Another week down! I had a great workout on Saturday with Harold. I did not feel like I was going to pass out, throw up, or die. I pushed through for an entire hour and it felt awesome. The only thing I wanted to do when I was done was yell a big "OOORAH" like the Coast Guard in The Guardian. I was sore Sunday, but nowhere near as bad as two weeks ago (my first session with Harold). It feels great to already feel stronger and I'm loving it! Justin is also getting some motivation to work out, so that's exciting too!
I don't think I mentioned that Brooke, from the lab, is taking a job in Birmingham, Alabama starting a week from today! We will certainly miss her! She has been such an awesome help to me as I transitioned into graduate school. She's a great listener and gives advice whenever she can to help me through rough times. I will be sad to see her go, but am very happy she found a job that will make her happy!
Mom comse to Knoxville next week! I am excited to show her around, take her to some of the best places to eat, and go dress shopping! After Jeannie, my maid of honor, just got her dress this past weekend, I am REALLY itching to try some on!! Mom and I have also been working on my possible invitations. We'll see how pricing goes and move forward from there.
School is going well. My classes are great. I've been writing a good bit and am going to start learning some of the techniques needed for the next steps in my research this week. I am hoping to take every opportunity to learn something new and enjoy it, even if it is frustrating at first. It is always hard to do something when you are first learning it and you think you will never get it. After a while, you do something so much it becomes routine and you don't even have to think about it. I am sure these new techniques will follow the same pattern.
Essau and Asher are doing well. Essau is fuzzy, a bit out of shape, but very happy. I ride him about once a week and lunge about once a week. He needs way more exercise than that, but that is all I can give him right now. He doesn't seem to mind too much :) Asher, I think, has grown up a bit the last few weeks. He is actually sleeping in the bed I bought him when he was a kitten. He has switched his psychotic episodes from night to morning (which is very nice since I can actually get to sleep without his pinball antics).
For your viewing pleasure...one of the funniest videos I have ever seen:
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Lazy and Delicious
This weekend was great. I drove to Marion Friday afternoon and arrived in time for dinner with Justin, his Dad, and Louise. We had some yummy ChowTime pizza and watched an incredibly depressing movie, Everybody's Fine. Saturday morning we took my car to get it inspected and had a yummy brunch at a local Coffee House where I had pancakes and eggs. YUM! We then drove up to Linville Falls for some hiking and picture taking. Here are some pictures from our trip. It was so pretty and a nice day. After stopping by Sonic for a smoothie/milkshake snack, we went to visit Alice and Rick for a while. That night we cooked hamburgers in Louise's new Nuwave oven and watched Sweet Home Alabama and part of Twilight. Oh, we also made use of the hot tub and partook in some cherry cobbler a la mode (I let Justin eat most of the cherries...they were a little tart for me) :)
Sunday was a sleep-in kind of morning...I can't remember the last time I was in the bed at 10:00 AM!! :) Justin and I got up and watched most of Men Who Stare at Goats (dumbest movie ever) and then packed up and headed to Grandma Shirley's for lunch. I always love going there for some amazing, southern, home-cooking! I had fresh creamed corn, potato casserole, peas, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, a biscuit, and some lemon pound cake. You never go hungry at Grandma Shirley's, nor is there ever anything on that table that isn't absolutely delicious! Another perk is the slew of hilarious stories she tells. That is one awesome lady and everyone loves her to death! :)
Justin and I parted ways after lunch and headed back to our respective homes. It was, as usual, hard to say goodbye and see him go, but we'll see each other again soon for a friend's wedding!
Sunday was a sleep-in kind of morning...I can't remember the last time I was in the bed at 10:00 AM!! :) Justin and I got up and watched most of Men Who Stare at Goats (dumbest movie ever) and then packed up and headed to Grandma Shirley's for lunch. I always love going there for some amazing, southern, home-cooking! I had fresh creamed corn, potato casserole, peas, coleslaw, sweet potatoes, a biscuit, and some lemon pound cake. You never go hungry at Grandma Shirley's, nor is there ever anything on that table that isn't absolutely delicious! Another perk is the slew of hilarious stories she tells. That is one awesome lady and everyone loves her to death! :)
Justin and I parted ways after lunch and headed back to our respective homes. It was, as usual, hard to say goodbye and see him go, but we'll see each other again soon for a friend's wedding!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Hurts So Good
Well that week just FLEW by! The bridal show on Sunday was a bust, but I got to eat lunch and catch up with Milly, so that was good. That day also marked Justin and my one year engaged anniversary. I absolutely cannot believe it has been an entire year since he asked me to marry him. If that isn't a testament of how fast time flies, I don't know what it. We're both hoping the next year will fly by just as quickly!
Valentine's day was just another day... People who are single or who are away from their loved ones never enjoy it quite as much. Some of the ladies in the lab got flowers from their men which filled up the entire front lobby with pretty smells :) I treated myself to a piece of my birthday cake since you just can't have a Valentine's day without something sweet!
I had a very good week (thank you Lord!) in the lab, in classes, and as far as my emotional state goes. It was positive and fairly relaxed, a nice change. Saturday marked the first day of my new endeavor...personal training. Kim has a good friend, Harold, who is a personal trainer at a local gym. He also does his own personal training on the side and comes to you! I decided to give it a try and he came to my apartment complex on Saturday. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to work outside. He trains with TRX which I had only seen before, but had never tried. To make a long story short, it kicked my butt. That was the hardest physical activity I have ever done and I thought I was either going to pass out, throw up, or die when it was over. Luckily, I did none of the three! If you're looking for a total body workout, this is the way to go. I never knew that you could have every muscle in your body sore at the same time, but trust me, it's possible! I probably look like an old woman as I'm moving around, getting into/out of my car, and especially walking down stairs. I guess you could say it "hurts so good...come on Harold make it hurt so good". I will be training with him once a week and he will be giving me "homework" to do between sessions. I'm very excited to get toned up and in shape for the wedding!
This coming week will hopefully zoom by because I get to see Justin on the weekend! We'll be meeting up in Marion again to spend the weekend being lazy. That's a great incentive to get through whatever this week throws at me. It should be another beautiful week. I hope you all are enjoying the pretty weather as much as I am!
Valentine's day was just another day... People who are single or who are away from their loved ones never enjoy it quite as much. Some of the ladies in the lab got flowers from their men which filled up the entire front lobby with pretty smells :) I treated myself to a piece of my birthday cake since you just can't have a Valentine's day without something sweet!
I had a very good week (thank you Lord!) in the lab, in classes, and as far as my emotional state goes. It was positive and fairly relaxed, a nice change. Saturday marked the first day of my new endeavor...personal training. Kim has a good friend, Harold, who is a personal trainer at a local gym. He also does his own personal training on the side and comes to you! I decided to give it a try and he came to my apartment complex on Saturday. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to work outside. He trains with TRX which I had only seen before, but had never tried. To make a long story short, it kicked my butt. That was the hardest physical activity I have ever done and I thought I was either going to pass out, throw up, or die when it was over. Luckily, I did none of the three! If you're looking for a total body workout, this is the way to go. I never knew that you could have every muscle in your body sore at the same time, but trust me, it's possible! I probably look like an old woman as I'm moving around, getting into/out of my car, and especially walking down stairs. I guess you could say it "hurts so good...come on Harold make it hurt so good". I will be training with him once a week and he will be giving me "homework" to do between sessions. I'm very excited to get toned up and in shape for the wedding!
This coming week will hopefully zoom by because I get to see Justin on the weekend! We'll be meeting up in Marion again to spend the weekend being lazy. That's a great incentive to get through whatever this week throws at me. It should be another beautiful week. I hope you all are enjoying the pretty weather as much as I am!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I'm Still Here...
I know, I know. It has been way too long since my last entry. Well, honestly, I have just been incredibly busy and I have not had time to blog! A lot has happened since the middle of January. Firstly, I can't believe it's already the middle of February. Exactly one year ago today, Justin and I got engaged! Wow, a whole year has gone by?!? Hopefully the next year will also fly in similar fashion.
So since my last entry, I spent one weekend in Marion with Justin in January. It was awesome to see him and to spend time with the future in-laws again. I also had a birthday...23! My mom sent me my favorite cake (lemon pound cake with buttercream frosting from Edible Art in Raleigh) for my birthday. I took it into the lab for the ladies to have a piece and then cut up the rest to freeze (16 pieces!!).
Things have been ridiculously busy lately. I am writing a lot, going to classes, doing stuff in the lab, and trying to survive along the way. Poor Essau has only been seeing me about once (twice if he's lucky) a week. I have had a couple of really rough days which are not fun. A lot of questioning, frustration, stress, confusion, and emotions. With the help of an incredible fiance who always listens, supports, and helps, a friend who lends great advice, and lots of prayers, I have made it through those days. That is not to say they're done with. On the contrary, I am sure there will be more of those days along the rest of this journey. I feel like it has been fairly smooth, but when the pot holes come, they're more like craters. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever experienced and I have never been busier or had to work harder. This is not an experience to love and enjoy in the moment, rather it is one that I will look back on and be grateful for. Now if I can just remember that when things get tough...
I am going to a bridal show today at the Knoxville Art Museum with my friend Milly. Hopefully there will be some dress vendors there since I will be purchasing my dress here in Knoxville. Some other exciting things to look forward to...a weekend with Justin in 2 weeks, Mom is coming in the middle of March for a few days, a friend of mine is getting married early April, and then later April Justin and I are having our official engagement photo shoot!!! I'll try not to let the updates go so few and far between, but can't promise anything! Hope everyone is well and 2011 is treating you well so far!
So since my last entry, I spent one weekend in Marion with Justin in January. It was awesome to see him and to spend time with the future in-laws again. I also had a birthday...23! My mom sent me my favorite cake (lemon pound cake with buttercream frosting from Edible Art in Raleigh) for my birthday. I took it into the lab for the ladies to have a piece and then cut up the rest to freeze (16 pieces!!).
Things have been ridiculously busy lately. I am writing a lot, going to classes, doing stuff in the lab, and trying to survive along the way. Poor Essau has only been seeing me about once (twice if he's lucky) a week. I have had a couple of really rough days which are not fun. A lot of questioning, frustration, stress, confusion, and emotions. With the help of an incredible fiance who always listens, supports, and helps, a friend who lends great advice, and lots of prayers, I have made it through those days. That is not to say they're done with. On the contrary, I am sure there will be more of those days along the rest of this journey. I feel like it has been fairly smooth, but when the pot holes come, they're more like craters. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever experienced and I have never been busier or had to work harder. This is not an experience to love and enjoy in the moment, rather it is one that I will look back on and be grateful for. Now if I can just remember that when things get tough...
I am going to a bridal show today at the Knoxville Art Museum with my friend Milly. Hopefully there will be some dress vendors there since I will be purchasing my dress here in Knoxville. Some other exciting things to look forward to...a weekend with Justin in 2 weeks, Mom is coming in the middle of March for a few days, a friend of mine is getting married early April, and then later April Justin and I are having our official engagement photo shoot!!! I'll try not to let the updates go so few and far between, but can't promise anything! Hope everyone is well and 2011 is treating you well so far!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Fresh Start
Well it's hard to believe, but January is already halfway over! WOO!! Already it has been an interesting month what with snow storms and ice mixed with below-average temperatures creating delay after delay after delay! I was not in Knoxville when we got our big snow which shut down UT (first time that has happened since the blizzard of the late 90s). I was in sunny Florida attending an International Embryo Transfer Society conference in Orlando. Jessy, Charlie (Schrick's PhD student), and I drove down Friday...yes...we drove. Let's just say I will never make that drive again if I have a choice. It took us about 10 hours with breaks for gas and lunch. Orlando weather stayed in the mid to upper 60s the whole time we were there which was such a pleasant change from 20s and wind chills!
The conference overall was a good experience. We attended a pre-conference symposium that featured about 10 talks on bovine-related ET/AI practices and new technologies. That was the best part of the entire conference since it related to what we study. The other days were full of talks, poster presentations, and meetings. While we were there, we ate out every single meal. I got tired of that quick, but the food was delicious everywhere we went (yes that includes Chic-fil-A and Pizza Hut). Jessy and I hit up the outlet malls one afternoon where I snagged three shirts from Banana Republic and a pair of trouser jeans from NY&Co (aka my favorite store). The last night we were in Orlando, we went to a restaurant/bar to meet up with the student chapter of the IETS (rightfully and humorously named the Morulas). It just happened to fall on the same night as the BCS National Championship game. We had every intention of eating dinner and heading back to the hotel, but ended up staying for the entire game! (we left the bar at 12:30 AM) It's been a long time since I've stayed out that late, but it was fun I had a yummy strawberry daiquiri!!
The drive back to Tennessee was interesting. I drove the first 4 hours or so until lunch. Charlie then took the wheel so as to navigate us safely through Atlanta. That was a trick and though the roads were in terrible condition and people driving by us were extremely dangerous, we made it through safe and sound. It was a shock to get out of the car in Knoxville, where it was about 20 degrees plus strong winds, when it was about 65 when we first got in the car. All in all it was a fun trip and I had a good time.
Classes started this Wednesday. I am taking a statistics class that is almost completely SAS-based. SAS is a computer program that runs statistical analyses for you (takes the headache out of doing it the old fashioned way). We are very lucky as students to have free access to it because it costs $10,000 a year to have the software for personal use. My professor is Dr. Saxton who is actually in the animal science department and is also an NCSU graduate! That will be a great class because I will definitely need to know how to use SAS for my research analysis! I am also taking a writing course called "Writing for Publication". My professor is awesome! He is really funny, very laid back, and is incredibly smart. We will each be working on our own writing assignments (thesis, literature review, grant proposal, etc) throughout the semester and will have a "coach" help us correct mistakes and to make suggestions. My third class is advanced reproduction which will most likely be a journal-club style class where someone brings in a paper each week and we discuss it.
On top of the classes I'm taking, I am also a teaching assistant for Dr. Edwards's class, Animal Reproduction and Lactation (hereby referred to as 320). Kim is the official TA, but since I will be Edwards's main graduate student next year and will most likely be the TA for 320 next Spring, I am learning absolutely everything that goes into this class. There is lecture twice a week and then a 2-hour lab on Fridays. We had our first lab yesterday and it went really well. There is a LOT of preparation involved when you have a dissection lab for 80 students all at once. The reproductive tracts have to be thawed about 3 days in advance. Once thawed, they are soaked in histological-grade ethanol overnight to "fix" them. The morning of the lab (7:00 AM) the tracts are taken out of the ethanol and put into water to soak for an hour or so. They are then put into empty buckets and transported to the lab on the Ag campus. On top of the tracts, all of the supplies have to be rounded up, packed up, and taken to the lab. That includes gloves, scalpels, hemostats, wooden skewers, rulers, plastic trays, plastic tablecloths, paper towels, disposable gowns, hand sanitizer, document camera, and cleaning products. Once at the location, everything has to be set up on the individual tables. (This all has to be cleaned up afterwards too) We had lots of help and the lab went smooth as butter. All the kids had a great time and learned a whole lot about female reproductive anatomy. I thought it was really neat that the first time they were exposed to this material, they had the tracts right in front of them so they could see/feel/touch/dissect the parts as we were going through them. I'm really excited to be a TA and to learn how everything works so I can do it again next Spring.
As you can probably tell, this will be a busy semester! I am going into it with the goal of learning as much as I can while having fun at the same time. I have a feeling its going to fly by and I welcome the fast pace! Until next time!
* P.S. tried yoga...didn't like it...scratch that one off the list!
* P.P.S. Here are some funny pictures of Essau's new friends.
The conference overall was a good experience. We attended a pre-conference symposium that featured about 10 talks on bovine-related ET/AI practices and new technologies. That was the best part of the entire conference since it related to what we study. The other days were full of talks, poster presentations, and meetings. While we were there, we ate out every single meal. I got tired of that quick, but the food was delicious everywhere we went (yes that includes Chic-fil-A and Pizza Hut). Jessy and I hit up the outlet malls one afternoon where I snagged three shirts from Banana Republic and a pair of trouser jeans from NY&Co (aka my favorite store). The last night we were in Orlando, we went to a restaurant/bar to meet up with the student chapter of the IETS (rightfully and humorously named the Morulas). It just happened to fall on the same night as the BCS National Championship game. We had every intention of eating dinner and heading back to the hotel, but ended up staying for the entire game! (we left the bar at 12:30 AM) It's been a long time since I've stayed out that late, but it was fun I had a yummy strawberry daiquiri!!
The drive back to Tennessee was interesting. I drove the first 4 hours or so until lunch. Charlie then took the wheel so as to navigate us safely through Atlanta. That was a trick and though the roads were in terrible condition and people driving by us were extremely dangerous, we made it through safe and sound. It was a shock to get out of the car in Knoxville, where it was about 20 degrees plus strong winds, when it was about 65 when we first got in the car. All in all it was a fun trip and I had a good time.
Classes started this Wednesday. I am taking a statistics class that is almost completely SAS-based. SAS is a computer program that runs statistical analyses for you (takes the headache out of doing it the old fashioned way). We are very lucky as students to have free access to it because it costs $10,000 a year to have the software for personal use. My professor is Dr. Saxton who is actually in the animal science department and is also an NCSU graduate! That will be a great class because I will definitely need to know how to use SAS for my research analysis! I am also taking a writing course called "Writing for Publication". My professor is awesome! He is really funny, very laid back, and is incredibly smart. We will each be working on our own writing assignments (thesis, literature review, grant proposal, etc) throughout the semester and will have a "coach" help us correct mistakes and to make suggestions. My third class is advanced reproduction which will most likely be a journal-club style class where someone brings in a paper each week and we discuss it.
On top of the classes I'm taking, I am also a teaching assistant for Dr. Edwards's class, Animal Reproduction and Lactation (hereby referred to as 320). Kim is the official TA, but since I will be Edwards's main graduate student next year and will most likely be the TA for 320 next Spring, I am learning absolutely everything that goes into this class. There is lecture twice a week and then a 2-hour lab on Fridays. We had our first lab yesterday and it went really well. There is a LOT of preparation involved when you have a dissection lab for 80 students all at once. The reproductive tracts have to be thawed about 3 days in advance. Once thawed, they are soaked in histological-grade ethanol overnight to "fix" them. The morning of the lab (7:00 AM) the tracts are taken out of the ethanol and put into water to soak for an hour or so. They are then put into empty buckets and transported to the lab on the Ag campus. On top of the tracts, all of the supplies have to be rounded up, packed up, and taken to the lab. That includes gloves, scalpels, hemostats, wooden skewers, rulers, plastic trays, plastic tablecloths, paper towels, disposable gowns, hand sanitizer, document camera, and cleaning products. Once at the location, everything has to be set up on the individual tables. (This all has to be cleaned up afterwards too) We had lots of help and the lab went smooth as butter. All the kids had a great time and learned a whole lot about female reproductive anatomy. I thought it was really neat that the first time they were exposed to this material, they had the tracts right in front of them so they could see/feel/touch/dissect the parts as we were going through them. I'm really excited to be a TA and to learn how everything works so I can do it again next Spring.
As you can probably tell, this will be a busy semester! I am going into it with the goal of learning as much as I can while having fun at the same time. I have a feeling its going to fly by and I welcome the fast pace! Until next time!
* P.S. tried yoga...didn't like it...scratch that one off the list!
* P.P.S. Here are some funny pictures of Essau's new friends.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2011 Goals
So I'm not really into New Years Resolutions, but I have a few goals for this year. I might achieve them, I might not. We'll see!
* Run 500 miles
* Run 2 5K races
*Take Yoga classes ---> Tried it, didn't like it
* Take more pictures
* Ride more
* Get outside more
* Buy a wedding dress
* Plan a wedding :)
* Volunteer more
* Do a lot of research and learn all I can in this program
* Make s'mores over a real fire
* Go hiking
* Read Twilight series
* Finish reading Lord of the Rings series
By no means is this a finite list...I might tack on more as I go along.
* Run 500 miles
* Run 2 5K races
*
* Take more pictures
* Ride more
* Get outside more
* Buy a wedding dress
* Plan a wedding :)
* Volunteer more
* Do a lot of research and learn all I can in this program
* Make s'mores over a real fire
* Go hiking
* Read Twilight series
* Finish reading Lord of the Rings series
By no means is this a finite list...I might tack on more as I go along.
Monday, January 3, 2011
A Much Needed Break
Don't you hate it when you wait so long for something and then once it's here it flies by way too fast?
I spent the weekend of December 18th in Granite Falls to have Christmas with my grandparents. Justin had just returned from his Cowabunga trip in the Northeast and rode with my parents to meet me there. We had a great weekend with presents, chicken pie, and family time. On Sunday, Justin rode with me back to Knoxville to spend a few days before Christmas break. He got to meet Asher, who loved him (though he probably would've loved anyone after being abandoned for two entire days!). He went to the slaughterhouse with me Monday and spent the rest of the day tagging along with me in the lab. He watched me slice embryos, search for oocytes, and do some chores like checking incubators and washing dishes. We met my good friend Emily for dinner Monday night at Downtown Grill & Brewery where we enjoyed delicious burgers and lots of great conversation. We stopped by Mast General Store which is such a neat place! We then went into the Knoxville visitor's center where they were having their weekly Monday night bluegrass jam session. It was just a bunch of people sitting around playing bluegrass music with chords and words projected on a screen. That was really neat!!
Tuesday he decided to stay at the apartment and catch up on some Cowabunga financial stuff since he was the treasurer for the trip. We went to the barn to see Essau for a while, then came home and had my famous chili for dinner! Wednesday was the lab's Christmas lunch at a place called the Courtyard. It was everyone in our lab, Schrick, and two of his grad students, Roper and Mayfield. I had a few more chores to do that afternoon and then we packed up and headed to Marion.
We spent a few days in the mountains visiting friends, spending time with family, opening presents, making Christmas candies, and EATING. I had the most incredible SunDrop pound cake (which I now have the recipe for) along with peanut butter balls, candy covered ritz cracker and peanut butter sandwiches, candy covered pretzels, fudge, puppy chow, chips and dip, sausage balls, and other snackies of the sort. We did Christmas Eve snackies with Justin's Grandma Shirley and family and then opened presents at his mom's house. I got a pretty white fleece along with some cute pjs that say I <3 my boyfriend all over them.
We woke up Christmas morning and I helped Louise cook a spread of food for their traditional breakfast. All of the kids came over and had presents at "Pappaw's house". I got a great black vest with gray zip-in fleece, some really nice fleece gloves, and a clean cotton candle from Yankee Candle Co. It started snowing around 9:00 AM and by 10:00 when we left, there was about an inch on the ground. We drove to Raleigh in the snow, which ceased around the Greensboro area. We went straight to my parents house and hung out there for a few hours until my brother and Sam came over for dinner and presents. We had a yummy pork roast dinner with pound cake for dessert :) After dinner came the presents. I got a macro lens for my camera along with a pretty necklace, a t-shirt, and a few fun little other things. Sam's big excitement was a new bike from my brother. She reminded me of a little kid getting their first bike :) It started snowing in Raleigh around 9:00 PM which made it the first white Christmas since 1947!!
Justin and I went to his apartment that night to get snowed in!! The next week was very lazy and lots of fun. We had dinner with friends, spent some time at the barn, made lots of fun food like snow cream (my first ever), sweet potato pancakes, chicken noodle soup, and popcorn on the cob. It was incredible to sleep in every day and to spend a few days in front of the tv in my pjs. I feel bad for Justin who had to endure probably 6 or so hours of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. "The Tut" (pronounced toot), as Justin calls him, was just about the only thing on and I love that show (I also don't get weTV in Knoxville)!! We watched a few movies, including Beauty & the Beast (which I got for Christmas from my brother) and DaVinci Code.
Spending all day every day with Justin was absolutely peaceful and was exactly what I needed. Even when we had nothing to do, just sitting on the couch together was enough. It is absolutely true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. We are so in love and though distance may temporarily separate us, nothing will ever keep us from loving each other. It was of course wonderful to spend time with my family and friends as well! I really missed them and enjoyed every minute of my break. My time in Raleigh made me miss home A LOT and going back to Knoxville Sunday after lunch was really difficult. There were tears, no doubt, and I was not loving life Sunday evening when I got home to a quiet apartment and when I realized I wouldn't be waking up in the company of friends and family tomorrow. But life must go on and I have a life here in Tennessee now that needs some attention too. If nothing else, this break has given me a drive and push to get through the next semester...hopefully I'll find more pushes to get me through the following two. Oh, so we're getting married 17 months from yesterday...All this David Tutera has gotten me really excited again about weddings!! My mom will be coming during my Spring Break so we can go dress shopping!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! :) :) :)
Here are pictures from the break. Enjoy!
I spent the weekend of December 18th in Granite Falls to have Christmas with my grandparents. Justin had just returned from his Cowabunga trip in the Northeast and rode with my parents to meet me there. We had a great weekend with presents, chicken pie, and family time. On Sunday, Justin rode with me back to Knoxville to spend a few days before Christmas break. He got to meet Asher, who loved him (though he probably would've loved anyone after being abandoned for two entire days!). He went to the slaughterhouse with me Monday and spent the rest of the day tagging along with me in the lab. He watched me slice embryos, search for oocytes, and do some chores like checking incubators and washing dishes. We met my good friend Emily for dinner Monday night at Downtown Grill & Brewery where we enjoyed delicious burgers and lots of great conversation. We stopped by Mast General Store which is such a neat place! We then went into the Knoxville visitor's center where they were having their weekly Monday night bluegrass jam session. It was just a bunch of people sitting around playing bluegrass music with chords and words projected on a screen. That was really neat!!
Tuesday he decided to stay at the apartment and catch up on some Cowabunga financial stuff since he was the treasurer for the trip. We went to the barn to see Essau for a while, then came home and had my famous chili for dinner! Wednesday was the lab's Christmas lunch at a place called the Courtyard. It was everyone in our lab, Schrick, and two of his grad students, Roper and Mayfield. I had a few more chores to do that afternoon and then we packed up and headed to Marion.
We spent a few days in the mountains visiting friends, spending time with family, opening presents, making Christmas candies, and EATING. I had the most incredible SunDrop pound cake (which I now have the recipe for) along with peanut butter balls, candy covered ritz cracker and peanut butter sandwiches, candy covered pretzels, fudge, puppy chow, chips and dip, sausage balls, and other snackies of the sort. We did Christmas Eve snackies with Justin's Grandma Shirley and family and then opened presents at his mom's house. I got a pretty white fleece along with some cute pjs that say I <3 my boyfriend all over them.
We woke up Christmas morning and I helped Louise cook a spread of food for their traditional breakfast. All of the kids came over and had presents at "Pappaw's house". I got a great black vest with gray zip-in fleece, some really nice fleece gloves, and a clean cotton candle from Yankee Candle Co. It started snowing around 9:00 AM and by 10:00 when we left, there was about an inch on the ground. We drove to Raleigh in the snow, which ceased around the Greensboro area. We went straight to my parents house and hung out there for a few hours until my brother and Sam came over for dinner and presents. We had a yummy pork roast dinner with pound cake for dessert :) After dinner came the presents. I got a macro lens for my camera along with a pretty necklace, a t-shirt, and a few fun little other things. Sam's big excitement was a new bike from my brother. She reminded me of a little kid getting their first bike :) It started snowing in Raleigh around 9:00 PM which made it the first white Christmas since 1947!!
Justin and I went to his apartment that night to get snowed in!! The next week was very lazy and lots of fun. We had dinner with friends, spent some time at the barn, made lots of fun food like snow cream (my first ever), sweet potato pancakes, chicken noodle soup, and popcorn on the cob. It was incredible to sleep in every day and to spend a few days in front of the tv in my pjs. I feel bad for Justin who had to endure probably 6 or so hours of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. "The Tut" (pronounced toot), as Justin calls him, was just about the only thing on and I love that show (I also don't get weTV in Knoxville)!! We watched a few movies, including Beauty & the Beast (which I got for Christmas from my brother) and DaVinci Code.
Spending all day every day with Justin was absolutely peaceful and was exactly what I needed. Even when we had nothing to do, just sitting on the couch together was enough. It is absolutely true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. We are so in love and though distance may temporarily separate us, nothing will ever keep us from loving each other. It was of course wonderful to spend time with my family and friends as well! I really missed them and enjoyed every minute of my break. My time in Raleigh made me miss home A LOT and going back to Knoxville Sunday after lunch was really difficult. There were tears, no doubt, and I was not loving life Sunday evening when I got home to a quiet apartment and when I realized I wouldn't be waking up in the company of friends and family tomorrow. But life must go on and I have a life here in Tennessee now that needs some attention too. If nothing else, this break has given me a drive and push to get through the next semester...hopefully I'll find more pushes to get me through the following two. Oh, so we're getting married 17 months from yesterday...All this David Tutera has gotten me really excited again about weddings!! My mom will be coming during my Spring Break so we can go dress shopping!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! :) :) :)
Here are pictures from the break. Enjoy!
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