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Monday, December 20, 2010

At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year.

Another wonderful weekend of Christmas festivites!

I made my way into DC for a very fun weekend filled with some of my very favorite people! On Saturday, I met Sarah and we attempted to go to Tyson's Corner. It is a good thing that we haven't seen each other in a long time and had lots to catch up on, otherwise the almost 2 hours of traffic to go 7 miles might have killed us. In the end, we ended up at Pentagon City Mall and were successful in buying a few presents. Then, it was off to Annacostia to see Danny and get ready for Molly, Megan, and Sierra's Christmas party!

It was so good to see old friends, meet new people, catch up, and be around people that I've known for a long time! It got me thinking wayyy back to Freshman year:
This is the first official Blonde Squad photo! (The first first was Halloween... no thanks)
That was December of 2006 and now here we are, all grown up!

It has been 4 years of college, lots of boys, lots of parties, lots of dinners at West End, studying for exams, celebrating holidays and birthdays, and lots of fun. Now, Megan, Molly and Sarah have real jobs and Im in grad school- where did the time go? I am lucky to have such beautiful and amazing friends!

On Sunday (after some more shopping at Pentagon City!) we headed to Champps to watch the Eagles / Giants game. Dan is a big Eagles fan and Chris a big Giants fan, so it was a fun afternoon. After the crazy upset, Dan was quite excited, Chris not so much- but he was a good sport!
Danny and Chris
Now, I am back at school for two days of work. I cannot wait to go home and spend time with the family and more wonderful friends. Wednesday, I get to see Mrs. Pifer and hopefully on Christmas or soonafter I will see Cary! I cannot wait to catch up with them as well.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Done Done Done!!!

Today is a wonderful day. As of 2 o'clock, I am done with both surgery and school for the semester! I have had stitches since September. 60 stitches in 3.5 months in no fun- I am tired of wound care, of band-aids, of neosporin, of being allergic to band-aids, of going to the doctor, of it all- and Im done!!!! (at least for now).


Also, I just took my last exam for the semester! Woo! Now it is time to relax and enjoy vacation. I cannot believe that I only have one semester left- soon it will be time for interviews and hopefully getting a job- so exciting! I will be paid to go to school instead of paying to go!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Oh Christmas Tree...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs352.ash2/63246_988319707283_6234219_50915820_4672620_n.jpg?download
Yes, were dorks!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas- and it is even snowing in Williamsburg as I write this!! This weekend was one of our favorite traditions- decorating the tree. It is customary in our household that we cannot decorate until after my sister's birthday, December 9th. So, on Friday night, we celebrated Holly's birthday.

Usually, Mom puts the lights on the tree (and hates it). Somehow, Danny was volunteered to put the lights on this year. So, Saturday morning, we started the process- which lights? how big? frosted lights? clear lights? After all of this was decided, and we were given our instructions (lots of lights, inside and outside, make sure you can't see the cord) we started out. After one strand, the tree fell over (almost on to my head...) Dad was out shopping with Holly, so we wrapped ourselves in Chrismtas lights instead.

Grace showing off our lit tree
The finished product
When Dad and Holly got back and the Christmas tree was secured, we were too hungry to continue. So, we went to our favorite Mexican place and had $1.99 margaritas and good food. Then, after a little shopping (and a new iPhone 4 for Dan!) it was back to the tree. We satisfactorily finished the lights and it was time for the ornaments! I LOVE this part! There are ornaments that my mom had on her tree as a child, ornaments that Holly and I made in elementary school, ornaments that are reserved for people, ornaments that Dad made, ornaments we recieved as gifts, and just plain ugly ornaments. I love hearing the stories behind all of them- and it was Dan's first time helping so he got to hear them too. He kept trying to put horrible pictures of me in first grade on the front of the tree! (Bad picture ornaments are relegated to the back). We had a warm fire, good cookies, Christmas music and a tree- we were all set.  I think it looks beautiful. 
The rest of the weekend was spent looking at the tree, watching Christmas movies, and eating cookies. Not a bad way to spend a weekend!
Now it is back to work and finishing up school. Tomorrow is an exciting day...

Monday, November 29, 2010

Thankful

Thanksgiving break was wonderful!

It started after a long Tuesday of work and class. I then drove to Richmond and had dinner with Cary (as is tradition for us, at The Cheesecake Factory with a wonderful waiter). It was so nice to catch up with her and her new fun life in Nashville as a nursing student. Lucky for me, she'll be back in Richmond for the holidays so I don't have to wait too long to see her!

The leaves in progress
Wednesday, Holly came home! We baked lots of cookies (she is amazing, I never realized how hard sugar cookies are to ice in such a beautiful way!) and saw Love and Other Drugs with Dan. (Mini movie review: It was pretty good, a little sad, and a lot different than expected.) Then we had Mexican at our favorite place with Mom and Dad. It was nice to relax and just be together.

Thursday, was Thanksgiving! We cooked a lot and had snacks for lunch and a later dinner. We took a nice long walk with the dogs, too : ) It was kind of nice that it was just the four of us, but I missed our traditional Asheville Thanksgiving as well. Dan came to the house after work for his Thanksgiving and then we all had dessert! Yum.

The dogs on the way to the battlefield for their walk!


Friday got a little crazy. We all got up early to vie for a spot in the oven. Mom made ham, chili, and a multitude of over things and we had leftovers from Thanksgiving and I made a huge thing of mac and cheese (it required 2 trips the the store and 3 people to help make the sauce). With all of this food, of course, came lots of family! It was fun to see everyone and the children had so much fun running around and making videos. They are so cute! We had not seen Molly since she was a tiny baby and she has grown up so much- she loves to give hugs- so cute! After lots of talking and even more eating, it was time to go. We were tired!
This is how we all felt after the weekend!

Saturday was a lazy day! It was quite nice to just hang out, watch to Virgina Tech / UVA game and just veg! After cooking, eating, talking (repeat) I was happy to just sit. Sunday, of course, came to quickly and it was back to reality. But only about 3 more weeks till Christmas break! Until then I have lots of homework, lesson plans, evaluations, presentations, and Christmas shopping to keep me busy!

Monday, November 22, 2010

All sorts of birthdays

This weekend was full of birthday celebrations! Danny's birthday was Thursday and many others in his family are close. So on Friday, we made the trip up to Philadelphia. Saturday night we had a dinner at Outback and then went out with Danny's friends. 

On Sunday, it was Danny's cousin's birthday party at Bounce U- this place was crazy! There are lots of inflatable bouncey rooms, games, and huge slides! The kids loved playing, but I think that the adults loved it more! All of Dan's cousins were there so it was a lot of fun!
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1202.snc4/155449_1538940987035_1040210325_31219171_4539551_n.jpg
Addison, Amy and me on the slide!


Then, on Sunday, a real birthday! Dan's sister gave birth Sunday evening to a healthy baby boy, Ben! We were sad that we werent there to visit him, but we will definitely have to go see him soon. So exciting!

Next up: Thanksgiving! I cannot wait!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Life as we know it...

...is pretty uneventful. Danny just got back from Indonesia on Saturday morning. They weren't allowed to explore much, but when they did he said that there were tons of people, even more cars and motorcylces, and no traffic laws! Sounds pretty scary to me! Other than that exciting adventure, life has consisted of lots of homework, working, and stitches (Up to 39!). Hopefully were almost done...

This is the last full week before Thanksgiving break- thank goodness! Next Tuesday Im starting off break with a visit to Richmond to see Cary! Nashville is so far away, so it will be good to catch up. Wednesday is Mexican and a movie with Holly and Danny and Thursday is Thanksgiving. The day of should be pretty uneventful, but on Friday about 22 family members are coming to the house! Woah! It will be so good to see everyone and catch up- Danny gets to meet everyone (apparently he needs a new polo to do this : ). So hopefully it is a nice break from school.

Once we are back, there is about 3 weeks of classes left! Woo! And graduation is 6 months from today- I cannot wait!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Rally to Restore Sanity / Halloween

This weekend was a lot of fun, but very tiring! Friday I met Danny in Fredericksburg. We then went to a new Japanese Buffet (which had every food imaginable even if it wasn't Japanese. On another side note, I tried sushi- ew.) We then headed to Target for a few last minute Halloween items and on the way back to Annacostia a few on Dan's friends called and wanted us to go to a bar on King Street in Alexandria. Most likely because I had had a lot of caffeine at the restaurant, I agreed. The bar was called Rock-it Bar and they had karaoke so it was fun to listen to people sing! 


Saturday morning, we woke up and headed in to the National Mall for The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. As we are walking down the mall, Dan informs me that he had no idea where we were going or who Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert are; he just agreed because I wanted to go. Poor boy with no cable TV! I explained and he was a bit more excited. The rally was a lot of fun- there were SO many people and lots of musical guests (The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock). There were also lots of entertaining signs! We left a bit early so that we could get home to get ready for the night time festivities but I enjoyed it- it was a beautiful day which helped!


The Capitol Building from our vantage point

Danny and I at the Rally!


After getting home, we left about 10 minutes later to head back into DC to Megan's. (Side note: I was an awesome Metro navigator- score!) We got ready there and then went in to Nightmare on M Street. There were lots of people there as well, but it was fun! The bar played good music and just looking at everyones' costumes was entertaining! 


Everyone ready to go out!

Megan and Molly were the Double Mint Twins, Hunter and Tommy were Buzz and Woody, Sierra was Audrey Hepburn, Dan was The Hulk and I was a Marine. It was a good time, but again a lot of walking. I think we walked at least 10 miles that day! My feet were unhappy!

Sunday morning we had breakfast with Holly before heading back to Fredericksburg for football, relaxing, and a cul-de-sac Halloween get together. Danny had his first s'more!! Im not so sure that he was impressed! Tomorrow he is off to Jakarta (no more India and South Korea) for about 12 days; should be an interesting time.

There are only 5 weeks left in the semester and 3 until Thanksgiving! I cannot believe how time flies- Hello November! Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween- what were you?!?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mini Movie Review & Other News

Dan and I saw Life As We Know It the other day- so cute! It was less predictable than I thought and all of the characters are so lovable you dont know who you want them to end up with! The beginning was a bit sad but overall it was a wonderful, cute movie!

In other news:
-Stitch count: My final stitch count was 28... until I showed her other moles that I was worried about. So now I have three more to take off. I was excited to be done, but of course it is better to have them all off. 

-Danny: 
Dan found out yesterday that he is going to South Korea and India on Monday! Jealous! Im so used to him not going anywhere that it is weird! We have to figure out time zones and calling plans. Im sure he will have a wonderful time, however.
Cutie : )
Fall:
It is attempting to be Fall here. However, it has been in the 80's all week. Very odd to see the leaves changing and be wearing short sleeves. Next week is November! This weekend is Halloween and were off to celebrate with VT friends! Molly, Megan, Sierra, Hunter- oh my! It should be a good time.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Happy Things

This week was crazy. I don't know why exactly- it was just filled with a lot of work and even more annoying things (light out in the bathroom = pitch black showers, gas leaks, etc). However, at this moment, I shall remember one thing that makes me smile.

1. My students! This is the awesome Homecoming float they made! It is Zues' head and one of the girls dressed up as Athena and popped out! They had so much fun! I also taught my Technology lesson this week and the students did such a wonderful job- I cannot wait to have students of my own!



I am so excited not to be going anywhere this weekend- it is the first time in about a month! I am just going to run, clean, organize my life, sleet, get a lot of homework done, and watch Beauty and the Beast! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Happy Birthday to Me!

I am now 23. Woah. However, if there is a way to turn 23, this weekend was it!

Friday evening I drove down to Fredericksburg. When Danny got there, we opened presents (it seemed like Christmas!) Mom and Dad got me a new fleece and clothes. And Danny bought me, among other things, a beautiful Anthropologie dress and a Kate Spade purse and matching wallet (this is actually my Christmas present...oops!). Then we met Katie and Brandon (who had a horrible drive from Winchester- sorry guys!) for dinner at our favorite Mexican spot. It was SO good to catch up with Katie and just hang out. We closed down the restaurant- we were the last ones to leave!

Saturday, Mom and I ran errands (hair appointment, eye appointment, etc). Then we had BBQ for lunch, ice cream cake, and watched the Hokies play an awesome game against Wake (we're back in the top 25 now- Go Hokies!!). After the game. I got ready for my surprise outing. I had NO idea where we were going, except that it was near DC. When we were almost there I had to close my eyes, and keep them closed all the way into the resturant. When I opened them there was Molly, Sarah, Sierra, Holly, and Joe! So many people I hadnt see in way too long! I was shocked! I dont think I even said anything but hi...

My wonderful sister!
After dinner, we went to Molly's house where Holly had set up a cute birthday table with all my favorite foods- and of course Funfetti cake! Yum! After a little rest, we were out to DC. We went to Spider Kelly's in Arlington. It was amazing to catch up with my friends and see my sister. (Poor Holly, I was upset all week because I thought she wasn't going to celebrate with me- she definitely did!)  

Danny, who is not a good secret keeper, did a wonderful job of getting everyone together and not letting me know! I could not have asked for a better surprise! <3
Sunday, we tried to rest and watch the Eagles (who also won!), however I am still tired this morning. My room is also a mess- everything I own seems to be in a box or my laundry hamper. It was worth it!

Molly looks so cute here!

Everyone at the end of the night!
Thank you to everyone who helped make my 23rd the best birthday yet- Danny, Mom, Dad, Holly, Molly, Sierra, Sarah, Joe, Katie, Brandon- you guys are amazing! I could not ask for better people in my life : )

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Keep Calm and...

I saw this on the internet and thought it was fitting:

KEEP CALM AND TEACH ON, 8X10 PRINT (Raspberry  Kisses) BUY 3 GET 1 FREE





After some of the crazy stories we hear in class, it sounds like a good thing to remember. 


Right now, however, I guess I need Keep Calm and Study On... or Keep Calm and Keep Going.


HERE, you can find keep calm and... just about for anyone! 











Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Fall Fun & A Mini-Movie Review

Happy Fall! This is Petey the Pumpkin! Danny and I carved him yesterday and he makes our bland apartment that much cuter- yay Fall!


Mini- Movie Review: Easy A
Fun. Cute. Predictable. I liked this movie, BUT the previews gave away almost all of it. Its saving grace was that it had many literary references: The Scarlet Letter, Mark Twain, Slyvia Plath... nothing better than a joke you dont understand unless youve read the book! PLUS there was a Harry Potter preview before- win!

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Happy Post

After reading over my recent posts, they have been about stitches and surgery far too much. So I promise not to mention it.. except to tell you that I'm not going mention it.

This weekend was full of family! On Friday after work I met Mom in Richmond to celebrate my cousin Jack's 8th birthday. It was so much fun to see how excited he was about presents, cake, ice cream, and his party the next day. I forgot just how exciting birthdays are to little ones. Now they come and go, with lots of Facebook happy birthdays and not much fanfare. The older you are the more you dread them... but we all need to keep that childish excitement that comes with the one day a year that is about us! However, seeing as my birthday is Friday and this excitement has not come yet, it is easier said than done.

The next day, we got up bright and early to head to Greensboro, North Carolina. The drive wasnt bad and it was so good to see Erin! It has been 2 years. Her time in Japan is so interesting - some things I learned.
-There are entrance exams to public high school.
-It is a cash based society- people carry around $500 with them wherever they go. Since crime is so low, no one thinks anything of it.
-There is no such thing as a dryer.

She shared many other interesting stories of her travels and I think we've convinced her to come home this summer... maybe. Grandma, 2 of my aunts and uncles, and one of my other cousins came from various parts of North Carolina; it was nice to get to catch up and eat good food!

On Sunday, we got up and headed home. Mom decided to take the scenic route and boy was it scenic. We went through the tiniest towns and random industrial parks. A very interseting tour of Virginia. Once I got home I did a little bit of grocery shopping and got ready for the week.

Now it is Monday and Danny is coming! Were going to enjoy the beautiful weather and do a bit of shopping! 
Happy Monday everyone!

Monday, October 4, 2010

A fun weekend...

... and 5 more stitches. That makes 21! Both of the ones on my left side came back abnormal/ pre-cancerous, but the margins were clear. So, 4 out of the 5 have been that way... only 5 more to go. Just a little worrisome.... On to more fun matters.

School is getting crazy. Lots of work and observing. Im starting to get to know some of my students, but learning over 100 names when I only see them once a week is tough!

Luckily, this weekend was fun, A LOT of driving, but fun! Friday, after work, I drove up to Annacostia, switched to Dan's car, and got to Philly about 10ish. We then tried to help Dan's mom get ready as much as possible before heading to bed. Saturday morning we had to pick up Amanda's present (a gift certificate to a photographer), and that was quite a trip as well. For a while, I was scared and not wanting to get out of the car, but once we got there the photographer seemed nice and it was a better area. Getting back there was a detour and construction and it was a mess. However, we made it back, helped set up a bit more, and then got ready for the party. Danny wasnt invited (ew, boys), so he and his Dad and brother went to a movie. 
The party was quite a success! Amanda was surprised (Danny through her off with a Facebook post) and there was tons of food and presents. It was good to see Dan's family and the amount of things a baby needs is amazing. Once everyone left, we helped Amanda and Marty transport all the gifts to their house and checked out baby Ben's nursery- very cute. Brown and blue with fire engines : )

Sunday was another day of driving- after Danny's mom's wonderful breakfast of course. We made it back to Fredericksburg to watch the Philly/Redskins game (lets not talk about it. However, VT pulled out a wonderful win after being down 17- Go Hokies!!!!), and I decided to stay at home and get up early to come to the doctor's and into work. 

Now it is another rainy Monday. The weather has cooled down, there are pumpkins galore, and it finally feels like Fall. It is sad that summer is over, but soon The Holiday season will be upon us. Thanksgiving, Christmas, family, friends, trees, and lights... it all sounds wonderful... hopefully I can get my work done enough to enjoy it : )

Friday, September 24, 2010

4 More...

Lets see... Wednesday I got my stitches out of my toe. The doctor said that it was looking good, but there was still a chance that it could break open, so I have to be careful. Still have a handicap pass; walking a mile to work "is out of the question." Guess that means no running for another 3 weeks, but at least the toe is healing well.

Thursday I was stitchless for about 3 minutes. They took them out of my arm and then did two on my side. I have 2 stitches in each of those, making the stitch count 16. However, this morning, my arm was bleeding and it looks like the wounds have pulled apart. My arm looks horrible from this and all the other scabs from where I was allergic to the adhesive. Hopefully, the wounds will heal a little better and stop looking so horrible. Im not looking forward to these scars. They then bandaged basically my whole side, which now itches and has so much tape on it that Im afraid its going to peel off all my skin. Ah, the life.

The two moles that they took off were both ok, however. One was normal and the other was pre-cancerous (like the one on my toe), so its good that they're gone. Hopefully, all the rest will turn out alright as well. Only 5 more to go.... 

This week has been busy with school work and such. I am starting to get to know some of my students and they are really sweet. The Latin Club is fun! We get to be in the Homecoming Parade in a few weeks! Our float should be really cute- the theme is Ancient Civilizations- perfect for us. They also came up with a t-shirt for convention, the theme: The Odyssey and Pokeman. Here are some of their ideas: 

They are definitely a creative bunch!

It is now Friday, and I dont have any set plans for the weekend. Tonight some of us may go to a football game or out or something fun. I have lots of projects to finish and my room needs cleaning, so hopefully it will be a relaxing and fun weekend. 

I cannot believe that next week is already October. Unfortunately, today it is about 90 degrees. While I dont want it freezing, a little chill to the air would be nice... maybe next week...

Monday, September 20, 2010

It's Definitely Possible!

This weekend was Trisha and Kevin's wedding in Winchester. It was a lot of fun to see Mom and Dad, Holly and David, Danny, and Lilly! The mass was nice- it is always beautiful to hear the Kolar girls and Barb sing! The reception was at Jordan Springs, outside, and the weather could not have been better. We all enjoyed dancing and just having a good time.


The saying of the wedding was "It's Definitely Possible" because of matching Magic Hat caps that Trisha and Kevin found their first week together. They met at the beach and immediately had a long-distance relationship all the way to Germany! It is quite a love story. At the brunch the next day, Tara announced that there will be not 1, but 2 grand babies soon- she and Katie are both pregnant! Quite exciting!

On Sunday we had breakfast with Sarah, Katie, and Brandon- it was so good to catch up with them! We need to get together more, life is just too busy. Sunday evening was spent recovering and watching football and then returning home for quite a busy week. I woke up at 5:40 this morning to go to school, so that makes for long days! I have two doctors appointments this week- to get the stitches out of my foot and arm, and two more off- so there are just even more things to do!

Back to writing one of my 3 papers due soon...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Stitch Count: 12

Yesterday I went to the dermatologist for my first round of taking 2 of the other moles off. Each of the places have 3 stitches so Im up to 12! How high will it go? It wasnt too painful- just annoying to sleep. They also decided to take pictures of all of them- so they circled them all with the dreaded purple marker that does not come off, and then told me I cant shower for 2 days. Great. I have even tried nail polish remover, and Im still faintly covered in purple marker.


This weekend was yet another bad one for Virginia Tech. We lost to JMU. Nothing else to say there.. I went to the home opener for W&M- we played VMI and won 45-0. Woo Hoo. It was fun to hang out with some of my School of Ed friends outside of school, and not in a study group. I also go a lot of homework done... 


Next weekend is Trisha's wedding, so I am excited to see Danny (in his blues!), Mom and Dad, Lilly, and Holly. I also get to meet David, so that will be exciting! Friday we are getting cheap Mexican at the best place ever and Saturday is the wedding. Because its in Winchester, I am going to try to see Katie- I have not seen her in far too long- since Apple Blossom! Hopefully it will be a good weekend. Now, to get through my week of classes and hw. Ready, Go! 

Friday, September 10, 2010

Good News!

Yesterday, I went back to the doctor for my toe. He said that I had taken excellent care of it and it was healing nicely. (Danny gets credit for this; he definitely helped keep me off of it). I was given permission to get it wet (thank goodness, showering was ridiculous!), walk (trying to walk normal, still hurts a bit), and told that the mole was benign! Yay! That is definitely good news- even though the dermatologist is worried about others, this one was the biggest concern. My toe now looks a little funny, but thats ok. I took a picture of the stitches, but I doubt anyone wants to see that! They are blue- Danny says they will match his blues at the wedding we're going to next weekend : )

On Monday I start having the other 7 removed. These will require stitches, but are in much easier locations (arms, sides, stomach), so will be much easier to handle. They can only do two at a time, so this process will go on until about the end of October. All of this pain = wear your sunscreen!

The weather is beautiful here. After a summer of 100 degree days, I am ready for Fall. There is no humidity and a wonderful breeze. It will be great when I am finally back to walking to work. If it could stay this way forever, I would be grateful. I also get to meet my cooperating teacher next week- finally! I have lots of assignments and even more hours to log with her, so I hope that it is a good match. I have already come up with a fun technology mythology unit that I am going to do with them! So fun! Now all I need are cute teacher clothes..

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Feeling Better

It has been almost a week since my surgery, and my toe is feeling much better. I am able to hobble around the house instead of hop and Im on much less pain medication, so Im a little more awake. Thank goodness for Dan- he has carried me up and down the steps, has gotten me food, and anything else that I deem too far away. He has been wonderful. He leaves tomorrow, but I think Ill be able to manage : ) I go back to the doctor tomorrow for them to look at my toe, so hopefully its healing well.

Monday is my first surgery at the dermatologist to get two of the other spots removed. Those, hopefully, wont be as painful or as much trouble. The one on my bra line should be interesting, however. Im not sure when  I will hear back about the biopsy- maybe tomorrow at the doctor, maybe later.

Otherwise, school is extremely busy. I have so many papers, and projects, and lesson plans! I am trying to stay organized and ahead, but that is difficult. I still have not met my cooperating teacher... hopefully soon. I need to start getting in my hours and doing all of my practicum assignments. It is definitely going to be a busy semester- but I think it will be a good one too. I am definitely learning a lot.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Ouch...

My surgery was moved to yesterday, and luckily it went well. The doctor was able to get the wound closed and said that it looked good. He used a long lasting numbing solution and said that it would last about 3-4 hours, but for some, longer. Well, for me, it lasted all night! I went to class after and Dad and I went out to dinner. I felt perfectly fine. I starting taking the Vicodin, which havent been making me sick!, just to be on the safe side. However, when I woke up this morning- ouch! It is definitely throbbing now- not a fan! 


Im just glad everything went well. Now Im going to try to keep it elevated, keep on top of my pain meds, and sleep. The Vicodin knocks me out. Danny will be here later today and is bringing movies and games and his strong arms to help me get around. Luckily, he'll will be here for like 5 days, so that will be fun. : ) Hopefully, if I try to stay off of it, it will get better faster. I also have plenty of homework to work on if I dont fall asleep!


Monday night is the first VT game of the season, so I am very excited for that! Hopefully, I will feel up to going out and watching it somewhere. Way better than my tiny tv!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Well this sounds like fun...

Who's ready for stitches? Hopefully me, because Im going to have them in some form from tomorrow until the middle of October.
I went to the dermatologist on Friday and she is worried about a total of 8 spots, but my toe the most. She got me in with a plastic surgeon ASAP (aka tomorrow morning.) So he is taking off the one on my toe and then Thursday I am having two others taken off. Then every ten days I will go back and they will take out my stitches and cut me open again. Doesnt this sound like fun?

I am hoping that it is just an annoyance... I know that I need them taken off, I am just thinking positive thoughts that they wont take off my whole toe, Ill be able to walk, and all of them come back benign. I am quite busy, but really my health is the most important. So as long as they are ok... Ill just deal with it.

On Friday I also found out where I will be teaching- yeah! The school is York High School, and my cooperating teacher teaches 2 sections of Latin I, and Latin II- IV. I think that I am really going to like it. It is a bit far away (about 20 minutes) and school starts at 7:20, so that is going to be quite an early start. The students get out at 1:47- so early! I am excited to meet my teacher and my students and maybe even go to a football game! High school is such an exciting time! I will have a secondary placement in a middle school, so I will get to spend time in both and figure out where I want to be.

For now I am off to enjoy my last stitch free day!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Beauty

Sometimes I forget that I live in such a beautiful place. I went running to College Landing Park, which is where some sort of river is and it was beautiful:



It was wonderful and even smelled beachy. I just love any type of water... guess I get that from Mom. And now that the weather is not in the 100s everyday, its nice to be outside. 


I started classes yesterday and our brand new building is beautiful. There are comfy chairs, lots of lounges, and anything we need. My class seemed interesting and relevant. Im excited to start the semester. Tomorrow I find out where I am placed! 

Monday, August 23, 2010

Last Weekend of Freedom!

It just hit me today that classes start Wednesday (Im not sure how I missed it with the law students moving in, the influx of a million people, freshman appearing in the financial aid office, and people being even more lost driving on Confusion Corner, but I did.) I sat at work and figured out when I will be there (since I can now only work 20 hours per week instead of as many as possible), when I will be in class, and when I will somehow get in 60 hours of practicum. My class schedule isnt bad- I only have one class that is before 4:30 in the evening, so that makes things pretty flexible. My books should be in tomorrow and my professor just e-mailed our first assignment... and the excitement begins!





BUT, before it did, I had one last weekend! I, of course, didnt notice that it was my last weekend, but it was still a good one! On Friday, I went to Richmond to A. do my laundry and B. see the family. I know that it sounds crazy to do laundry so far away, but I refuse to pay for it. And if Im going to lug my laundry down three flights of steps, it is going to go in a nice washing machine. So, I lugged myself and my laundry to Richmond and LOTS of the family was there! It was such a good surprise! I got to see aunts, uncles, and cousins. It felt like Christmas! And since I missed the beach this year, it was wonderful to see everyone. They also showed me where I will be staying next year at the beach! Look at the view from the porch!! 


Property Image

When classes get crazy and I am all stressed out, knowing that surviving means two weeks right there will get me through!

So after a wonderful evening of catching up, and Amy refusing to let me do my own laundry, I even got to go school supply shopping. Remember the lists and shopping for EVERYTHING, well I got to pretend to be in second grade. Best day ever!

Then, I headed home and after sitting in lots of traffic Danny arrived. We went to the movies (not my favorite, lots of people dying). Then, on Sunday, we went to Busch Gardens! It was lots of fun and there were barely any lines. I was afraid with my back for the roller-coasters, but it was just fine. We went to a show and walked around and went on lots of coasters and 4D rides, so it was a wonderful day. 

Overall, another great weekend. Im not quite sure what is in store for the next couple weeks, but it will be interesting and exciting!


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Beach!!

I only ever seem to write about my weekends, however, currently I just work all day. Those blog posts would be rather boring complaints about people that call Financial Aid....


So last weekend we took a trip to Molly's beach condo in Ocean City. It was my first day on the beach all summer- which is sacrilegious for me. I suppose that I gave up a little bit of beach time for a Masters degree- such is life... The day on the beach was wonderful; I havent seen my friends in far too long and I forget how much I miss them. Ocean City is crowded and the water is freezing but it is still the beach and still wonderful. The day was beautiful- not too hot and perfectly sunny, so it was wonderful. 
I love love love the beach and am already excited about next summer when I can spend two weeks at the beach. And most summers after that- oh the joys of being a teacher!


Next on the agenda- dinner in Richmond this weekend with Mom and Amy and Robin. Then Danny is coming (after 5 days of work in a row : ( ) and were going to Busch Gardens! Im so excited- he's never been and I havent been in forever! I havent been on a roller-coaster since before my back surgery, so that is a little scary. But the shows and the animals and the rides will be fun! And, as always, it is fun to spend time with my cute boyfriend! Then, school starts again next week. Crazy!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Weekends and Weddings

I suppose it always seems like the weekends go by too fast.. but last weekend at least I was awake for most of it! I got to Danny's on Friday and we were going to head to Philly early.. but then his car wasnt finished and they made us wait around for it (Growing up is SO annoying) and so we finally got on the road. We made a stop at the mall to buy Miss Amy a 1st birthday present- so cute! We then made it to Philly around 9 and I was told I had 5 minutes to get ready before we were being picked up. 

We headed to downtown Philly and attempted to parallel park which was an adventure in itself. Then we went to one of Danny's friends house... in an alley. It is so weird being in a big city. In Winchester you go to "town" and that is still a very small place. However, it was a very nice place! The evening was fun and we stopped at a Philly Cheesesteak place at like 2:30am. I swear that town is obsessed with cheese wiz. I dont know what it is, but it sure makes for good cheese fries!

Danny's cousin's wedding was the next day. The church and the bride were both beautiful and it was a pretty ceremony. The reception was in Philadelphia at a beautiful hotel and was wonderful. The food was great, the dancing was fun, and it was good to spend time with Dan's family. He wished that he had worn his blues because he gets attention in them. Oh boy. 
Dancing at the wedding.

Before we left we stopped and had more crazy cheese fries. I love a city that loves cheese fries. My stomach on the other hand was probably glad to get home to my cooking... The ride home was a long one but it was good to see mom and dad and Lilly! School is going to be so busy that Im not sure that Ill be getting home much.

This week has been annoying- locking myself out of my house, paperwork, a million phone calls at work, so I am already looking forward to Danny's visit on Thursday (I always look forward to his visits) and the beach this weekend! I havent seen everyone in forever and the ocean in longer so hopefully it will be a good trip!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

: )

Beautiful flowers that Danny had delivered to work on Monday!
The card reads:
Happy Last Week of Classes... For Now!
I Love You
See You Friday : )


Thank goodness for such a wonderful boyfriend!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

One Week~

I am so excited to only have a week left! And even more excited to go to Philly for the weekend afterwards. I LOVE dressing up and Danny and I havent done something fun in a while. I bought a new dress and I think Ive figured out what to do with my hair. Im also excited to get to see all of his family again. I met them all at his birthday party, but I met like 100 people that weekend so it will be nice to actually talk to them all. And did I mention I get to see my boyfriend for 3 days?!? Thank goodness.


Today I went to Richmond and had lunch and went shopping with Cary. She moves to Nashville in a few weeks so I wont get to see her much : ( Clint is going to move to Nashville eventually- so exciting that they are moving in together. Cary was showing me all of her bedding and furniture she likes- its like were growing up. It is so weird! But kinda fun at the same time. 


I started "running" this week. Meaning... I run and walk alternating. At the beginning of the week I was walking more than running and now I am about even, if not running a little more. This is quite an accomplishment since I HATE running. It is kind of a nice way to clear my head and not think about school. My back hasnt been too horrible, it gets a little sore in the morning, but nothing Im not used to. I ran 4 days this week and about 2ish miles each time. I ran a total of 9.1 miles. I have this cool app on my phone that uses my GPS to calculate how far I ran, how fast, and calories. So just being able to see my progress is pretty cool.


Contemplating running right now.. its only 70 degrees!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Over it

Yesterday, I decided I was done with these summer grad courses. Unfortunately, I have a little over a week left. I think I can I think I can... Pretty much everyone else in the cohort is feeling the same way. Between readings, readings being changed, crazy quizzes, classes where we don't learn what will be on the quizzes, and 2 tests every week, we are all... tired. And reminding ourselves that it will be worth it in the end. We will make it.

Luckily, at the end of next week, I get to go to a wedding with Dan and then he shall visit. Even though I have to work a lot, it will be a fun few weeks to not think before the craziness begins again. Work has, however, been nuts lately. I almost answered the phone "Financial Aid" the other day when Dan called... oh boy. Hopefully, it will calm down however. 

The weekend after the wedding, I finally get to see my friends as well! Were all meeting up at Molly's beach house for a weekend! I havent seen everyone since the beginning of the summer, and while I have friends here, we are generally studying- not too exciting. It will be good to catch up and enjoy each others company. 

I just have to make it through a week and a half. I think I can I think I can.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Life, or something like it

Tomorrow! Danny and I will have been dating for a year. That is craziness. So much has changed... then I was at VT, finishing my degree and he was in Quantico jetting off to exotic locations all the time. Now, Im at W&M and he's at Anny (at least for now...). Time sure does fly. Apple Blossom seems just like yesterday and years ago all at the same time. Weird.


Some highlights (in no particular order):
Apple Blossom: it was a crazy busy weekend full of dancing and balls and parades... definitely an experience
Katie's wedding: Dan got to meet a lot of my high school friends, bond with Hunter as I tried to take care of all my Maid of Honor duties, and we all danced the night away
Danny's birthday: getting to meet the whole family all at once, and a million friends, was crazy and exciting! Plus there were two concussions, always interesting.
Fredericksburg: Living there for those 6 months and subbing could get a little boring, but it was so nice to be a "normal" couple and see each other at least once a week
Christmas: even though Danny worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it was nice to share our traditions with him and get in the Christmas spirit : )
Marine Corps Ball: who doesnt love getting dressed up? And hearing boys say oohrah a hundred times? And celebrating the Marines birthday? and dancing? and McDonalds at 2 am.... enough said.




Since he works this weekend (nothing new there!), he came and visited on Thursday and we exchanged presents. Confession: we had to stop at Target and buy his present because I hadn't gotten it yet... oops. He brought me beautiful pink roses, a movie, and gorgeous diamond earrings! And I bought him a George Foreman Grill.... hmm... We then went out for a lovely Japanese dinner (yum) and hung out until he had to go home : ( I'll see him next weekend when we help Holly move, however.


In other aspects, this session of school is nuts. We have a test once a week in both of our classes and on top of that TONS of reading. I think Im learning a lot, it is just a very stressful schedule of reading, studying, work and class. Only three more weeks! Then Ill have a few days off (which I will work) and it will be Fall semester! We mainly will have classes and will also have practicum, where we observe in the school that we will be student teaching in in the Fall. Oh yes, and I have to work 20 hours a week. This year is going to be crazy.


This weekend is only the 2nd that I have stayed in Williamsburg since Ive been here. It is nice to have time to get ahead on reading, and I just went to J Crew for a bit of shopping : ) I suppose I should get back to that reading... and studying... and paper writing... and waiting for Danny to wake up <3

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Tim McGraw!!

Last night we went to see Tim McGraw with Love and Theft and Lady Antebellum. All of them were wonderful and it was an amazingly beautiful evening! Tim played for a few hours and you forget how many wonderful songs he has! Faith was apparently in the audience, and his little girl even came out to sing for a while! It was so fun!


It was also a little sad. Charles went with us, and now, after bringing him his vacuum and saying goodbye, I dont know when or if Ill ever see him again. Its so weird because he and Holly act just like they always do. He's still affectionate and still seems to love her... but I guess he doesnt. In two weeks Im going up to help her move, and it's just so sad. He has been like a brother to me for 7 years... that is a LONG time. But if I am sad, I cant even imagine how Holly feels... it is just so weird. I hope that one day he figures out what he is missing.


Mom hates the saying "everything happens for a reason," and I think people say it too much, but I hope that this is happening to Holly for some reason. Either so that Charlie can figure out that he wants to marry her or so that she can find someone better. People change and perhaps they have just grown apart. I suppose we have to wait for this "reason" to appear. Until then, Holly is, as usual, one of the strongest people I know. AND she got promoted on Friday- so at least there is some good news!


In other news, I havent seen Dan in what feels like forever, and I suppose Im not going to see him for another two weeks. This also makes me sad. 


Amongst all the sadness, however, I must get back to studying. I have two tests every week for the next four weeks... along with all of my other quizzes, readings, and papers. At least being busy gives me no time to be sad.