Stick A Fork In It...

            ...Cause it's done.  I literally never thought I'd see the day.  It doesn't really feel real yet but I turned in my very last assignment this morning and with that, my grad school grandma days were officially over.  These have been the hardest two years of my life but I am grateful to have found a career path that I am passionate about and to be doing something that I really believe in.  Oh yeah and I'm grateful that I actually survived.  Because there were days when I had my doubts!  And to commemorate the fact that we made it through with most of our sanity intact, my classmates and I headed to the SATCo. patio for a much needed celebration of tacos and beer.  Perfection.

Solo pic with the broken finger...love it

            Don't know how I would have made it through without these girls...they're the only people who share my daily fear of traumatic brain injury, know how to build a larynx out of model magic, and understand the importance of the Vagus nerve when it comes to foreplay :-)  And I love them.

Sun Soaked and Back to Reality

            That vacation was just what I needed.  I maxed out on sun time and was parked in a beach chair at the water's edge for much of the weekend.  And when I wasn't lounging with my toes in the sand, I could be found cruising in a kayak, watching the PGA tour in Hilton Head, riding bikes past gator-filled ponds, hugging a best friend for the second weekend in a row, and generally loving the fact that I was on an undeserved, all expenses paid (thanks Mom and Dad!) vacation, just because.

Happy Easter!

            Happy Easter, y'all!  (I'm trying to pack in as many of those as I can in the next week before I head back to yankee territory).  I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful Sunday and are remembering all that this day stands for.  New beginnings.  The chance for a clean slate.  I'm liking those sentiments these days.  Oh, and I really like jelly beans.  A lot.
            And though this Easter will not be spent with family and the usual activities of egg hunting and uppering, I am happy to be spending the day unpacking and repacking and snuggling with the sweet pup that I missed ohsomuch over the past five days.  Kiawah vacation pictures tomorrow - promise!

"Why should I gain from his reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom."

But Before I Go...

            Some of my Franklin favorites for your viewing pleasure.  If you're into fabulous furnishings for your someday-house, visiting Main Street in downtown Franklin is basically like hitting the jackpot.  And because that's really the only way I know how to explain it in words, I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Tea party to celebrate the royal wedding?  Don't mind if I do.

Do you die?  I die.

And just for fun...I came thisclose to buying this little headband just for old time's sake :-)

Taking A Time Out

      After spending the better part of grad school completely land-locked, it's about time that this girl dipped her toes back into the Atlantic where they belong.  That's right, I'm headed for a pre-Praxis break at the beach and will be spending the next few days on sunny Kiawah Island, SC.  If you need me, I'll be the bikini-clad girl glued to her beach towel, with a little umbrella drink (okay, and maybe my exam review book) in hand!

See you soon!