Break time....

Here we are..... we made it through the semester and decided to have a comfy PJ day on the last day. I have learned so much from each one of these individuals. We are all so different, but as a group it works. I'm thankful for the semester, classmates, profs, and all that I've learned.

Now it's time to be home and enjoy all the goodness that comes from that. I really need a break, my brain is fried! I'll be back and blogging around Jan. 12, 2010 (wow 2010). Merry Christmas everyone!

Too cute....

I stumbled upon this during one of my many procrastination adventures.... I'm going to try this with Trooper, although he's not that little anymore :( Baby we need another puppy! The next one will be easy with all the crap Troop put us through...ha ha ha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHAshi4vdbg

and this one is the next trick my dog will learn...so cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk1pOUb8a_g

**stupid embedding wouldn't work :)

Week 16....

• also known as the last week of the first semester!!!!
• I'm now officially 1/4 counselor :)
• learned that I don't speak English, I just use the English letters
• have a new friend who is a second year student, he likes to scare Erica and I with the realities of grad school
• was called "witty" this week, that's a first
• ate at Chili's for their 2 for $20 deal....you get one appetizer, two entrees, and one dessert for $20....we need a Chili's in Moncton people
• got all my school work done and handed in on time
• made a batch of my crack fudge as Scott likes to call it, brown sugar fudge just tastes like Christmas to me....could be all those years of stirring it and selling it for Mari Lynn
• am thankful for all the support I'm getting from all of you and my pals here
• had a moment where I was proud of myself.....I'm learning!
• Jason now has a code word for when my phone is being ridiculous....I now hear "skidoo" when the MagicJack is acting up
• end of year potluck at school tomorrow, I love potlucks
• PARTY Thursday night....wonder how many intoxicated individuals will be cramming into the Honda that night
• looking forward to coming home
• trying to squeeze out the little bit of food that I have left here so I don't have to get groceries before I come home, makes for interesting meals
• Trooper got a Christmas haircut and so did his Papa
• I'm in need of some Asian Garden...supper Sunday anyone???
• one step closer to practicum and Gestalt therapy.....look out world!
• I'm excited for Christmas!!!! I think the reality will sink in more when I finally get home
• although this has been a HARD experience at times...I'm so THANKFUL for it. Where would I be without that crazy Yutzky girl, my cooking/baking bud April, or those Cali boys? I'm going to miss these guys while I'm in the GREAT north :), much like I miss all of you when I'm down here. I'm pretty much never going to be happy anywhere now...Jason we need to live in the US for 6 months and then Canada for the other 6....what do you think?

Prayer please....

1. supposed to be a storm on Saturday in Moncton, I don't want to get stranded in Newark because my plane can't land...pray snow hits another province instead :)


2. have a huge heavy feeling that is a constant in my gut, please pray next 2 sessions with Nate (my counselor) alleviate some of that so I don't need to think about this crap while I'm home


3. have a situation that I have no idea how to handle with a close friend, pray for wisdom


4. my grandmother isn't doing so hot...she has pancreatic cancer, possibly cancer of the liver, and is now full of blood clots. She has been on so much blood thinners that her blood is too thin and she is now at risk of bleeding to death. Basically there is a lot going on and she has now decided to refuse all treatments and remain at home. This is going to be a rough Christmas for all of us. For the last 28 years of my life Christmas was huge with my grandmother. She would start baking a month before in order to have everyone's favorites made for the holidays. This year she doesn't even want to put up a tree because she can't get out of bed. She wasn't looking too bad when I was there a month ago, but I'm being told to prepare myself for the next time I see her. I don't even know what to tell you to pray for here, peace for her and my grandfather is of high importance.

Thankful.....

I love this picture of us, and not only do I love this picture but I LOVE the guy in it. Friends I'm going through some brutal shit in counseling right now. I have never been struck at my core like I have been in these past few months (seriously this is going to end at some point right?). So this poor guy is getting a weepy wife on the other end of the phone at least weekly right now, but probably more so soon. What does he say/do in those moments? All the right things! I'm so blessed....I can't even begin to explain the depth of my soul that has been touched by this man. He's the exception I have to every rule and expectation I have ever set for others in my life. He far surpasses what I could have ever hoped for. This process is sucky being so far away, yet at the same time it's a blessing to us as well. Relying only on communication is teaching us so much and strengthening that part of our marriage in an amazing way. In the last 24 hours I have heard two of my friends say really cool things about Jason and they have never even met him. "Your marriage gives me hope" one said. WOW, what a gift! And to that I say.....it gives me hope as well!

8 more days baby, 8 more days!

Another one gone....

I got another thing crossed off my school list today.....my group did our lobotomy presentation. Guess who cried during it? Yup, that freaking video gets me every time....it just brings me back to the moment. Really though I was going for bonus marks with the passion behind the project :)

Only 3 things left....theories paper, psychopathology review, and the ethics competition. Freaking ethics competition....when this rolls around again will someone please remind me how I feel right now so I don't apply to be on the team again? Thank you! It has been a hard process.. but a good one, even if we don't win. Anyways, that sucker is due on Sunday so I have a lot of team meetings this weekend. I can get it done in a week right? :)

Merry Christmas Mommy.....

....said the email in my inbox. I opened it and here was what was inside.....

The end is in sight....

Is it really true? Could it possible be? I'm going to complete this semester sane and more in love with that husband of mine than I even have been? I believe it is!

I did my final review for my Professional Identity, Function, and Ethics (PIFE) class yesterday. So I'm ALL DONE with PIFE!!!! I know it's just one class but it's such a wonderful feeling.

As for the others, one of my classes continues into next semester and I've already completed all the work for this semester. Counseling Techniques, I have one 5 page paper left, which I'm hoping to complete today. Counseling theories, I've got one 10 page paper left, which will get done on the weekend. And lastly Psychopathology, I have a group presentation on Thursday (which is all ready to go, I had an awesome group thankfully) and a take home exam that will be due (we don't have it yet) next Thursday.

So to recap all of that. I only have 3 more assignments left in this semester and I'm done classes a week from Thursday!!!!!! This was all made really clear to me when I got my bill for next semester in my mailbox yesterday. Sheesh grad school is expensive!

AND I'll be home for Christmas (that song has a meaning for me now and I get teary every time I hear it one the radio) in 11 days!!!!

LIFE IS GOOD FRIENDS, it really really is! Lets just hope I can remember this during my next two intense counseling sessions ha ha ha.

Pics from Thanksgiving break....

My sister just sent me some pics that she took the first night I got home for the big surprise.... Jason we need to practice taking pictures together because we aren't looking so hot :)

Not too long after I surprised the guy

good old glow bowling

Matt (Lindsay's boyfriend) strutting his stuff

Every once and awhile there is a picture of Lindsay and I that makes me see what everyone means when they say "holy you two look alike" and this is one of them....it's probably because we were both busting out the lines to "Whoop There It Is"....think we look alike?

one of us is a little more hardcore than the other :)

whatever we do, all roads always lead back to Mandi and Greg's for good times and FOOD! Yay surprises, friends, and birthday celebrations!

Play time....

As I said in my last post Trooper is LOVING the snow. Jason says he keeps wanting to go out to do nothing but dig in it.

...which results in this
the novelty of this is going to wear off and my puppy is going to get shaved again because snowballs in hair is sooooo annoying for both Papa and Troop!

Thanks for the pictures honey!

Week 14....

• got about 15 centimeters of snow....how fun and beautiful
• my LA buddies were worried they were going to get snowed in, but at the same time excited since they had never been in something like this before...so weird to me
• "so a snow blower is that like a leaf blower" ha ha ha
• I'm loving Jimmy John's subs....man I'm going to miss these places when I move back home
• it's full out Christmas here now, it's like it exploded after Thanksgiving
• I love Target as well
• did well on my presentation that I was so stressed about, thank you public speaking prof :)
• told Jason I got another 100% on something to which he responded "okay how about you start only telling me your marks when you don't do so well"...that's not going to happen because I'm awesome!
• only 2 weeks of classes left...crazy
• ethics competition essay is due a week from today so we're a busy team trying to get prepared for that
• looking forward to Christmas...we're actually being forced to scale back this year, this is going to be hard
• I feel everything in my body wanting to bake...weird huh? but so true....I don't get home until the 19th though so I'm not sure how much baking I'll have time for :( Maybe they'll be some after Christmas baking in our world....gotta make Jason's favorites and Scott's drug of choice
• didn't bring any Christmas CD's here with me, I love driving and singing Christmas songs .... hmm after this post maybe it's a good thing I got a haircut that makes me look older because I'm sure sounding like an old lady here
• I enjoy my classes and classmates, I'm looking forward to a break but also to getting started again next semester
• wondering when the next time I go to Disney would be, yes I'm obsessed
• Trooper had his first snow experience last night and loved it
• I've realized that I never want to live anywhere where it doesn't snow...although it's cold and pisses me off at times I freaking love it! I always get the same fun/excited feeling when there's a snowstorm and I never want to loose that!

It's beginning to look a lot like.....

SNOW!!!!! Check this out:

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY JUST BEFORE SUNRISE SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS WHICH MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF EARLY IN THE EVENING. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FOR AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 30S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL LEAD TO SLIPPERY ROADS. A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING.

So I'm going to bed and should wake up to a beautiful wonderland outside. How awesome is it that all of my American friends are getting snowed on before my home friends do??? That's Canada getting back at them for making fun of it so much!!!

Anyone else laugh that they actually explained in the last line what a winter storm warning was??? Too funny. The woman I lived with said the most she's seen here in the past few years was a couple of inches. How exciting!!!!!

I'm staying in tomorrow to write a paper and do laundry, seems like a perfect day for that if you ask me. I can only imagine how much people must freak out in this weather down here. Plus my LA buddy has to be at work for 4 and I don't want to be on the road when he is....eek :)

Seriously.....

Conversation between my "friend" and I from this morning..(you'll understand why I have friend in quotation marks by the time you get to the end of this)

Friend: "I like your haircut."
Me: "Thanks."
Friend: "Makes you look older."
Me: "Oh dear I don't know if that's a good thing."
Friend: "Oh right I suppose at your age you wouldn't like that, but for me at my age it's a compliment."

Seriously? Am I THAT old? Well "friend" I want to point out that I am STILL in my twenties unlike someone else in my household. AND although I may be getting older, I'm still hot so that's all that matters :) Man this must be how Scott feels!

Update....

Point form seems to be working for my brain so.....

• got home 7 hours later than I was supposed to yesterday...my plane was delayed getting to Moncton so I missed my flight in Montreal.... THEN because of weather the later flight that I got bumped to was postponed another 1.5 hours.
• thankful I could call my husband complaining and teary and that he felt the same way about the nasty Air Canada workers that I did
• also SUPER thankful for Christian....first plan was to pick me up at 4:00, then 8:00, then 9:00, then 10:30....good thing his girlfriend lives in DC and he was happy to hang out with her...what a great friend I have
• note to self do not plan a meeting at 8:30 am for an intense group project when you fly the day before just in case
• note to self #2 do not schedule another intense meeting right after your 2 hour 8:30 meeting when you fly the day before
• needless to say I needed a freaking nap when I got home from school this afternoon....I don't function well on 5 hours of sleep
• thankful one of my roommate's made lemon pound cake and is willing to share
• only 3 of each class left and then the semester is done
• have a 20 minute presentation to do tomorrow that I'm a little stressed about...I have to do it three times because of this rotating group system that she has....hopefully by the third time I'll have it mastered :)
• bought good old Canadian icy squares at the Bulk Barn on the way to the airport for my presentation...I enjoy bringing them back Canadian goodies
• texted Trevor while in Montreal airport asking him to pick me up a half gallon of skim milk so I could have breakfast in the morning because I knew I had cereal in the cupboard... come to find out it's not called skim milk so both he and Christian had to figure out what I meant...from now on it's "nonfat milk" ha ha ha seriously it's like I speak another language
• my dad may be buying one massive, awesome house in Florida....looking forward to staying at that sucker (hint hint) ha ha ha
• thankful to be back and get back into the school work that causes me some anxiety at times...missing home though.....there's just something about being in my house with my stuff and my family that brings a calmness to the soul
• looking forward to hanging out with my Harrisonburg buddies this weekend....there's even talk of partying it up in DC when classes are done before I come home....this is exciting!
• speaking of home...missing it and thankful I'll be back in 18 days...sheesh I'm getting spoiled this semester with the amounts of time I've been home...next semester is going to be a reality check since I don't have as much time off
• k I need to stop procrastinating and prepare for my presentation for tomorrow