Back to....

...the old grind?? Hmmm, I guess we can call my overly exciting life that ;)

Fair warning, I have a feeling this entry will be erratic and probably will not flow...at all. Fasten your seat-belts, kiddies!!

Let's start with why I have so terribly neglected my faithful readers for the last week or so: I...was visiting with friends in CS and Houston....and...spending precious time with them was more dire to me than posting my thoughts... I know!! I'm terrible. But, don't you worry, I've been storing up things to tell you in my forgetful steel-trap of a mind! Ok, so I was also working back in the wasp lab during the day last week, but my lunches and nights were full, full, full of visiting and simply enjoying my loves. I had a blast staying with my lovely Humphreys the first half of the week. Ricci taught me how to make petit fours! I think I have a new addiction...in fact, later on today I just might go get some "play-doh for adults" and fiddle around with it :) I just have to say that I absolutely adore Ricci and Josh...they have so blessed my life and I can't imagine not having them an email/text/chat/letter/phone call away. The Lord is so, so very good to me. The second half of the week I spent with BMetz & KZhaurova - love them! Haha, we totally nerded-out one night and watched NOVA specials on Netflix whilst playing Scrabble...oh, it was glorious. I had an awesome time going to Hope Group, hangin at MugWalls with my loves, watchin some olympics, making dinners, and just all-around enjoying the people who have come to mean the world to me. It was a productive week in the lab, too. And, Wharton is awesome and surprised me with a happy belated-birthday/congrats on getting invited to the U of M welcome weekend ice cream party on Friday - he's such a great boss/mentor/prof.

Over the weekend I went down to Houston to celebrate Kacydilla's BDay! It was way fun to just get to visit with her and JJ. I was blessed to help them around the house with some things and we went and saw Valentine's Day on Saturday which was way fun. {I may or may not have cried....again} And the young adult pancake lunch was tasty and I got to visit with my buddy Brandon, so that was delightful. Kacy and I also got to take a run to Kohl's where I may or may not have bought these beauties...
{Ricci, I think I have a problem... ;) }
Anyways, after Kohl's I hit the road to Arlington. But, I stopped back in CS on my way. I know...I just couldn't stay away! I got to visit with B, Paul, and Alyssa. It was truly great. I watched them play tennis for a bit and visited with the "loser"...haha, but I'm pretty sure they were the real winners, cause they got to visit with me!! ;) We got to have dinner with the amazing Freemans, too. Truly a blessed evening. After dinner we headed back to the courts and I hit the road to Arlington. I think that was probably one of the most difficult drives for me.

I have yet to cry when leaving CS since graduation...yeah...well, that trend is now broken. It was so hard for me to leave this time around, because it's becoming more and more real to me how difficult the move to Minnesota is going to be. I've never been afraid of moving. My family has moved a lot over the course of my life, so I've grown accustomed to saying good-byes. But this time will be much more difficult, I think, because I haven't only been here for 2-2.5yrs...but rather 4.5+ It makes a huge difference, one I hadn't realized until this trip. No matter how I slice it, it's going to be an extremely painful move. I was talking with my mom about it yesterday and she said she had been thinking the same. Haha, she said maybe I should just go to grad school at A&M... I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it to stay fairly close to my friends and family here. But I think I need to take this step. I need to have an adventure of my own. If a handful of someones come along with me that'd be awesome, but either way, I think this is just one of those things I need to do - part of my personal growing-up process. It's totally going to suck, though...

Anywho...that said, I had a truly blessed week. And I can't wait to go back next week! :)

It was nice to come home, I must say. Especially because I was welcomed home by these:

I'm totally and completely in love!

I wore them all day yesterday...and felt totally awesome on my trek to WholeFoods :D TOMS are pretty much the greatest shoes on eath...so beyond comfortable and an amazing organization. If you don't have any, you should get some!

Well, now that I'm home, I have tons of freetime...what am I going to do this week?? Hopefully sort through some boxes of junk. What fun!! I also want to whip up some canvases I have laying around. And as mentioned above, I think I will be playing with some "adult play-doh" :)

So, random thought here: have you ever been entering the word verification on a comment you are leaving and thought to yourself, "man, that would be an awesome word!!"? Well, I think about that pretty much everytime...it's so annoying, because some of them would totally be awesome, but alas, they are not real. Haha, I'm a dork, I know. But I love words :)

Well kids, the day is quickly fleeting, so I'm out for now!

Shalom!
~MW