Ohhhh, Grad School....

I've about had it with tests! We had a big test last week, which I stayed up late for and was drilled extensively by one of my classmates, and I was POSITIVE I was going to ACE this test! Well, we get the test and OF COURSE he goes into detail on an area he didn't actually stress. I still did fine, but I was really bummed that I didn't kill that one as I expected. Bummer. Soo, just when I'd recovered and have been juggling everything trying to prepare therapy for 3 clients this semester, we have YET ANOTHER test this week class numero dos (that's "number two" for those of you who took French in highschool...b/c c'mon, that's the only way most of us actually know ANY foreign language nowadays, right?) Anywho. I'm just finding it SO hard to actually concentrate! I really enjoy my clients this semester, and I would really like to just have to worry about planning FABULOUS therapies for all of them...but instead I have to worry about tests. I mean, I know that's to make sure we learn the stuff...but I just need a break from it all! And more than the 4-day weekend kind of break. I'll get that break come August...but it's been a LONG process to get there!

Question: My roommate says that I have a pessimistic attitude about Grad school. So, to my fellow Grad school blogger (yes, Katherine, that's you...), is it just me or does this happen to others too??? I fear it's only me!

Comment: I discovered Belgian Chocolate Toffee creamer for my coffee yesterday...it's wonderful! It's getting me through what I can already tell is going to be a LATE night filled with lots and lots of coffee. Ohhhh, Grad School.....

I believe this captures my emotions right now...

Room Update

Ok, so here's the update on my "clean-up progress": 

I actually sorted through all of my clean clothes and organized them all into piles of "dresser" clothes and "hanging" clothes.  All clothes have been cleared out of my suitcases and they have been put away.  However, my organized clothes were then all moved onto one organized pile onto the floor yet again.  I know, I'm ridiculous.  But, I'm quite pleased with my progress because I really have a ton more freed up floor space.  I can actually walk in my closet again...amazing!  Really, what I need is boxes.  I have a TON of winter clothes that I need to just put away, but I have no where to store them.  So, yes, I did actually "clean" my room...even though to any other person it wouldn't appear to be so!

Oh well, I've got less than a month before it'll look like a wreck when I start packing everything up, so it's not a HUGE deal.  So it goes...

Worse than Oscar the Grouch

So, I think I live in a room that's worse than Oscar the Grouch's trash can. I don't know why, but I have a HORRIBLE habit of just letting my clothes and suitcases pile up in my room...and then I never do anything about it. I've got about 4 suitcases strewn about my room...all with clothes still in them. Then I have a HUGE box just sitting in my room with the intentions of using it to pack up my stuff when I move come July. Then there's about 2 or 3 HUGE piles of clean clothes just sitting all crumpled up in various piles around my floor and on my closet floor. It's like a maze to get from one place to another...and I don't have a very big room either. Oh, I must not forget all the random magazines and just trash laying all over the floor...or forget to mention the old desktop hard drive sitting in the middle of my floor either. I really should do SOMETHING about it...but instead, I write about it. Really, it's gotten to the point of being embarrassing. I mean, I need to clean it up because it has to be done before July 18 when I move out. I'm not doing anything now but watching HGTV...maybe I should take some inspiration from their clean houses and try and make a clean room. You know it's bad when it's not even organized chaos any longer. I used to be able to still find things amidst the mess...alas, that is not the case anymore. So sad...and shameful! It's so dreadful, I shouldn't even allow myself to post pictures for you to understand. However, in order to help you understand, and in an effort to shame me into actually cleaning my room, I shall post pictures. WARNING: You may now be fully grossed out and ashamed to say you know me.

This USED to be a walk-in closet...

There is no corner untouched by the chaotic mess

Shameful...I know

Yes, those ARE clean clothes...

So, in order to remedy the situation, I'm going to do it. I'm going to tackle the mess of my room. I hope to emerge before the break of daylight tomorrow...one never knows with THAT mess! Wish me luck!

Nervous!

Sooo....my parents leave for CHINA in the morning! They are going to serve in an orphanage with other members from our church. They're really excited about it...and I am too. But I'm also starting to realize how nervous I am for them as well. The Chinese government is requiring them to be quarantined for 7 of the 12 days that they are there...so they are now confined to just the orphanage they are partnered with for 7 of those days. I know that God has them in His hands and will have everything work out His way. I know He's going to protect them...but I'm still a tad bit nervous about it all. I'll have limited contact with them for 12 days while they're in a country that hates Christians. I've never gone more than 3 days (at the most!) without talking to my Momma or Daddy (or both), at least through e-mail if not the phone. They may not even be able to contact me via e-mail. I'm gonna miss them tremendously! Yes, I am Momma and Daddy's girl. My parents are practically like my best friends and it's gonna be rough not having them to talk to. Ok, probably not "rough" per se, but considering the situation, rougher than usual.

Mom is so excited. She really wants to bring back a Chinese baby...which is why my Dad is going...so that she DOESN'T. Mom's never been on a mission trip before, and Daddy has been on a few, as far as Mexico. This is the furthest either of them has been. They don't really know what's going to happen once they get there, but they're excited for the work that God has in store for them nonetheless. I'm excited to hear what God does as well. I know He'll use them to do His work, and I'm excited to see the kinds of changes it makes in both of their lives. I'll miss them...but I'll be praying for them and trying to trust that God will take care of my precious Momma and Daddy and bring them back home to me safe and sound.

Any extra prayers would be appreciated...I think they're going to need it.

Just Call Me Martha Stewart

I got the bright idea to give my office "goodbye" gifts. So, I made some chocolate covered pretzel rods. My roommate is a fantastic baker so I got the idea from her. She made some one time...and I'm pretty sure I ate the whole batch myself. They're addictive...really. I decided to make both milk chocolate and white chocolate. I went to the store to get the chocolate and found something that made me very happy: microwaveable dipping chocolate...straight in the container.

My little discovery made melting chocolate SO easy! I had a lot of fun making them actually. I even put rainbow sprinkles on top of them too. After the chocolate hardened, I put 2 of the milk chocolate and 1 white chocolate in cellophane bags tied with a pretty yellow ribbon. (Confession: I only gave 1 white chocolate pretzel because I actually wanted to eat the rest of them for myself. Hey, you can only be SO generous...) I think they look totally cute...I'm very pleased with my creation! What do you think??

A single serving

Here's the whole collection

You can just call me Martha Stewart...(minus the whole embezzling/prison thing...).