giddy

my favorite band in highschool was easily... dashboard confessional.
a guy. his 'band' and him singing songs about life. love. tshirts. and driving home...
here is my favorite song.





so they happen to be on their TEN YEAR TOUR! what?!?! ten years.
and ive been listening to them for probably all ten years.

due to their popularity and ticket price i was never able to see them...
until now.
tonight.

im going. with ryan. (what nice husband)
to sing my heart out and see my favorite band ever...
(well at least in the high school/college days)

:) im giddy with excitement.

shutterfly!

i love shutterfly!

...no really. i do.
here is our christmas card that may end up in a mailbox near you soon!

Woodblock Joy Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

sorry to ruin the surprise-- but guess what- blogging about shutterfly gets you a 25$ gift card!!! really!!
i love shutterfly even more!! check it out-- buy a photo book (which i have LOTS of!!) or christmas cards or just prints-- blog about it and get free money!!

i don't think you can read the fine print anyway... that part will be a surprise! :)
happy holidays!

what a weekend...

well i started at home depot.
and spent the best 20$ ive ever spent.
4 new stove top 'spill covers' later... i feel like i have a new kitchen.

here's a lil before & after.

ryan came home saturday afternoon and we headed straight to a christmas tree lot...
we dont have trees grown locally in durham- apparrently they wont grow here-- but these are from the north carolina blue ridge mountains! :)
and this lot goes towards a great local cause... so it was the perfect place to get a tree.

muscle man carrying it in...

ill post pictures of our living room all decorated at some point...
but its looking good. and smelling awesome!

----and then today--- after church we hit the books.
but first we made our first homemade loaf of bread with ryan's new breadmaker!

mmmmm.
it looks sooooo good.
and smells amazing!!


hope your weekend was fun & refreshing!
one more week of class! then tests-- then BREAK!!!

love & peace

happy hunting!

not so shabby...

today at work that is...

me and emily spent our day at work decorating.

it was sooooo much fun.

us and our tree.
we also made a giant wreath and snowflakes.
all out of computer paper.

one might say our ER looks a bit like a kindergarten classroom-- but hey. we had a ball.


love & peace
and happy decorating!

happy thanksgiving to me.... work style.

spontaneous

a couple weeks ago an old friend told me she would be in the area for thanksgiving and we should get together. well time passed-- and yesterday i got a message- you able to meet up tomorrow?
this morning i got a text with an address-- a couple of hours away-- and i was pumped.
hopped in the shower and took off.
after a very wrong turn that had me headed north instead of south-- for like the MAJORITY of my drive... i got headed the right way and ended up seeing my best friend from growing up.

its crazy the memories that come flooding back after 6 years of being a part-- it was like the last 6 years didn't happen-- oh but they did.

2 college graduations, 2 weddings and a baby later-- we were reunited and it was so so so good.
after a veryyyyy long lunch
she and her family talked me into spending the afternoon with them.
then the evening.
then having dinner with them.

oh how wonderful it was.
to be surrounded by a family that growing up i considered another family to me, sitting at a table, talking, laughing and catching up.
what a perfect day.

ashley and i became friends in 2nd grade- friends through elementary school, ms, and hs. then senior year went to india together. i broke my arm at her house once- we went to panama city for spring break one year with her family. we spent LOTSSSS of nights together growing up. its crazy how quickly time passes---

i think we were ten.... or younger... maybe 8?
and here we are age 25....


so tonight im thankful for old friends and families that helped shape me into the person i am today. and the fact ive had a camera at my side since age 8. mimicking 15 year old pictures is quite fun.

:) love & peace

thankful

im pretty sure ive mentioned it before...
but im so grateful for these two.
they make my life better.
they are by far my bestest friends here in durham.
tonight jess came over- hung out - then convinced me (although it wasn't hard) to go out to hang out with she and em (and their awesome husbands) at a local restaurant to watch the duke game.
it was so fun.


its so good to have friends you can count on to keep you occupied when you are lonely.
or when you are sad-- friends that can make you laugh and smile.

it was a great night- with great friends- and great basketball.

mondays

craziest day at work in a while...
mondays are crazy.
mainly due to the fact 100million ppl check into the ER for NO reason.
things such as "i need to know if im pregnant", "ive had this headache for weeks", "ive been feeling anxious now for about a year", were all people i encountered today while working in triage.
its amazing to me the people i come across.
almost all lack a primary care doctor, and when told, did you know you simply can buy a pregnancy test, that is JUST like the one the hospital uses, at any local store they respond "i dont care".
it can be quite frustrating at times... but such is life.
it was a long day, without a lunch break, but i survived.

mostly because i spent time (in between running around) thinking back on my relaxing weekend, AND i listened to christmas music.

oh how i love christmas music.

anyway... best barbeque you can buy in north carolina--
as seen on LOTS of tv shows...


simply: amazing.
never eaten ribs that were this perfect.
and no offense to my grandma, but this banana pudding was freaking incredible.
this is a MUST go to.


well going to hit up the books for a tiny little bit before bed...
here is the perfect picture of my life... thanks to sweet ryan.

love & peace

birthday boy!

the hubby turns 25 today!

here's a look back at my wonderful husband and his 24th year!

24 was a great year--
here's to an exciting, fun, year ahead!
25... cheers!

over.

test wasn't too bad.
much easier than previous ones.

ive got a laundry list of 'to-do' items that i need to accomplish before class.
most importantly TARGET. :)

love & peace
happy thursday!

studying

im at the point that i feel like i know the material.
ive been hours and hours studying, reading, watching videos, trying to understand.
and right now i do.
i can verbalize all the major topics on our test tomorrow.

but.

and its a BIG BUT.

i know when i get that test tomorrow.... i wont know what i need to know.
ill know everything about the disease EXCEPT the one thing asked.
or ill get tricked. or ill confused myself.

im glad i feel confident about the info.
im at least trying to stay positive....
if you want to know about parkinson's or guillan barre, or rheumatoid arthritis
((or you are my patient with one of those problems))
i feel pretty confident i can explain to you about the pathophys on that disease.
and well.
thats what matters.

so so soooo excited about a weekend of no studying.
very little homework :)

the countdown to good things::
-ryan's birthday (saturday!)
- a week off of school
- a week to rest and relax
- 1 more patho test
- 1 more assessment test
-1 more assessment demo
- <1month before christmas break
- christmas vacay with the macminns
- christmas!
- THEN SARAAAA's!!!
- then saraaaaaa's WEDDDINNNNG
- then a spring full of duke basketball and class one day a week and CLINICALS!


man, im doing a good job of procrastinating...
i should probably get back to studying and trying to figure out those rando questions that the prof is going to ask...

love & peace

pretty trees

to stay positive today.... here is a pic why im thankful i live in north carolina.... its beautiful.

this pic is from my cell phone. inside my jeep. so it doesn't do the trees justice. but they are beautiful.

my sunday

after 8 hours of studying i have my 13 page, single spaced study guide complete.
now can someone tell me when im going to study this study guide?

test is due thursday.

2 days of work.
and one day of class stands in the way.

not thinking about it tonight.
im going to bed.
ive worked hard today.

...even if i did sneak out to a duke basketball game.
i mean each game is a once in a life-time experience.
tonight proved just that...
i met cal ripkin.

i go to a cool school.
so cool that famous people come just to watch our amazing basketball team.

my warm bed is calling.
peace
bort

...

just when i think i can't get any more tired....
i do.

thats ok. ...and its not that i dont get enough sleep. i surely do that.
its just i work a crazy exhausting job.

and then go home and study.
and then on days off of work i spend reading, studying, writing, or cleaning.

life is good though.
spent 24 hours with my awesome mother in law.
laughed. shopped. chatted about life. it was great.
had a cozy fire with my sweet husband last night- after a cozy dinner.
the weather is PERFECT. 30's at night-- 70's in the sunshine.
duke basketball is here-- which always means fun.
and ryan's bday is next weekend-- which promises to be a fun saturday!!

hope your life is good.

love & peace
bort

going and going and going

i feel like the energizer bunny....
i just keep going and going and going....
im hoping my internal/mental battery keeps going as well.

everyday its school. or work. and some days... like today... its both.
whewww. im beat!

but despite having tons of reading to always be doing, studying for the next test, thinking about the next meeting.... i have been smart enough to put those things aside at times and just enjoy life. the simple things.
like a date.

this past weekend ryan and i went on a date.
just us two.
alone.
we have been doing TONS of group things
(which we love- but some alone time-- def important)

and no kidding... we had TWO couples ask us to do something-- WHILE we were on our alone date. we politely declined and enjoyed our night out at a fabulous nice restaurant. we then perused my favorite street side shops in brightleaf ((that are open late!)) then headed home to pj's, fires, cookies, and movies.
peerrfect evening. im still relishing in it now. 4 days later. :)

last night we enjoyed dinner at our neighbors-- 'tuesday' thanksgiving!
we had turkey, dressin, and the whole works.
just for fun.
and it was.

im loving school. just ready to be done with PATHO!
but the good news is... only 3 weeks left!

i can't believe my first semester of grad school is winding down!
((granted-- a lot to do before december 14-- but after than im off for a WHOLE MONTH!

i can't wait. read a pleasure book. and not to study.

well i think im heading in.... the awesome mom in law is coming tomorrow!!
comin up for a quick visit. im so excited!!!

love * peace
bort

thanksgiving dinner.... on a random tuesday. with neighbors. perfect!

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

oh how i loooveee homemade chili! especially on cold nights.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

perfect night.... just me & ryan

missing out

living in north carolina has its perks.... duke. cold weather. fall.
but has its downsides too... such as living 12 hours away from my best friend.



this weekend she is having a couple of wedding showers...
and sadly i couldn't make it.
well with school and work and all.
so she is there.
and im here.... wishing i were with her!
celebrating her upcoming wedding!!
very very verrryyy soon ill be there!
for her WEDDING WEEK CELEBRATION!!!

in other exciting news-- i ordered my dress for her wedding today!!
will be in next week-- and am so excited!
i hope its as cute in person as it is online!

can't wait.
happy wedding showers weekend sara!


-----

to stay on a positive note though-- i have done a lot of school work today.
am going to spend some much needed quality time with my husband tonight.
church tomorrow.
with some more homework alllll afternoon tomorrow

good 'catch up' weekend.

pefect ending.

after a stressful week of school--

i took a trip to cameron indoor.

to see my boys play a lil ball.

front row. on the ground. like i stood on the floor of cameron.

it was so fun.

surronded by great friends. and well a couple thousand cameron crazies.

and of course... we dominated.

off to bed grateful this stressful week is ova~

love & peace.

bort

funny.

if you want a good laugh go here:
http://ohsisterdearest.blogspot.com/

funniest blog ever.
and it just so happens to be two of my friends.

really though.
they are funny.

oh right...

oh. the picture.

sorry i was being too melodramatic before to even mention the picture.

see below if you dont know WHAT picture.

the picture in the post below is of me and ryan.
we are at his brother's wedding.
they did a photo-booth type thing.
we did a 'gangster/mobish' look.
it was hilarious.
i love the pic.
the wig on ry is a bit odd though.
but my boa-- pretty sweet. :)

uughhh

i needed another happy/fun picture today.
i just took another pathophys test.
another week spent studying- hours of learning- memorizing- and trying to understand.
and for what?
hopefully i passed my test.
thats for what.
its frustrating to put forth sooooo much effort and really try.
and then know that #1 other people probably cheated and got much better grades than i
and #2 i work hard and dont see good results

dont get me wrong. im learning so much. i really feel like i 'get it'. its just the tests. they are ridiculous. questions from who knows where about NOTHING ive studied or even read in the book or heard in lecture. and then the ones i do know are SOOO tricky.

why be tricky?

oh pathophysiology. 4 more weeks and then im done.
wow. 4 weeks.
im so gladdddddd.

love & peace-
from a tired, worn out, gal

happy picture

this picture just makes me happy. i mean i have such a ridiculous face... but its such a genuinely happy, excited, joyful picture. these are my amazingly beautiful, kindhearted, compassionate, and just wonderful sisters. and this is after the 3rd one (MK) 'joined' the sisterhood....

happiness to ya!

im soooo overwhelmed and stressed its horrible. but thats ok. finding happy pictures to make me smile and get me through.

love & peace
bort