Spring Semester

Classes have officially begun.  I only have 14 credits this semester, which coming after 19 last semester is going to be weird.  I am taking Cognitive Psych, Psych Stats, Arabic, and Social Psych.  I am excited about all except the Psych Stats--that one still intimidates me!  I am nervous I won't be able to get a good grade in there because math and I do not get along well.

Arabic is awesome and I am loving the second semester.  We have been warned that we are approaching the time when he will cease speaking English at all.  I am kind of looking forward to it actually.  It will help me when I get to Oman in June.

Last Week of Winter Vacation

And guess what I get to do be doing?? 

I caught Strep throat!  For the first couple days I just thought I was coming down with a cold but the throat got worse and I got a fever on top of it, and then my brother told me he had Strep and had just been to his house to babysit my nephews.  So I went to the doctor and they confirmed the Strep test was positive--complete with a fever.  So now I have been lying around, sleeping a lot, and waiting for this sore throat to go away!!  My fever either didn't return last night or was so slight I didn't notice it so that is a plus!  Here is hoping the rest goes quickly too!

So not how I wanted to be spending the last free week of my vacation!!

School starts on Monday.

Happy (Late) Holidays!!

Catch up time!

First:  Finals came and went in a blur of studying and sleep deprivation.  I had to take only 4 thanks to getting a 96 in my Research Methods class and not needing to take that Final--thank goodness!  I took Arabic first and it went really well.  We did an Oral final in there in the form of a skit and then had to write a paper on our families, and then took the test during Finals week.  It went really well.  Then I took Psych 100 and that went really well too.  It was hard to study for that one because it was 8 chapters of really hard stuff and I had an Abnormal Psych Final the next morning.  And then my easy Final, Development Psych and I was done!!!  Of course it took weeks for the grades to come back but once they did I was happy.  A's in all my Finals and I got my 4.0!!!

Second:  Home for the Holidays!  I drove to Helena to stay the night with Brandt and Ashlie on the 22nd because they flew to Hawaii for Christmas with Ashlie's family on the 24th.  We had Will's 2nd birthday party and did Christmas with them that Friday before Christmas.  Kat, Kaelan and Kameron drove down and stayed with us until the 3rd and it was so much fun!!  I love my boys.  I miss them like crazy already!!

Third:  Now I have time off until classes start again right before February.  I am already kind of bored I will admit!  I have been doing some Arabic to keep up with it and loving that.  Today I did idafa structures.  My vocab is a little rusty but writing isn't and I can read and speak it still.  So much for taking off 3 weeks!!

A Bad Moon

So I was just browsing through some movies a friend of mine sent me and found The Wolfman with Benecio Del Torro--ever seen it?  (Just FYI, I am extremely frightened of werewolves.  I am almost phobic about them.  I watched American Werewolf in London when I was 5 and refused to leave the house for days and days, even in the daylight.  CCR's Bad Moon Rising would come on the radio and I would scream.  It was bad.)  Anyway, now I watch EVERY werewolf movie I can find just to prove that I can watch it, even though I cover my eyes and have nightmares.  SO tonight I thought why not!  I started watching and of course they leap right into the scary parts--some dippy guy was wandering around the forest yelling for someone to come out, presumably the werewolf?  I don't know who else he was expecting...  You can guess where this is going huh?  It came out!  And didn't say 'here I am, what did you want?' like that idiot was so obviously expecting but instead ate him!  I made some yip noises and covered my eyes and then my heart was pounding so bad I had to shut it off.  Maybe I will watch that later...in the daylight...when I am feeling brave!

News

I have some news--bittersweet news, really.  I am unable to return for Bryn Mawr summer '12.  :(  Very sad face.  I am going to the Middle East next summer to become more fluent in my Arabic.  I have a couple different programs to choose between so I am not sure which country I will be going to yet--either Jordan or Oman.  I will keep you updated.

I already told Bryn Mawr I can't come back and it was awful and broke my heart.  I hope that I will be able to return to Bryn Mawr at some point though!  I have a feeling we are not done yet, oh no, we are not.  It will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

Soldier Update

Hey there, Happy belated Thanksgiving!!

I have 2 weeks left of classes and I am very excited!  Although I really enjoyed this semester so part of me will miss it.

Soldier update!  I have had 7 Soldiers thus far and 4 of them are now home--yay!!!  Of the last 3 I have two will be home by mid-December and I am so excited for them.  I will miss talking to them but I am very happy they get to be home with their families finally.  My last and 7th Soldier is in Kuwait and just got there so he will be there until next November.  I plan on adopting more after my two in Iraq go home though.

Will and Aunt Jessie

Brandt, Jessie, Will

Family Pic

While I was home I attended Weston's baptism.  He is 2 months old and adorable.  I coaxed a few smiles from the little guy and man is he wiggly!  It is almost hard to hold him he is so wiggly!  And Will and I played and sang the pirate song a lot.  It was a good time.

Happy FALL!!!

I have been remiss in my blog updating duties.  Many apologies!  I am still busy busy busy with school--but there are only 5 weeks left or something crazy like that and I cannot believe how fast the time has flown.  My classes are going great and I love learning about Psychology.  Of course my FAVORITE class is Arabic :)  And, tadaa, I can read and write!  We are getting to some big-time sentence structures now and it is a little intimidating.  I met with my prof the other day and we discussed the class--strangely enough, or maybe not so strange, most of the class has dropped out.  There used to be close to 40 of us and now there are 22.  I guess not everyone shares the same passion for learning Arabic.  Anyway, hay mucho plans regarding Arabic but I cannot put them on here yet.  I will let you know when I can :)

My family is good.  All are busy.  Kaelan turns 7 on the 8th of November.  Can you believe that??  I cannot.  Kameron is in preschool--he goes to the Deer room and is loving it.  I think he mostly loves the miniature toilets and sinks that are just his size.  And my other two nephews are also good.  Weston is getting big.  I will post a good picture.  Will is getting used to being a big brother and it is cute.

Big Brother!

I have to do an oral presentation in Arabic today.  It will be easy because it is about me and at least is in first person.  :)