So much has happened since then.

Robert had surgery today.  Approximately two years ago he injured his left knee playing ultimate frisbee on the forum.  He was able to endure the pain as it only flared up every once in awhile.  However, since the start of the school year the pain has been rather debilitating.  He went to his primary care physician, and the doctor said from looking at Robert's knee he thought it was a frayed lateral collateral.  He referred Robert to an orthopedic surgeon.  The surgeon agreed with the physicians assessment.  The surgery was here in town this morning.  Both of Robert's parents were able to come down which was very nice.  The surgery took about 45 minutes.  Then we had to recovery for a bit.  I'd say we were there a totaly of two and a half hours.  We got to come home with some pretty sweet pictures of the inside of Robert's leg.  It turned out to be a frayed lateral collateral/frayed meniscus.  He also had bursitis.  The doctor removed some fluid which should help with the pain and inflammation the bursitis was causing.  We have him all set up with medicine, food, ice packs, and pillows.  He seems to be doing very well currently.  He should be back to normal pretty soon!

We're planning to visit Robert's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and daughter this weekend.  We'll celebrate Christmas together and go to Ray's new church's grand opening.  Robert needs to heal quickly so he can cheer on the Saints with his family on Saturday!

3/4

It's crazy to think that I'm almost finished with another semester of grad school.  Three terms down.  One term to go.  This is crazy to think about.  Just about six months ago I was calling my parents and begging them if I could quit.  They were in Pennsylvania for my first day (and first week, for that matter) of grad school.  I felt alone.  Robert helped as much as humanly possible, but I had to do so much of it on my own.  Nobody else could read my textbooks for me.  Nobody could write my papers for me.  It seemed like such a daunting task.  I think I called my parents every day while they were in Pennsylvania.  I would talk to them on my drive home each evening.  The conversation usually went something like this:
Me: "I hate this program!"
Parents: "I'm sure it's not that bad."
Me: "It is.  I'm going to just go to the admin building tomorrow and drop out."
Parents: "Can you please just wait to make a decision until we get back?"
Me: "No.  Forget it.  I'm almost home.  I'll talk to you later."

Every single day I'd have visions of marching up to the admin building and withdrawing.  It wouldn't be that bad.  I wouldn't feel like too much of a loser.  It's not like anyone would even notice I wasn't there anymore.  I'm an adult, and I can make my own decisions.  It felt like such a lost cause, but then one night I talked to my brother.  He had gone through a similar experience when he made the transition from high school to college at a very prestigious college - Washington University in St. Louis.  It was a really difficult situation, and after one year he transferred to SBU, but he stuck it out for a whole year.  He talked about it being a real struggle.  He had some of the same feelings and thoughts I was experiencing, but then he talked about how good it felt to be able to say that he completed the school year and passed all of his classes.  He spent more time than ever reading the Word and praying to God.  I decided all I had to two was finish the first term which was only 19 days.  After that I would re-evaluate things.

Well, I started to do well.  I was getting papers and presentation scores back, and they all read "A."  I was so thrilled!  My hard work was paying off.  Sure, I studied from 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., and I even studied while I ate.  I didn't shave - there wasn't time!  I left for school at 4:30 and came home at 9:00.  I studied until midnight.  Went to sleep and did it all over again.  This time in my life felt like forever.  Looking back it seems rather pathetic when I realize it was a mere 19 days - not even three weeks.  God used this time to help me realize that it's okay to ask others for help.  Believe it or not, the people who love me are actually delighted to help.  My parents, grandparents, and Robert have proofread countless papers, listened to me practice presentations, driven me to and from class on days when I needed to nap in the car, quizzed me for tests, listened to my struggles, cheered me on every step of the day, and celebrated my succeses with me.  I get a little choked up just thinking about it to be honest.  I knew these people loved me, but the sacrifices they have made in order to help me succeed are astounding.  I don't know what to say other than thank you.  It means more than words can express.

So as I enter finals week I'll study hard, think about past successes, and remind myself that God has been with me every minute of my life, and He'll continue to do the same no matter how well I do on a test and how loudly the class claps after I present.

First day of school

Monday was the first day of the fall semester for Robert and me.  This semester I'll have Seminar in Organizational Communication on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:20-8:00 (August 22-October 12), and then it'll switch to Organizational Change on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:20-8:00 (October 24-December 14).  I'm also taking Corporate Writing and Public Relations on Thursdays from 5:20-8:00 (August 25-December 15).  That's nine hours total.  It's really weird being at home all day and then going to class all evening.  My entire schooling life I've gone to school in the day and studied in the evening.  It's nice and quiet at home since my parents are at work, but it's weird having Mom come home for the day before I've even left for school.  This week has been pretty chill so far.  I know after this week I will not be saying that, so I'm trying to take advantage of the calm before the storm.  My first big-ish assignment for org comm is a critical book review.  We had a list of 19 books from which to choose.  We passed around a sign-up sheet, and I got OurSpace.  It was my fourth choice.  It's supposed to come in the mail tomorrow.  Once it gets here I hope to read it and write my report by September 6.  That'll give me plenty of time to turn in a rough draft and get feedback before it's due September 19.  Tonight we're finding out about our assignment of leading class discussion over one journal article.  That shouldn't be too hard since I've done it in a few classes already.  Then the only other major thing in that class is a research proposal, but the professor really hasn't talked about it at all.  Another 100 points will come from class participation and a few small homework assignments like answering some questions over the night's reading.  It doesn't sound too terrible yet.  I'll let you know how PR goes tomorrow.  I have a feeling it won't sound too overwhelming since I have 15 weeks to finish the class instead of my usual 3 or 6 week classes.  15 weeks will feel like forever!

Robert's first day of his senior year at SBU

My first day of my second semester of grad school at Drury

Already ready for the school year to be over.  Is that bad?

Mom's first full week of school.  Keeping up the first day of school picture tradition.

 Wedding planning is going well.  Mom and I did some shopping last weekend and bought thank you notes from Target ($2 for 10 cards - steal!) and a truckload of items from Hobby Lobby - 2 small vases, a medium vase, tan sand, and brown sand for our sand pouring instead of unity candle; 10 yards of khaki tulle (On sale for $0.77 a yard instead of $0.97), 7 yards of dusty blue tulle (On sale for $0.77 a yard instead of $0.97), 25 yards of shiny ivory tulle (On sale for $0.97 a yard instead of $1.17), a few fabric samples (30%) to give to Aunt Pam for our centerpieces, 9 rolls of ribbon (50% off), and 13 stems of dusty blue silk flowers (50% off = $1 each).  Plus we had two coupons for 40% off a single regular priced item (2 of the vases).  The thriftiness prompted a surge of energy for both of us, trust me.  Mom and I stopped by Norman's to get a swatch of the fabric for my bridesmaids dresses.  While we were there Mom tried on four mother of the bride dresses.  She also tried on a few at David's Bridal.  Former mothers of the bride, where did you find your dress?  How did you find a dress that said, "I'm not trying to look like a 21 year old bridesmaid, but I'm also not a grandma?" 

Yesterday we met with our florist.  While I believe we've chosen the best deal in Bolivar, it's SHOCKING how expensive fresh flowers are.  Thankfully we're only buying bouquets for my five bridesmaids and me.  No fresh flowers anywhere else.

We picked up our invitations yesterday.  They turned out perfectly!  We did them at "Our Other Office."  Talk about a confusing name.  Robert and I designed them, and we decided to go postcard style.  We're hoping that this way people will look at the invite sooner since they won't have to spend time opening it up.  I know opening an envelop doesn't seem like much of a burden, but seriously, how many people have stacks of unopened mail?  Too many!  Also, this will reduce the cost of postage by 50%.  We printed in black and color on one side and just black on the other side.

We also met with our wonderful cake baker and discusses details.  I know Alana will do such a great job!  We're definitely on the same page which is very helpful.

Robert has picked his groomsmen which is very exciting.  We're wanting to guys to wear khaki pants with matching khaki vests.  Mom and I looked over the weekend only to find out khaki is seasonal.  All the stores have random leftover sizes of khaki items on sale now, and they won't have their new khaki items til March.  HELP!  Any ideas?  As you know, I would be totally on edge waiting til two months in advance to even start looking for their outfits.

Did I tell you I already have five ladies who have asked to help host my main shower?  Blessed!
Does anyone have photographer suggestions?  Robert and I are struggling between wanting nice photos but not being able to justify spending a large chunk of money on photos because, let's be real, after a few years of marriage most people only have a couple of nice wedding photos out on display.  What happened to the other 1000 photos they paid $3000?  I rest my case.

I think I can I think I can I think I can

In five days I will be finished with my first semester of grad school.  Crazy!  Just to give you a picture of what my life has looked like the past two weeks and what it will look like for the next week I decided to break down my weekly time commitments:
23 hours babysitting
29 hours in class
12 hours driving to and from class
20 hours studying
TOTAL: 84 hours of "stuff" each week.  That's more than two full-time jobs.  Now I know why I've been running on empty.  When I showed Robert my calculations he said, "That's why you freak out."  He knows me too well.  I am so stinking pumped to only have class in person six times from June 28-August 5.  The rest will be online.  I'll save 12 hours a week by not driving to and from class.  I'll also only spend 3 hours a week in "virtual class" instead of 29 hours a week in real class.  It's going to be amazing.  Then when I have class three days a week in the fall it'll feel like a cake walk.  Plus I'll only be babysitting 19 hours a week then instead of 23.  Talking this out with you helps me a lot.
My last day of class is Sunday.  How lame is it that I have class from 9am-6pm on Father's Day?  Here's hoping for an early out.
Robert's birthday is Wednesday.  The big 2-1!  He's going home for the weekend to go to a Cardinals game.  Good present, Ray and Serina!  We're celebrating Tuesday with a lunch party.  I'm so thankful for my handsome, smart, funny, caring, ambitious man.  He's such as blessing in my life.
I'm getting so antsy about my car.  If you'll recall, it was supposed to be here around May 20, then it got changed to July 4, then June 13, then June 15, then June 16.  It's June 17, and it isn't here.  Hello!?!
I had a group presentation for class on Thursday.  We made a guide to WordPress and presented it to Sister Victoria at McAuley Counseling.  I think it went well!  Today I had an individual presentation for Alpha House.  It feels good to be finished with that!  At this time tomorrow I will have finished my first 3 hours of graduate work.  30 to go!  By Thursday I'll have 6 hours done, 27 to go.  By August 5 I'll have 12 done, 21 to go.  That's right.  In 6 weeks I'll be over 1/3 of the way finished.  Crazy!

Robert singing at the First Friday Art Walk to raise money for his mission trip to South Africa.  He still needs about $500.  Let me know if you're interested in supporting his trip financially.

Summer project - before grad school!

Since my parents weren't around for my first week of school, this is the traditional "first day of school" picture...only it's the 7th day of school.  Robert sneaked in the picture.  This was taken one day after he had his wisdom teeth taken out.

Almost halfway

I've made it through nine days (eights days of class, one day off).  I have eleven days to go (one day off, ten days of class).  I finally feel like I've done the amount of work that needs to be done at this point.
I just got the syllabus for one of my two July online classes.  It doesn't look too bad.
How do you guys focus on today and what today requires?  How do you avoid thinking about that big _______ (meeting, appointment, assignment, etc.) that's next week or next month?
Let's focus on non-school stuff for a moment.  Robert got his wisdom teeth taken out on Thursday, and he's doing okay.  Still pretty swollen.  He's also tired because he's still on the prescription pain killer.  I think he might attempt to go back to work tomorrow.  We shall see.
Babysitting Cooper and Miles has allowed for a break in my classes and studying.  It's nice to think like a little kid for a bit.  I told the boys Robert was working.  They asked if he was saving up for a John Deere Gator like they are.  Oh man. haha On Friday Coop asked if Robert was blind.  I wonder what prompted this.  They've known each other for over a year.  Coop has seen Robert drive his car, read, and pick him up - all things that require being able to see.
Mom and Dad finally got home on Friday.  They had been gone for a week and a half.  It's nice to have my support system back.
My brother's basketball team won the Portuguese basketball national championship.  Very proud!  He'll be back in about two weeks which will be cool.
Robert's sister (Bethany) got engaged.  They're getting married at a country club in KC on September 3.  Congrats!
I've learned a ton about delegating and prioritizing in the past week and a half.  I CAN let others help me.  They want to because they love me.  I am blessed.
Lastly, I got a professional head shot done for class yesterday.  Enjoy. haha

The end of Summer

Bet you didn't know it's the end of summer.  It's time to buy new notebooks, make sure the old backpack will make it through another year, grab so pencils, and put on your thinking cap.  Well, it's time for me to do those things at least.  After seven short days of summer break it's time to start thinking about school again.  I start at Drury in just six days.  It doesn't feel real.  I just graduated from college where I felt totally safe - lots of friends, professors knew me, I knew where are the classrooms were, the hours of the library, how to get around time.  Now it's time for this next step - a place where I don't even know the name of the street it's on (Drury Lane, seriously?), where the library is, I don't have an ID card (been in three times.  I'm not in "the system."), I'll be a part of a cohort of nine other students who just so happen to be Drury alums who will know everything about Drury and will definitely be in "the system."  What do I wear on the first day - do I go for the typical first day of school look (jeans, nice top, dressy sandals), the "I go to grad school" look (khakis and a dress shirt with dress shoes), or the "It's summertime, baby" look (shorts and a t-shirt)?  Do I take my laptop?  Is the professor going to present everything at lightning speed?  Is my first day of class seriously going to last the whole time (9:00am-6:00pm)?  I could easily list a dozen more hypothetical questions right now.
When people ask what I'm doing next and I tell them I'm going to grad school at Drury they've all seem totally taken aback.  Apparently it's crazy to start a graduate degree two weeks after you finish your undergrad (maybe so).  Or perhaps it's the fact that I'm too young (yeah, I'm only 20).  Or that the program is packed into a year (but it's still four terms.  It's not like I'm fitting two years' worth of stuff into two semesters).  Plus, I figure it'll be easier since I'm already in full-time school mode.  It won't be weird to be in class and study each day.  I think it would be more difficult to graduate SBU, take a few years off, get used to working 8:00-5:00, get used to having a steady income, and then go back to full-time school, only make money from a part-time job, and be lectured all day.
At this point I just need the first day to get here already.  At this time next week I'll know the answers to all these questions.  Until then...

Insanity

I started doing Insanity this week.  I know how it got it's name.  So sore!

Robert had his spring choir concert on Tuesday.  His mom (Serina) and sister (Bethany) got to come down which was a special treat.  His dad (Ray) is in DC on business right now so he couldn't come.  All of us had dinner with my parents before the concert.  Pike Auditorium is being renovated right now so the concert had to be at First Baptist Church.  The choir did a great job!

On Wednesday I took a major step into the grown up world.  I went to Drury and officially signed up for classes.  This summer will be intense.  I'm sick of people reminding me of that though.  I realize it, but when people comment about it, it freaks me out, and we all know I don't need that.  This summer will be the most packed semester of the entire degree.  I'll be taking twelve hours.  One class (Entrepreneurial Communication) will be going on all of July and August, but it's online so I can kinda go at my own pace.  Communication consulting will be going on throughout the entire summer.  It's a hybrid class (some seated time but mostly online).  Monday-Thursday I will have introduction to graduate studies, but it only lasts for June.  The craziest class will be Social Media Certificate.  It's three weekends in June, Saturday and Sunday from 9am-6pm.  Let me do the math for you.  That's nine hours a day for a total of eighteen hours for three weekends in June.  Gives new meaning to Sunday School.  July and August will be totally awesome thought because it'll just be the online and hybrid classes.  I'll have two weeks off between graduating SBU and starting at Drury which is sweet.  I get 4th of July (Monday) off.  Plus I will have about three weeks off between summer term ending and fall term beginning.  It seems like I'll have plenty of time to re-cooperate between sessions.  Anyway, so I signed up for classes on Wednesday and got a parking pass.  I'll go back later to get my picture ID taken and printed.

Last night Robert and I got to eat dinner with the Bethells.  What a treat!  We had a delicious meal - lasagna, bread, salad, and strawberry pie.  We got to eat outside since it was so pretty.  Miles just got upgraded from a baby swing to a big kid swing so we had to check that out.  The boys got such a kick out of pretending Robert was a tree and they needed to chop him down.  After that we went over to our friend Chad's house.  He is getting married to Natalie in June, and we hadn't met her before.  She's in town for the weekend so we finally got to meet her.  She's super sweet, and I'm excited to get to know her better.  We played a crazy game called Curses.  It was super fun!  Chad and Natalie will be living really close to my parents and grandparents too!

Next week is pretty busy.  I'm trying to make myself study a bunch today.  Academic goals: Advanced Public speaking - practice presenting my rhetorical criticism speech on Apple, Medieval and Renaissance Literature - Work on research paper and study for test, Communication Theory - Study for test, American Public Address - Read.  Time to get started!

One Year

Robert and I have officially been dating for a year.  I honestly can't believe it!  Robert is my first boyfriend, and he was definitely worth waiting for.  Some of my fondest memories together so far include:
Going to St. Louis to watch the Cards play
Painting pottery together
Flying kites
Having choir together
Being able to talk about absolutely everything
Giggling together all the time

Robert definitely brings out the best in me.  I always thought it was weird when people said stuff like my significant other is my best friend, but now I understand.

Hiking around after our picnic

 

 

I've started working in the church nursery this semester.  Some of my favorite little kid quotes so far are:
After flushing the toilet: "Bye, toilet paper.  It's time to go see your friends."
"Is this the biggest sink?  I need the biggest sink because I'm a very big girl."
"I wear big girl underwear.  Do you?"
"Dad put this dress on me today.  He wears very big boy underwear."
Note: This was said to a co-worker, not me. hehe "I don't like you.  You do things I don't understand."
"I have a real horse at home.  It's blue.  I'll bring it next week."

I have an appointment to meet with Dr. Leo (an oncologist/hematologist) Wednesday afternoon.  I'm nervous/excited.  It's scary to think that he might find something that really is wrong with me, but at the same time I want to get an expert opinion.  Wednesday can't come soon enough!

This is the last week of school before spring break.  Trying to stay motivated.  It's really easy to shut down early especially since this is my last semester of college, and I've already been accepted into grad school.

There's a first time for everything

Well, here I am making my first post.  Not sure exactly how to start, so I guess I'll just jump into things.

Mom and I have had a lovely girls weekend.  We watched Despicable Me and went out for dinner yesterday.  Today we had MAJOR shopping success.  That's a big deal for us.  It's so hard to find clothes that fit well when you're tall.  We ended up going to New York and Co.  Success!  Then we found this little German tea house.  Precious!

 This picture was taken of Mom and me at Easter

I've been babysitting the Scowden girls all evening.  The girls have officially fallen asleep.  We had fun tonight.  We had pizza and grapes, watched Veggie Tales: The Wizards of Has, Eisley napped, we played "The Mermaid Game" (An Amy Grabowski specialty), the girls took a bath, we read, and then it was bedtime.

School stuff:  I have my first tests of the semester next week.  Both happen to fall on Thursday: Communication Theory and American Public Address.  I've been trying to make myself study over the weekend.  I've made the study guide for APA so that's a start.  It's exciting and scary that this is my last semester of college.  It's rather surreal actually.  I'm excited to be done with early morning classes, chapel, cafeteria food, and loud dorm life.  However, at the same time I know I'll miss the friends I've made, my fantastic professors, and not having to make my own food.  I had receive an email with my acceptance to grad school in December, but I got the official letter this week.  Another reminder that I'm starting a new chapter of my life.  I have thoughts going through my head like, "Will I be able to handle grad school?" "Will I make friends in my classes?" "Will my professors care?" "Will I get lost on my first day?" I try to ignore those thoughts since it's still a little less than four months away.

RA stuff: This is my fourth and final semester being a resident assistant in my dorm.  It's been rewarding to see the girls on my hall grow over the months.  I find myself starting to detach myself though.  When things happen I just think, "What does it matter?  I'll be gone in three months."  Probably not the best attitude, but it is true.

 After the Homecoming Parade last year

I am so thankful for my wonderful boyfriend, Robert.  We've been dating for almost a year.  He's my first boyfriend, first kiss, and first "I love you."  This past year has been so great!  For Valentine's Day Robert took me to Build a Bear where I made a super cute bear named Franklin.  I had made reservations at The Keeter Center, the restaurant at College of the Ozarks.  It's where my high school prom was, but Robert had never been there before.  It was so special!  They had a Valentine's menu, a band with electric guitar/stand up bass/drums, pink roses, candles, a dance floor, and fantastic food.  I got chicked with cous cous, and Robert got salmon with braised spinach in a phyllo pastry.  After that we walked around the campus for a bit.  It was very nice outside!  We wrapped it up by going to Fedora, a fondue restaurant.  Delicous!

 At a NYE party

My brother, Jim, plays professional basketball in Portugal.  He got to come home for Christmas, and this week my dad has been there visiting him.  He'll be back tomorrow night.  I guess Jim said this week has been the coldest week so far while we've been having the warmest week in a very long time.  Dad got to see Jim play (they won!), they went to the beach, had dinner at friends' houses, and even got to go to Belgium for a few days.

 Jim and me on a train in England

Alright.  I think you're officially updated on all the background information.  May this be the first of many posts!