Sunning and Resting

I am in the middle of a three week break from school. I am loving it!! Back in California for the break.
I did great this past semester. Hopefully from here on out, my classes will be less studying and more projects.
Great news: Trae's last day in California is June 4! Woo hoo! That means he will be back in the south working from now on. I am so excited to live with my husband again on a regular basis.
This week, Trae and I went to Berkeley for a certification course for him. This was our first trip to Berkeley, and most likely our last. I must say, I was a little wierded out when we first got there. A totally different vibe in that city than I had ever experienced anywhere else. I like to think that I am a pretty well traveled girl for my age. I have been all over the south, up to the Northeast, Colombia, South America, and we have been in California for a while now. I have never felt more uneasy about my surroundings than I did when I was in Berkeley. I can't even say it was due to what I saw or what the people were like. The uneasy feeling simply came from the spirit of the place. The harbour was more my pace, so I spent most of my time there instead of in town or on campus. One incredible event I did take part in while in Berkeley simply made the trip worth it. I caught the mobile cupcake bakery!! I saw this big line of people waiting near a small truck. As I got closer, I realize this truck is selling gourmet cupcakes. Yes, I believe this truck was parked on the same street that I parked on was God's perfect plan for my day! Yummy!
I did get to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time while I was there. I saw it from the harbour. Overall, the trip to Berkeley was ok, I am sure Trae, and myself, prefer Tahoe for short trips here in California.
I have been taking advantage of the pool and sun while Trae has been working. Very relaxing with Pina Coladas! This is probably what my next two weeks will be like as well. I am very excited about this.
On that note, let me get back to my magazines, sunshine and cocktails!

Neuro/Kines Semester Week 1

This semester will be better than last semester, I hope. I am really praying that this semester is not any harder or time consuming than last semester. I think I will enjoy this one a little better. The 2 doozy classes are Neuroanatomy (anatomy of the brain and spinal cord) and kinesiology (study of body movement). Neuro will be the most difficult of the semester I think, but I am ready. I also have to read Charles Dickens' Great Expectations this semester! Not sure where I am going to fit that in! Trae has also enrolled in 12 hours of online classes! We will both be busy with classwork and reading this semester.

This week I have begun my serious getting in shape routine. Eating smaller portions, more often, less carbs, and more proteins with an exercise plan I found in the Women's Health Magazine. I am really feeling good and liking it so far. I am determined to stick with it all semester. I am in a wedding in March and Trae and I are having our first set of real professional pictures taken since our wedding taken in June. I am so very excited about the pictures. So these reasons are pushing me to stay committed to my get in shape kick!

Such a blessing!

Even though the only people who look at this blog are the people who I will describe in this post, I would still like to take this opportunity to share my appreciation and love for them (you).

First off is M.W. She is the only other married girl in our group. I love her so much. She is absolutely hilarious and full of life. I really don't know how I would make it without Trae if she was not with me. She has been in my shoes. Her husband was in the Army and served several tours in the Middle East right after they were first married. She knows exactly what I am going through and she knows how tough it is. She actually had it worse off than me. She could not talk to her husband everyday for as long as she wanted. Her time was very limited with crazy hours. She knows exactly what to say, when to hug me, and when to just let me cry a little on those days where Trae seems so far away. I am so grateful for her friendship and support.

Then comes M.S. She is getting married the day after our last day of the fall semester this year. Yes, she is crazy. She is also hilarious and random, which I love and appreciate. M.S. has such a gift for creative paper arts. She is also someone I have to keep an eye out on. M.S. seems to walk out in the middle of a busy street while she is texting or just talking to someone. I have had to pull her back onto the sidewalk numerous times when I thought the car coming did not see her. She also misplaces her phone every day. I kid you not, every day. I have to ask her when we move rooms if she has her phone with her. She misplaced her purse just last week! I love M.S. She is sweet, funny, and always up for an adventure, like going to the local department store and finding the tackiest prom dresses to try on in the dressing room. And yes, she always documents such occasions with pictures. I can not wait for her wedding in December. Just to give an idea of how incredible she is, she has asked the girls of our group to be honorary bridesmaids. When she was telling us what to wear for the wedding, she simply told us that she wanted us to wear nice black dresses, and that she wanted us to look HOT! What kind of bride openly tells her bridesmaids she wants them to be hot! Most brides want their attendants to look nice, but they want to be the best looking thing there. My M.S. will be smoking on the day of her wedding because she is a gorgeous gal already. I just think it is awesome she wants the rest of us good looking too! I love her.

Next is L.S. She is the newest part of our group and we are kicking ourselves for not grabbing her at the start of the summer semester. She is amazing. She is an Office fanatic, which has turned me onto The Office. After today, she is now another member of my fashion consultant team. L.S. is also hilarious, loves coffee, and is single. We will all be very picky, inquisitive, and protective of any suitor that shall try to woo our L.S. I love that L.S. refuses to lower her standards and knows what is acceptable behavior in a man. She neither takes excuses nor wastes her time on someone that doesn't deserve her. She is great and deserves someone that knows exactly how special she is.

When I started school I did not expect to really find girls that I would really get along with and become best friends with. I expected to just be social during class and not really socialize with many people outside of class. God has placed 3 incredible women around me who I see as lifelong friends. They are amazing girls that make school so much fun and life a joy. I am so blessed that I have found them and they see me as a girl cool enough to be a member of their group.

Thanks girls! I love ya! Sorry M.W., you didn't make this picture, you were taking it!! We need to get a good picture of all 4 of us!!!

Busy, busy, busy...

Just as I expected, this semester has been a very busy, learning intensive, and whirlwind of a semester. I am taking anatomy with human dissection this semester. I have this class every day, either lab or lecture. Needless to say, it is taking over my life. I am doing my best to balance this 1 class with the rest of my classes, and most importantly, Trae. I am so excited to report that he will be coming for a few days on October 6th. I can not wait to see him.

I just got involved with something very important recently. Our class is registered as a team for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. Everyone has heard about heart disease and strokes. You may even know someone effected by one of these diseases. My 72 year old grandmother had a heart attack a few years ago. I know that she still lives with fear about having another heart attack. I have lived next to my grandmother for the majority of my life. She is the typical grandmother who showers her love on her family by using any excuse to cook for them, buying groceries for her grandchildren in college, and giving you just about anything you may need. Of course she also gives her opinion freely and without invitation, she had very little tolerance for unruly children in public, and will call someone out about anything she feels need at any time. As long as you are respectful and polite, you will not ever have a problem with her. She is even known in our area as the Pie Lady. She makes the most delicious and

perfect meringue around. She was featured in Mississippi Magazine for her pies. I really don't care for meringue, but her pies are wonderful even without it. I love her dearly and do not know what life would be like without her.

If you have been effected by heart disease or stroke and feel moved to help make a difference, please visit my page on the American Heart Association's Heart Walk donation page here, to donate for someone you know who has been impacted by this condition.

Here a few pictures of what my life has been like since the start of the semester.

I took Camille, my sister, to the back to school party hosted by my school. It was fun, getting together with my classmates. I remember wanting Trae with me. I am so glad Camille was with me, but I know Trae would have enjoyed it. This was Camille and I before we left for the party.

I WENT TO A BAMA GAME!!!!! And yes those are my houndstooth rain boots I have on. My mom and I went to the Bama v North Texas game. This was the first game I have been to since I was a student there in 2003. I had such a wonderful time, despite the very wet, wet weather. It rained up until an hour before the game, was rain free during the game, and as we were walking to the car to leave Tuscaloosa, the bottom fell out and it rained our whole way home. God was smiling upon me that day and let me enjoy a wonderful day in Tuscaloosa. The only thing that would have made the day better was if Trae would have been sitting right beside me.

Grad School, Fall 1, Week 1

This week is going pretty great so far. We take gross anatomy with human dissection lab this semester. I am excited to get in there and start. We have either this class or its lab every single day of the semester. On Wednesdays, we have both the lab and the lecture. So to say that this is an important class with a lot of information to learn is a bit of an understatement. All my other classes seem to fail in comparison to the importance and value of this class. So another struggle this semester will be putting as much effort into all my other classes as I will for anatomy. I am excited though. I am missing my Trae and my Bella a lot. They got into their new place in California and it is poolside. Bella has been swimming in the pool already and she really likes it, of course. I will put pictures up when I get some. I realized I was back in college again when a spontaneous tye dyeing event took place and not only was I invited, but I was super excited about it and had a lot of fun doing it. There are some amazing people in my class and I am really looking forward to becoming great friends with them. I have also been commissioned to organize our programs girls flag football team. I am also excited about this, but not really the organization part of it, just the participation. Can you imagine Med school and dental school students playing flag football?! Can be pretty comical if you know some of the doctors I know! The picture is of me and my sister at the tye dye party!

My Point of View

This has been my daily scene all week long. And yes, I have loved every minute of it.

This is taken from my default spot at my family's lake, in the hammock. After last week's craziness of remodeling, I was really looking forward to this week of nothing.

Sadly, it is almost over. Monday morning, I start back to school. This semester will be more demanding of time, energy, and mental capacity than last semester. But I am ready for the challenge and the learning. The next picture is of the updated kitchen. We painted the cabinets and replaced hardware on them. We painted the walls a grayish green color. The slate floor is new but was done before we got there. We would like to replace the counter top, but that will have to come when the house funds have been replenished.

This is the small downstairs spare bathroom after its remodel. We painted the walls above the tile. Changed the sink and shower hardware. We also replaced the very outdated medicine cabinet which also housed the only outlet and light in the room. It was hideous. It was wide 70's model and I am so happy with how this came out. It's not HGTV or anything, but we are happy with our efforts.

Just for the record, I do want to brag again about my hammock home for the past week. I will miss that hammock. From that spot, I could watch the clouds form and move to where they were going, birds circle and dive, and planes zooming to their destinations. It was a lovely spot with a lovely breeze that seemed to blow and the exact moment I needed it to so that I was at a comfortable temperature. In that hammock, the tree it was anchored by shaded my head the entire day without having to readjust my position. That place is one of my most favorite places in the world. Oh well, back to school I go. My sweet Trae has made it back to California and starts work on Tuesday. I miss him so much already. This is going to be a really tough semester. I do not know when I will see him again. But it won't be soon enough.

Midterms...Check!

This past week was midterms and I am glad they are over. Nothing I didn't expect yet still. I am glad I don't feel tremendously stressed or overwhelmed yet. Trae is in North Carolina getting the house ready to be put on the market. I will be so excited when that house is sold so that he can come here and we can live like a normal family. I have been going to the lake a lot, which is such a joy of mine and an escape from school.

Driving Across Country

I have a plan! I start my trip back to Mississippi on May 16th. After much deliberation and plan changes, I finally have a date of departure for my drive across country. The original plan was for my sister to fly out on the 12th to ride with me all the way home. We would leave the next day and drive for 4 days till we made it. This plan allowed a few business days before the Memorial Day weekend to take care of anything school related before classes start. With the newest departure date, I will not have any such days, but this new plan works out best for all parties involved. Now, I will follow my grandmother and her husband who are driving by RV to MS for the holiday weekend. Trae does not want me to drive across the country by myself, rightfully so. So this new plan is great because it will be an easy drive but, it will not leave me any time to take care of business when I get there. But, I'm sure there will not be any business so pressing I can't take care of it the first week of school. I will miss driving with my sister, but there will always be other trips we can take together.

Money is Good...

I received word from my mom yesterday that my financial aid packet from school came in! YAY! Cutting it pretty close though I say. My first day is only a month away. I think I have about a week to decide which loans to accept for the entire next school year. Not very much time if you ask me. I am happy to report that all of my school for the next year is covered with loans. Not grants, I know. I was kinda bummed about that but then quickly cheered up at the fact that I do not have to come out of pocket at all for any portion of school. I have been getting really excited about getting to go to school over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we did find out that Trae will have to stay in California for a few more weeks, (at least 8) while I head off to school. We knew that he would not be near me for a while, but we were both excited about getting out of California for a while. He has been here for almost a year. Its a lovely place, but just not home. So around May 12 I will drive back to Mississippi to start my school and Trae will stay here to continue working until something closer to me opens up.

1 Down and 1 to Go!

I miss Trae.
Ok! Interview 1 at University of Alabama at Birmingham went very well. It was yesterday. Got to meet current 1st year students as well as faculty and some staff. Everyone was soo laid back, relaxed and comfortable. I did not once get nervous or have butterflies, surprising and very good. I feel really good about that interview and now I am kinda bummed. I was pretty certain on going to University Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson if I get in whether I got in UAB or not. This is primarily due to financial issues, i.e: in-state tuition, living costs, etc. However, I felt so comfortable and like UAB so much it is going to be hard to say no if they offer me a position. So that is the thought of the day. This is all assuming I get in both, but of course if I only get into one, well that solves that doesn't it!? I would like to thank my dear friend Riley Buck Phillips and her husband Blake who let me crash at their house Monday night. If not for this, I would have had to spend the night alone in a hotel in downtown Birmingham, something so much better done with Trae Bane! Thanks guys. I will keep everyone updated on how interviews are going, any subsequent results!
Have I mentioned that I miss Trae? Well I do. Glad he has Bella to keep him company.