tell the ones you love that you love them

a friend who is dear to my heart passed away last night unexpectedly and way too early. it leaves me wishing i'd called him more, gone out of my way to see how he was doing more... i can't change back the clock, i can't do any of this. but i appreciate the value of a friend even more now. it's cliche to say to live every day as your last. but do it. don't have regrets. tell the ones you care about that you do so. i miss him so much. he never grasped the magnitude of the love everyone had for him.

someday soon, we all will be together

Christmas is approaching :) - hopped in my car this morning... and lo and behold, frost on my windshield!

what makes studying for finals more bearable?....

Christmas music. Enough said. Thank you Pandora, Christmas Radio.

cold colds.

seasons.

Thanks to Glen Brann's facebook status,

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."

since wednseday

mom came in town to help nurse me back to help. she's always been there for me :) add thatto the list of things (and people) i'm thankful for.

we started off the day with breakfast at another broken egg - lafitte's tortilla, coffee, and donut beignets.

then, after an unsuccessful shopping trip it was off to school to take a quiz on a dementia lecture. i swung by sprinkles cupcakes on the way home and with mom as my chauffeur, we made it back to cypress that evening.

it was fun getting to watch the baker hughes guys play football and my knee got progressively better over the weekend - by friday, i found out it isn't fractured, but just bruised and i can run as soon as it feels better/doesn't hurt to do so! :) GREAT news.

the weekend was pretty relaxing; it feels weird to be back in dallas - no tanner, no practicum. i leave for long island the day after tomorrow, which is exciting!

on saturday, will and i ventured out to the Via Colori chalk street painting festival sponsored by the Houston Center for Hearing and Speech (how cool this combined my two interests - art and speech path!) check out their HUGE mural in progress below:

BAD day.

one week and a day til thanksgiving break

i can't believe it. just over two weeks of actual school left and finals, and my first semester in dallas and of grad school will come to a close. i will pack up the necessities of my apartment, put this semester's books neatly on the my bookshelf, and make the four hour drive back to houston for the month. where has the time gone? ... to take a moment and reflect:

• unpacking tons of boxes, numerous trips to tom thumb and target (having to embrace the transition from walmart to target...)
• labor day weekend in new braunfels with my favorite girl friends and new guy friends (and new boyfriend) & 6th street
• many time-consuming assignments for assessment class
• weekly practicum
• tx/ou weekend & the state fair
• maddy and matt & aggie friends in town
• oktoberfest
• two weeks of studying for midterms... and then actually taking them
• spontaneous trips to houston
• rj's housewarming party
• 5K

just to name a few... all in all, i'd say it's been a good semester. i've met new friends, settled in, and learned to call dallas home. i have amazing things to look forward to in the next two months - with thanksgiving in new york with will, christmas on 5th in WACO and then christmas break back at home enjoying my family, going to JAPAN to see corey!! and then ringing in 2011. i'm so thankful for the people in my life :)

until tomorrow, be blessed.