Hello December

Wow! I was on such a roll posting nearly everyday, but then I went home for Thanksgiving break and was pretty busy...and was pretty busy with school this last week. It was fun blogging about thankfulness but I think I am ready to move on to something else. Now that I am done with school for a month and a half, I will have plenty of time to blog, which I am hoping I remember! I go back home next Monday for Christmas and will be there until Jan 2nd (I think) so it will be a nice long visit at home! I get to see my best friend graduate from college and party it up with her! Other than that I don't know what I will be doing! I think just chilling out and probably some Christmas shopping!

I can't believe this semester is over already!! It's been almost a year since we moved here! It's pretty crazy how fast it has passed! I already have 33 hours towards my 69 hour degree!! Next semester should be CRAZY and I'll start working in a school! It is exciting but also intimidating and scary!

Until next time,

Ebates

I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this, because I haven't given the link to anyone I know yet, but here's a great website. It's called ebates. For each purchase made through the site, you get a certain percentage cash back! This is good especially if you do a lot of online shopping, like me! I received a check this summer, so it is a legit site! They have paying periods, so your cash can build up if you buy a lot during the period. I haven't bought much online lately but I can see this coming in handy during the holidays, when I buy almost all my gifts online! Go here to sign up for ebates! I'm trying to refer 50 people by December 31! Please help me out if you can! Thanks,

A heavy heart

I missed two days again.. Not that I was busy or anything but I just kept forgetting :)
I don't really like the two prompts so I'm just going to write about whatever I want.

Recently I've been thankful for my family, friends, and all the people in my life.

Friday, I learned about the loss of an acquaintance of mine. I hardly knew him, only spoke a few times, but if you went to Arkansas Tech during the time he was there and didn't know about him, you must have been living under a rock. Tech is a really small campus, compared to some, such as Texas State. Until recently it had under 10,000 people officially enrolled. 10,000 people sound like a lot, but for some reason it always felt like a small community. I didn't get that involved with groups on campus and yet I still hardly could go anywhere without seeing someone I at least had met before. No, they may not have been my friend, but I had talked to them, had a class with them, etc. So I can only imagine the people that joined every group possible had the same experience, only 10 times more. For someone to be so influential, that almost every person, especially every person living on campus at least had heard about him says something. I knew him through living in Nutt Hall (Summit) my first year...he was an RA there on one of the floors. Later I found out that he and Bobby knew each other through engineering. It's a tragedy that something like this has happened to literally one of the best, most genuine people on this planet. Rest in Peace AC.

It's times like these when you think about life and it's crazy ways. I couldn't stop thinking about it Friday and why this would happen to someone like AC. In the end, life doesn't make sense and we can only get by on the hope that everything happens for a reason, of which I am a true believer.

Today I am thankful for each and every day that I have and those to come, as well as all the people along the way that have gotten me to where I am today, the people currently in my life, and those I don't yet know.

Life is short, don't let it pass you by...

A warm object I'm thankful for

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I'm pretty thankful for blankets!! I feel like I am always cold, so blankets are really useful. Even when the temperature is 84 in our apartment, I am cold! I know that is pretty crazy! There is no way we could turn the heat on so blankets are my next best thing.

Nov 17 & 18

I missed yesterday! I completely forgot!!

November 17-A tradition I'm thankful for

I'm thankful for all the holidays that I got to spend with my family growing up. We would always celebrate adult birthdays and with around 30 of us total, we got together around once a month. It was always fun to get to visit with everyone together. Even though we all lived in the same county, this was the only time we were all together at once. I don't get to go as much anymore, usually just on Christmas now, but I will always be thankful for those Sundays.

November 18-Something in my house I'm thankful for

 I'm really thankful to have a washer and dryer in our apartment! We got it fairly cheap brand new and it's been a blessing! We have a Laundry Center here at the apartment, but that would require walking to the laundry place and coming up with enough quarters to do all our laundry, which tends to be quite a bit, even for just two people.

Thankfulness

So on the list I'm following, it has the same prompt as a three days ago! So I will not be repeating that! Today I'm thankful for the slow pace of this semester! I know it is the calm before the storm, because next semester will be really crazy! I've had class cancelled so much this semester, it is almost unreal! It is nice because I am able to get ahead on my projects and papers, so I should be able to relax over Thanksgiving break and just have a few things to finish up the week after! I can't believe it's almost been a year since I moved here and been in grad school! CRAZY!

Yesterday I got some awesome news! Last semester I did a case study project involving school psychologists and principal's relationships. A few of us that participated wanted to take this project to the national convention. However, we didn't think about doing this until it was too late. We found out that there is a different convention for trainers of school psychology going on in the same city and same time as the national convention, so we submitted a proposal to present a poster. We found out yesterday that it was accepted! So we are going to be presenting in February in Philadelphia! We are all pretty excited, but we have a lot of work to do between now and then: finding a hotel, booking flights, and putting the poster together in about two months! Woo-hoo! I'm so excited!!

A technology I'm thankful for

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I am totally in love with our DVR!! It's basically one of the best things we have! It is really convenient because we have pretty different/crazy schedules. Bobby has racquetball two nights of the week. One night I have class until 9:20 and don't get home until 10:30. Another night I don't get home until 7:30, that's the night Bobby doesn't get home until 9 or later. Thanks to our DVR, we can watch all our shows together. We have quite a few: How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Last Man Standing, Up All Night, The Middle, Modern Family (I watch), Grey's Anatomy (I watch), and Bones. Sometimes we will have more! But that's our TV week! :)

Get a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Right now there is an offer to get a $10 Amazon Gift Card for referring 5 friends to Stumble Upon. If you haven't tried Stumble Upon, it is pretty cool. It takes you to random website within a category you choose.
Here is my referral link:
http://stumbleupon.extole.com/a/clk/zXLB
Sign up there and you can get your own referral link to have your friends sign up so you can get the gift card too!

Thanks,
Jennifer

A smile I'm thankful for

This guy's smile is one I'm definitely thankful for! I'm thankful that I get to see it everyday and know that I have a little to do with it being there. I'm so thankful for this guy!! :)

A color I'm thankful for

 

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Pink of course! I love love love pink! I don't think I always liked pink as a little girl but I'm sure I've liked it for most of my life. I think it is a bright and cheerful color. How can you not smile when wearing pink or having something pink on? How fabulous are those shoes?! I love it and I probably always will!! I'm almost positive that I will have pink in my wedding! Those shoes might just be the perfect inspiration when the time comes!

An appliance I'm thankful for

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The appliance I'm thankful for is our toaster oven! Bobby got it last year for Christmas for our apartment we moved into in January. We never had a toaster oven growing up, so I never knew what I was missing! These things are truly awesome! Yes, it is pretty small compared to the regular oven, but for two people it is nearly perfect! We can cook a frozen pizza easily in there without heating up the regular oven. I think I've only used our regular oven a handful of times since we moved! It's pretty amazing! I'm glad Bobby knew about these so we could get one!! :)

A time of day I'm thankful for

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My favorite time of day is bedtime! I love being able to crawl into a cozy and comfy bed, especially after a particularly long day!

A book I'm thankful for

Kind of silly but I really enjoy these books. I'm glad I gave into the craze and actually read them. They truly are good books! The movies could be improved but I still enjoy seeing the book acted out on the big screen! :)

An emotion I'm thankful for

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This one is pretty easy! I'm thankful for the emotion of happiness! It feels great to be truly happy! Although not every day is a piece of cake, I'm truly happy with life. Of course I wish for things, like school to be done, to be married, have kids, etc. but I know that will all come in time. I'm thankful that I do not have anything major going on in my life that would prevent my happiness! 

Do you have an emotion you are thankful for?

A Number I'm Thankful for

This is a kind of weird request, but I chose the day of our anniversary. It's a special day, so I like that number! :)

Do you have a number you are thankful for?

A luxury I am thankful for

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There are many luxuries that I am thankful for, but this one is the top of my list! I don't think I could survive going to the bathroom outside or in an outhouse! Also not being able to take a shower, wash my hands, wash dishes, and do laundry whenever I please would be a big adjustment. I'm thankful that I live in the time period where these things are the norm in our country, although they are not in all countries. Some might even say that this is not a luxury but to me it is because I know there are so many in this world that do not get to experience the wonder of indoor plumbing!

Do you have a luxury you are thankful for?

A memory I'm thankful for

This picture is from when we went to Bristol Motor Speedway over Spring Break in 2010 for the race weekend. This was super fun trip, because we drove the whole way and got to go to the Nationwide race, do the Track Walk, and saw the Legends race. Of course we saw the Sprint Cup Race too. The drive was really long but Bobby drove the whole way there and back (what a guy!). In the picture we are doing the Track Walk, which is an event for charity basically, where you get to walk around the track. Not many people get to do this and it's fun to see how high the banking is at Bristol! Pretty high! This is one of my favorite trips!

What is a memory you are thankful for?

A word I'm thankful for

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A word I'm thankful for

Love is a big word. It's one of my favorite words because of what it means to me and people that use that word in relation to me. It's used to tell people how you feel about them; family, friends, significant others. This is how I use the word. I use it often but I mean it every single time I say it. I think in a relationship, it is important to tell your significant other how you feel, as well as show them. Sometimes just saying that out of no where, unexpectedly can be a way to tell and show them how you feel. It never gets old to me to hear Bobby say "I love you" and I don't think it ever will. 

Do you have a word that you are thankful for?

A trinket I am thankful for

A Trinket I Am Thankful For

This little trinket was given to me by my mom last year. It's special to me because she got it for me before we moved to Austin. Inside are inspirational sayings and quotes. Sometimes when I'm feeling down I like to pull one out and smile. For example, I just pulled one out that said "May you build a bridge to the future and enjoy walking on it." The other part of the picture is a necklace. I got this necklace for my mom last year for Christmas and it mimics a best friends necklace. It says mother and daughter in a heart. She had the other half. I like have it up there in my room because every time I look at it I think about her and how much I miss her! 

Do you have any special trinkets that you are thankful for?

A Food I Am Thankful For

Candy

 

 

 

 

A Food I Am Thankful For

It seems a little silly but I am thankful for candy. I know people around the world sometimes do not even get half of what I eat on a daily basis, so I am thankful for little things like snacks and candy that I can eat at my pleasure. I'm truly thankful for all the food that I am able to eat, afford, and even throw away (I do that too much). November is a month all about food and I know that I will be thankful for the meal that I will be eating on Thanksgiving. I will be sure to donate food items this month for less fortunate families.

What food(s) are you thankful for?

November 1 & 2

I just found this on pinterest.com
November Inspiration

The idea is for photos, but I think it would be neat to also say a little something about each photo.
I've decided that the photos can be new or old.
The original site had a list for photo ideas every month. I think that I am going to start doing this each month, as best I can.

So here we go...This post will include two since I just found it today :)

November 1, 2011-A Person I'm Thankful For

Robert Lee Peden

 My amazing boyfriend. It's crazy to think about all that has happened in the last (almost) 4 years that we've been together. From the very beginning of our relationship, I knew this was something special. We actually go way back to high school, where we really got to know each other through Robotics! HA! We are such nerds :) We "dated" for a short time and but I broke up with him to date someone else. haha oh high school times. We still talked of course since we had some classes together and the school was so small. He graduated a year before me and went on to college. We didn't talk that much after that. A year later I started going to the same college and it turned out we lived in the same dorm. We occasionally saw each other in the "caf" but we wouldn't talk...just text each other and say "I see you" Totally random and weird but it was fun for us. A couple months into college I broke up with that guy (who was still in high school) and went on a few dates with people I had met at college. Bobby and I started talking more, mostly texting more. I went and hung out with him a couple nights in his dorm. Over Christmas break, we talked A TON on Facebook. We sent so many messages back and forth about random things it was crazy. When we got back to Tech (where we went to college) for the Spring semester, we started hanging out. Our first "date" was to a skating rink in Little Rock with Bobby's sister, her boyfriend, her friend and her boyfriend. It was pretty fun. From then on we spent so much time together. We never really talked about what we were doing (were we exclusive, etc.) Although I knew we were actually in a relationship, we just never talked about it and just went with it. I would stay in his room every night until curfew then we would stay up for another 2 or 3 hours talking on facebook. Somehow I made all A's that semester I think ;) Eventually it was "Facebook official" and we figured out a date that would serve as our anniversary. January 18th, 2008. We've been together ever since! From concerts in Texas, to NASCAR races, bowling with Matt & Colleen, TONS of movies, and everything  in between...we are now living in Austin going to grad school. I am thankful for this man each and every day. I love you. 

November 2, 2011-A Place I'm Thankful For

 My home in Arkansas

While I love living in a place that it only takes a few minutes to get to the grocery store, any restaurant you could imagine, and tons and tons of stores, I will always be thankful for my home in Arkansas. Each time I go home, I get refreshed in a sense. It's so peaceful and slow-paced that I've almost forgotten what that is like, even though it's hasn't been a year since I've moved away. At night you can see the stars...only hear the occasional dog bark....it's pretty amazing. Arkansas in general is a place I'm thankful for. It's much more beautiful than any part of Texas I've seen so far. Austin has a large amount of trees and greenery, but due to the drought it's just really brown and ugly. I miss fall in Arkansas and reveling in the beauty driving on Hwy 7 from Tech to my Arkansas home. 

 

 

Hello again

 This is a post I wrote and forgot to publish! Whoops!


It has been a long time since I wrote a blog, but I might try a little harder this time to keep up with it. I was just reading my past post and I didn't follow that plan as well as I had hoped. I am doing the C25K program right now. I am on week 3 and boy is it tough! I'm hoping it gets much better though. I have to run on a treadmill because it has been way too hot to run outside. I also gave up soda! Although I did drink some last weekend at the football game, that's all I've had in well over a month! I'm super excited and hope I can keep this up. It is hard sometimes when I get tired of drinking water, but I am drinking Propel Zero, so at least it is flavored.

On August 12, I got LASIK surgery. This was a somewhat sudden decision. I had been thinking about it on and off since my mom got the surgery several years ago. My contacts and eyesight in general are a big pain, so it was always in the back of my head. I never really thought I could get it, because of the way my eyes are. I have an astigmatism that's pretty bad and I wasn't sure how advanced the lasers are these days. One day I was looking on Groupon, one of my favorite deal sites, I saw a Groupon for Mann Eye Institute. For this, I paid $100 and $1200 off the surgery! What a great deal! I had heard on the radio that they do free consultations, so I thought, "why not?" I went to the consultation and they told me that I was a great candidate for the surgery! I was very excited, but still a little hesitant, because there is always the possibility of the laser not fully correcting the problem. I had to wait about 3 weeks for the surgery, two of those I couldn't wear my contacts at all!  It was difficult getting used to but I think worth it in the long run, considering most people do not have to wear glasses or contacts again. During the 3 weeks, I researched all I could about the surgery, the results, and the place I was going. I freaked myself out a couple of times, because I was intentionally looking for bad things. I wanted to see how many people had a bad experience with LASIK surgery. I truly did not find that many at all. I couldn't find one bad thing about Mann Eye, and even found out that it is one of the top 10 places in the COUNTRY to get LASIK surgery. That impressed me and eased my fears just a little bit. I was still trying not to get too excited, because I didn't want to over-hype the whole situation. I only told my family, Bobby, and my cohort. The day before the surgery I got really nervous and upset but my mom and Bobby reassured me. My surgery wasn't scheduled until 2:00 in the afternoon, so that day I played the waiting game. When we got to Mann Eye, we had to wait quite a while, but I kept seeing people coming out of the surgery. I had to get more tests done and several different people looked at my eyes! They told me over and over that my prescription was the kind that took the longest to completely heal. I got Vallum and numbing drops in my eyes and had to wait some more. Finally, I go into the surgery room and lay down on a bed. Many more drops, lots of lights, difficulty seeing, not being able to tell if my eyes were open, and maybe 10-15 minutes later I was done! They helped my off the bed and checked on my "flap" to see if it was in the right place. I had to wear clear shields over my eyes then sunglasses over those, so I'm sure I looked real cute. Then I was on my way home! (Of course Bobby drove.) Mann Eye is pretty far from our apartment, and we have to take a main highway to get there and just as we got done, rush hour traffic had started. It took us a little bit to get home. On the drive home, I couldn't really keep my eyes open. I think due to the amount of light that was outside. Finally, we made it home and by that time I think the numbing drops had wore off. They suggest to take a nap after the surgery. That was my plan, but there was some pain that was making it very difficult to fall asleep! I think I was being a little over dramatic but I was almost in tears. I think I was just frustrated that I couldn't fall asleep when that was what I was supposed to be doing. Finally, Bobby suggested I take some Benadryl. That knocked me out, thankfully! I didn't think I would sleep very long, because it was at 5pm. At about 8:30, Bobby comes in to check on me and ask me what I want for dinner. So I decide to get up. I could actually see! It was pretty blurry but I could see with no contacts! I stayed up until midnight and still had to wear the clear shields. The next day I had to get up and go in for a check up. Everything looked good and we went on with our day. I had to sleep in the eye shields for a week. This I dreaded because they made marks on my face and I had to tape them on, so pulling that tape off was torture! I haven't had any problems and it's almost been 3 months. My vision still isn't stable but it's getting there.

Happy Halloween

It's the last day of October, which is unbelievable! Even though this semester has been really slow and dare I say easy, we are approaching our last month of classes. Grad school is really awesome in the sense that our professors don't necessarily have to follow the "university" calender and finals schedule. My last day of class is Dec 5th, which is the same as everyone else, but I do not have finals. However, this next month, I have a ton of projects to wrap up, readings to do, and papers to write.

Last Friday, I got to meet the LSSPs I'm going to work with in the spring for my practicum. It was a bit overwhelming. They are a lot different than me, so I think it will take some time for us to get used to each other. They seem very talkative and outspoken, the exact opposite of me. I think it will be an interesting semester, just extremely busy. I'll be working two full days a week in a school: one day at a high school and one day at a middle school. Most of the weeks I will still get my Friday off, which I think will help with keeping up with everything! Next semester I will also be taking three classes: Consultation and Professional Issues in School Psychology, Data Based Decision Making, and Classroom and Behavior Management Strategies for Students with Disabilities. They seem like they will be interesting. I have a feeling that next semester is going to be insanely busy, a big change from this current semester. I hope that I can keep my sanity! :)

Happy Halloween! We don't have anything going on for Halloween and we didn't do anything this weekend either. I've decorated the apartment a little bit, but nothing too crazy. I am getting excited about decorating for Christmas, even though I will have to wait until after Thanksgiving :)

This weekend, we did our normal Friday "date" night I suppose you could call it. We ate at Chuy's our favorite favorite place to eat and went to the Alamo Drafthouse to watch In Time. It was a pretty good movie and kinda crazy to think about! Saturday we got up earlier than normal and went to Round Rock to participate in the MS Walk. It was pretty fun. Later that afternoon we decided to go to the UT Football game. We decided to do what we did last time and go a little early, so we could park for free and hang out at a bar that is close by to have some beers before the game. It's just a short walk to the stadium from there. Our seats were at the very top of the stadium so it was quite the hike up the ramps. It was a good view though and fun game. They won 43-0!

Bring on November!

Weekend in Arkansas

This past weekend I was able to go to Arkansas to visit my family. I was very grateful because I really wasn't sure how this semester was going to play out, but we didn't have any major projects due this week, so I took the opportunity to visit my family. I got to Arkansas on Friday afternoon then went to the football game with my mom. My brother is co-drum major in the high school marching band, so I am glad I got to see him do that. He did great and the whole band was awesome. We didn't stay for the whole game because our team was losing and truly we just cared about the band ;)

Saturday we got up fairly early and headed to Rogers to watch the band in a marching competition. They performed at 12:45, I think, but we got there early enough to watch some of the bands in their division. They did a great job on their performance, but we had to wait until 4 to hear the results. We stayed and watched some more bands, but then we decided to go shopping. It was an unsuccessful trip. Clothes these days are pretty crazy but oh well. Once we got back, we had to wait a while to hear the results, but Green Forest did great. They got first place in their division, outstanding drum major, auxiliary, overall effect, and something else I can't remember. They got 8th place overall, so they were going to finals! The outcome of the finals wasn't as good as they had hoped but they still got a trophy and I think they did great. The awards ceremony was at 8, so by the time they got changed and packed the bus up, it was pretty late. Then we had to go get dinner and finally got to the school at 1030 I think, then I decided to wait with my brother and drive him home because he was pretty tired. He had to wait until the band bus got back so they could unpack everything. I think it was 11 before we got out of there.

Sunday, I slept in a little and then decided to do my little homework that I had. (Later this will become a great decision). That evening, we went to Red Lobster and rue21 in Branson. I did find a few things in rue21, like a pair of jeans for $5! Plus 2 shirts one for $3 and one for $4, a purse for $5 and 2 undershirts for $15 (BOGO free). I had to be cautious because I didn't have much more room in bag and I only brought a carry on.

I didn't leave until Monday morning, so we got up to the airport about an hour and half before my flight and they didn't even have the security gates open! So we just waited until they opened, which was about 30-45 min. Once I got through security, I had to wait, wait, wait! Our flight was supposed to leave at 10:50, but it didn't leave until maybe 20-30 min later. I don't know what was going on but it was pretty ridiculous considering this was the only flight going out at that point. Finally, we got going and they flight was pretty bumpy, but alright. Once we landed, it seemed to take forever to get off the plane! I was getting impatient! Imagine that. My gate was at the very end of the terminal, so it took forever to get to the exit of the airport, then I couldn't find a shuttle to my car. Once I got on one, I got out of there as quick as I could but it was pretty winding! I guess most airports are like that. Needless to say I didn't get home until about 1:45. This is when I was glad I got my homework done, because I have to leave at 2:15 to meet for the carpool. Thankfully I didn't have to drive to school so I just got to ride and relax a little bit. I had time to see Bobby, eat a pizza he made for lunch (thankfully) get my stuff together, change (it was cold in Arkansas, hot in Texas) and get out the door. Phew!

I had a great weekend at home and seeing my family. I will get to go home for Thanksgiving, so I am glad about that too.


Closing thought....I can't believe how fast this semester is going!!

Look at me go...

I can't believe I am posting again within 9 days of my last post. I'm really trying to be better about this, but I'm afraid it is going to be a lot of the same thing for the next few months/year. HA! Basically all I do is go to class, read, and work on projects. This past week, we had a four-day weekend, so it has been nice and relaxing. The plus side is that I've been doing really good about getting stuff done ahead of time. It truly does make things much more enjoyable and less stressful.

Last night, Bobby and I went downtown for the first time randomly with some of my grad school buddies. It was quite interesting to say the least. We both realized that we didn't really fit in at either of the places we went or downtown at all, but it was fun nevertheless.

Lately on Saturdays we have been watching football ALL DAY. This can get annoying and boring after a while especially since it is all day. Now we have to watch the Texas game and of course the Hogs, which is all I really care about. The Hogs beat Auburn which was an especially sweet victory for me, as one of my friends from grad school/carpool companion went to Auburn. He was quite upset, but of course I will rub that in for some time. WPS! (woo pig sooie)

In other news, I am going to Arkansas on Friday and I am very excited to see my family! I am really thankful that I get Fridays off so that I am able to do this from time to time! Also, very glad there is a direct flight from Austin to Branson that is only about 2 hours! That saves so much time because the trip is about 10-12 hours, depending on stops and traffic situations, which can be killer in Texas.

Last week I decided to experiment with selling stuff on ebay again. It was a success! I listed 12 items and all but one sold. So I listed some more this weekend, hoping for the same success! Now, I just have to go ship 11 things tomorrow! I didn't make a fortune but it's better than those clothes just sitting around not getting worn. Speaking of, I really need some new fall clothes! I don't think it will be THAT cold here, but I need more things that will work on cool mornings and transition into sweaty afternoons, along with some more dressier clothes for when I start working in a school!

Until next time,

Fall Semester So Far

First of all I cannot believe that it is already October! In a few months, I will have completed 1 year of graduate school! It seems like such a long time ago that we moved here and started graduate school. It's pretty amazing, but kind of scary at the same time. In January I will start my first school based practicum. For those of you who don't know, I will be going into a school and basically working under an LSSP for two days a week...for free no less! I have already contacted a few people about my practicum, because we have to find it ourselves. I think 4 people got back to me, so I am no longer worried about that as much, but now I need to decide where I want to work at. I know I want to try a middle or a high school first, just to see what it is like.

Right now we are working at a university based clinic to assess college students. We are all enjoying it. We work in teams and we are under direct supervision of one of our professors. My partner and I haven't had a client yet, but hopefully by our next meeting we will.

Other than that my other classes are alright. We have two counseling classes and an assessment class. Overall, they are fine, but they aren't my favorite classes. So far the work hasn't been too busy, but it will be towards the end of October and November, as we have 4 reports due and two 8-10 page papers all due in that time period! Right now I am enjoying my relaxing time and trying to get ahead in some aspects so maybe later on will not be as jam packed. Here's to hoping!

Health and Fitness

I need to lose a few pounds and tone up, but overall just be healthier and feel better!
So for a while I have been wanting to do the Couch to 5k running program. I don't really want to run a race, at least until it is a whole lot cooler here in Austin. I also got Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I have done it a few times, but never stuck to it, like I should.

So my plan is to do the 30 Day Shred, 30 days in a row. Also, follow the C25K plan, which is running for about 20-30 minutes 3 times a week for 9 weeks. I will be doing this on the treadmill at our apartments gym, because it is too hot to run during the day, I won't run at night, and I'm not a morning person. I think after I finish the 30 Day Shred, I will get another Jillian DVD.

I also have P90X and maybe I will try to get going on that after 30 Day Shred.

As for food, no more Mt. Dew or soda in general. I didn't have any for 2 days, then I had some last night and it just tasted nasty so I don't even no why I like that!
I signed up for a site called myfitnesspal.com and it recommends 1250 calories per day. Each day that I have tracked my food on there I haven't gone over that, but I have gone over my recommended sugar intake, because I had to make cupcakes the other night! Trying to eat only 1 or 2 per day lol
So far on the eating I have been doing good but not so much on the exercise!

I will post periodically with updates :)

Starting Over

I used to have a blog, but I never posted on it so I deleted that. I am starting fresh!


I just moved to Austin, TX in January with my boyfriend, Bobby. We have been together for 3 1/2 years. We moved here to go to graduate school. I am in the school psychology program at Texas State in San Marcos, south of Austin. Bobby is in the engineering mechanics program at the University of Texas. We are both enjoying Austin but school is pretty tough. I have been in summer classes all summer and I am just about OVER it! My program takes 3 years to complete and I know that I am going to be burnt out by that time, because we have to take classes all year long to get finished in that amount of time. We do get a month off in May and December and about 2 weeks in August, but I am really missing the feel of summer! I'm glad that I will get to work in a school where I can have summer breaks ;) 


This is my last FULL week of classes, so that is exciting, but I have a final on Monday so I will spend the rest of the week and weekend studying. Tomorrow Bobby is leaving to visit his family, so I will be alone for a week! It's quite depressing to think about how lonely it will feel in our apartment, but I'm sure I will make it AND I'll get to watch whatever shows I want on the big TV ;) 


During my 2 week break from classes, I am going to get LASIK surgery! This is very exciting for me, as I have had to depend on glasses/contacts for the majority of my life so far. I know they cannot guarantee any results, but I have heard so many success stories, that I cannot help but get excited. My mom had the surgery a few years ago and she had great results! So needless to say, I am very excited! Nervous, for sure but right now I am just plain excited. One thing that I am worried about it the recovery. I rub my eyes constantly so I am worried about doing that while my eyes are healing. I think that I need to put up signs to remind myself not to do that! I think part of the reason why I rub my eyes are my contacts, so maybe that won't be that big of an issue. 


Anyway, tomorrow I am going to update with my plan for weight loss and exercise! 


Thanks for reading! 
Jennifer