Saturday, April 30, 2011

Scenes from a run...via my iPhone



It was wonderful here today. Perfect for a nice long run. I only went 5 miles (which is not really very long considering I am supposed to be running almost 3x that in a month). While I am normally very focused, I was so captivated by GREEN. I love green. It is my favorite color--all shades! The trail was GORGEOUS. I snapped some photos on my phone with hopes that later this week, the whole family can go for a walk (and I will take the nice camera). PS this time of year definitely reminds me that I LOVE living in WV.


Now the kiddos are tucked snug into their beds, and I am curled up in the recliner. An evening of masterpiece theater (kind of my guilty pleasure). Tonight's feature?? Downton Abbey. I will let you know if it is good.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

If you couldn't tell...

I am slightly obsessed with words in art.
Words as art.
The use of words in art.

Like this

and this
this one is dedicated to my WONDERFUL husband. I love you--Don't Forget. :)

NOT to be confused with word art.
Like the kind from Microsoft word that looks like this.


my favorite at the moment is this one...
I love words. They impact me profoundly. I know some people that have the same experience with movies or music. I am a word girl. So if you are annoyed by my constant posting of inspirational picture quotes or words as art... sorry.

It is almost time for me to head to the school and say "adios" to 2 more classes for the semester! Then later a fun dinner with friends - followed by one of my favorite events every week: Community Group. We are going to dig in to 1 Peter 4-5 tonight. Further thoughts on this tomorrow when I can blog at my leisure (as leisurely as one can with 2 children running around!)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

After tomorrow...

I AM DONE...

pretty much.

I still have a paper to write, but it isn't due for a week AND it is my opinion on healthcare reform. Not really a stressful final project.

That said, finals have not been that bad this semester. I am not saying that the tests themselves have been easy or even that I have put in more time preparing. In fact I have put in less time. But my attitude is not stressed. I have worked hard and relaxed. I have spent time with Corey and the kiddos. I have gotten up early. I have spent time in the Word. I have spent time on the trail. I am really trying to get this whole BALANCE thing.
(liking this quote today, that I found here. Yoda was wise :)

Today my friend Britt worked "hard" on payment systems. We spent the last couple of mornings doing questions. This afternoon as a reward, we hit up Black Bear for lunch (I got the gouda riddance with tofu-YUM) and then took a really lovely walk in her neighborhood/up to the law school. It was great! If the wind hadn't been blowing so hard and the sky hadn't been so ominous, we may still be out there :)
This is Britt and I at a coal mine in Kentucky. We look pretty awesome, no?

Now I am looking over notes and having a glass of wine. Tomorrow I will proofread my take home exam and then take my last in-class exam. And then I am done... pretty much. WOW. Thanks for bearing with the finals posts/hiatus/boringness. Hopefully some new topics and additions will be made next week. Stay tuned.

Monday, April 25, 2011

2 down 3 to go...


Getting ready to relax a bit with the hubs after a very long day! I have one of my favorite snacks (toast, apple slices and cheddar cheese), a comfy chair, and a really great guy sitting close by-oh and Dexter.

But I wanted to share an inspiring photo and a really lovely quote that I stole from Chelsy (I'll Be Brief).

"May I never give thee rest until Christ is the pulse of my heart
the spokesman of my lips,
the lamp of my feet"
~Valley of Vision

I am so encouraged daily by Valley of Vision (a book of Puritan prayers). Today this made me realize how much I work and work for finals, but it is temporary. I want my daily pursuit to be for Christ to be the pulse of my heart.

The photo is Ansel Adams. He is one of my favorite photographers (EVER). I love the scenes that he captures, and how they don't need color to be moving and gorgeous. I thought this was a particularly inspiring one for the spring season.

Hope you are all inspired too. A few more days and I will be free of finals, and I am excited to see what the summer holds.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

He is Risen!!

Today was Easter. The day we celebrate that Jesus rose from the grave--conquering sin and death. We spent our morning worshiping on the mountain--literally. Our church rented out Dorsey's Knob cabin and we celebrated our Savior's victory together up there. It was AWESOME!

Being me, setting aside studying is difficult. I am a worrier--anxiety, stress; I feel the need to be a great student. BUT... God has been teaching me a lot lately. And from a rather odd place--Libby's bible. We bought the kiddos a new bible about a month ago called the "Jesus Storybook Bible" and it is awesome. Every story ties in to Jesus at the end--a picture of the great plan that God had for all the world. So last night we read the Easter story--Jesus' death and resurrection.

Several things grabbed me...
1. When Jesus is taking on the sin of the world this little kid bible says ...

"Papa?" Jesus cried, frantically searching the sky.
"Papa? Where are you? Don't leave me!"
And for the first time - and the last - when he spoke, nothing happened. Just a horrible, endless silence. God didn't answer. He turned away from his Boy.
Tears rolled down Jesus' face. The face of the One who would wipe away every tear from every eye.

2. Jesus' actual death...

Then Jesus shouted in a loud voice, "It is finished!"
And it was. He had done it. Jesus had rescued the whole world.
"Father!" Jesus cried. " I give you my life." And with a great sight he let himself die.

3. Jesus' commission...

Jesus said, "Go everywhere and tell everyone the happy news! Tell them I love them so much that I died for them. It's the Truth that overcame the terrible lie. God loves his children. Yes, he really does!"
4. Jesus' promise...

"Even though you won't be able to see me anymore, I will never leave you. No! Not ever! I will be with you. Yes! Always and forever!"


Sometimes it takes a child's perspective for me to see just how much God loves me; and how he demonstrated that great love on Easter. I hope all of you see how you are loved. He is Risen!!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Countdown...5 days



While at first the countdown was exciting-and a great way to keep my eyes on the prize, it is now kind of scary. I have SO much to do and SO much to learn in 5 days.

Today was day number 2 of this...
So much info to cram into my brain before this criminal procedure exam on Monday. Back to the grind. At least a couple more hours before bed. I promise my posts will be better when finals are over...(I know, "excuses, excuses")

Friday, April 22, 2011

Countdown...6 days



I've been nose to the grindstone since 6 am... well, there were snack breaks, coffee breaks and even a youtube break while L found a video of Barry Cooper explaining FLIR technology. It is super funny if you want to watch it here! (It is loosely connected to Criminal Procedure)

If you want to read about more interesting things, you can read my guest post on Jess's Blog Crafting Happiness. I talk about my Spring to Summer Shape Up :)

PS I bet you didn't know I could FLY!




Thursday, April 21, 2011

It's the Final(s) Countdown

Classes are over... all that stands between me and the end of my 2L year are these wretched things called finals. I have 2 in class and 3 take home. So basically I have NO LIFE for the next week. I am sure L and I will keep you posted on the woes of studying crim pro and how we make it better--usually via food and beverage!

Not a lot of time to post, but check out Jess's (really Michael's) creation to celebrate the end of our 2L year!! 1 week until I am DONE--The Final(s) Countdown begins. (Picture Gob Bluth dancing to Europe's hit--or just watch it here).

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

My POP of color


And by pop of color I meant bright reddish orange rain coat :) POP!!
(paired it with a black pencil skirt, white blouse with black polka dots, and heels)


Finals and work mean short blogposts, so I thought I would share my Working Woman look and a much needed verse for the day! I was reading through 1 Peter 4 this morning... so much good stuff. But I got to the last verse and it grabbed me! I am going to hold on to it for the remainder of finals week.



"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU." 1 Peter 4:19 NLT

Finals are already in full gear for me, so I need all the reassurances I can get that I belong to a BIG God that NEVER FAILS.

PS--BookWorm will return in a couple weeks. When I can think about books again that don't start with the words "Crunch Time" or "Examples and Explanations"!!


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The very LAST long Tuesday

Wow. I cannot believe that it is my last Tuesday class. It is FINI! Thursday marks the end of my classes as a 2L (and the NEXT Thursday marks the end of finals for me). Where did all the weeks go? I am certainly not complaining. I started this semester with an idea of change. I wanted to implement some new things--have some goals.

Thus this blog was (re)born.

I think once things die down, I will dedicate some time and energy evaluating the last few months. For now I will let you see what has got me through this last LONG Tuesday...


One last date night with the hubs--
before the very long finals stretch steals away my time (and sanity).
On the docket? Food, beverage and Sherlock Holmes.

And not just any food, yummy smoked ribs lovingly prepared by Corey all day! (YUM!)


Interesting art concept--an Ink Calendar.
Read about it and other calendar ideas here.

Fun Ensembles for Spring :)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Couldn't help but laugh

I am "supposed" to be working on Jurisprudence which means that I am secretly looking at blog stuff. I went to my dashboard and was looking at the STATS page which tells you where people are hearing about your blog etc. A lot of people look from facebook and Jess's blog. But what made me crack up was the "SEARCH KEYWORDS" section. I am assuming that meant someone searched this keyword and my blog was one of the results. Why funny? Because the keyword search was "TRIMMING BACK OF OWN MULLET HAIR"


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I am in fact the #2 result for such a query. Glad I am good for something :)

Back to Jurisprudence.

Ready...

I am armed with...

a pot of coffee (of course)
Might be my new mantra--also like the quotes from the [source]

my favorite sweatpants

Mumford and Sons Pandora Radio Station...currently playing Ben Harper "Another Lonely Day"
I LOVE this band [source]

So I'm ready to tackle my first final of this semester--

Jurisprudence: The theory or philosophy of law.

And by "tackle" I mean attempt to write 3500 words that make sense and hopefully answer the question!


Sunday, April 17, 2011

Check it out...

I wrote about my summer plans over on the Law Ladies Blog. You can check it out here.

Finals are right around the corner, so blogging will be back-burnered :( I will be back with banter, books and hopefully some fun stories that do not involve criminal procedure or jurisprudence. Speaking of which... must do work.

Finals mantra:

Friday, April 15, 2011

Finals countdown has begun...

At this exact moment, I am having a study session with Lauren. Our study sessions consist of 1 part work, 1 part laughter and 1 part snacks and the rest caffeine (coffee for me, diet coke for her). We are working our way through a Criminal Procedure Hornbook--trying to stuff as much information into our brains as is humanly possible. It is hard to believe that this is the fourth semester that L and I have studied for finals together.

Other fun-finals related stories (sorry to all of you out there that do not care about law school, these will be funny to you)

First semester...We all finished up our Civ Pro finals. Our plan was to go to L's house to study Contracts which was the next final on the docket. We were bound and determined to not waste a single second. There were four of us around her table. We stared at each other and at the book for 5 minutes until L finally got up and said "I think we'll just have a bottle of wine." Our brains were mush--Ks would have to wait.

Second semester...Property. Our first REALLY hard, closed book exam. L, Brittany and I spent 3 solid days in a class room of the law school.
We went through all of our notes-which is a typical way to study, the difference this time? We wrote them ALL on the board (I was the designated board writer despite my terrible handwriting). We had massive breakthroughs and utter confusion in the span of minutes. By the end, Brittany had created a 17 page handwritten document that she copied from my notes on the board that took you through everything property related. We are nerdy. And it shows.

Third semester...the evil exam was Evidence. SO MANY RULES. HERESAY-UGH! So like everyone else, our study group got flashcards. L and Charlie were my study partners for this one and we spent a good 36/48 hours together.
We were up early and to bed late, only really breaking for food. And we just kept reading flashcards. L ended up delirious (ok I did too). I think Charlie was the only one who kept his wits about him. We ended up laughing hysterically at youtube videos and making jokes about the ridiculous names that the flashcards kept using.

Who knows what this semester will hold in terms of finals prep. I know L and I will be sick of one another after studying for both crim pro and employment. But we usually rally. And by rally I mean we go have drinks at the Fish Bowl or get a pedicure and all is healed.

Bliss is 2 weeks away.


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Today was ANYTHING BUT boring


Law school, in general, is highly repetitive. There is a routine. Sometimes you switch it up, but you go to class, eat, workout, and everything repeats. But not today. Today was anything but normal. And of course that means that Jess was involved :) I will do my darnedest to do the story justice...

I was excited that the weather would be warm today because that meant that I could wear my new skirt that I snatched at the clothing swap from Jess. It was kind of a crummy day in general, but the bright pattern and POCKETS made me happy.

I was walking out to my car and I saw Jess-head down, walking to her car. I called out to show her that I wore the skirt and just say hi. She mumbled something like "looks cute" and barely lifted her head. SO NOT LIKE HER. I thought-maybe she is also having a crummy day, and continued on to my car.

A couple seconds later, she is "running" toward my car. She asks if we can talk, so we get in the car and have a conversation. She was upset--life happens and unfortunately that means hurt sometimes. We shared our mutual crumminess and jellybeans. We ended up laughing and crying and sweating-cause my car was a zillion degrees. It was getting late, and Jess had class, so we got out to go back into the law school -- first going back to her car to get her bags. You know the ones that held her books, and laptop and wallet and basically her whole life...

BUT WHERE ARE HER BAGS??

Not on her car where she left them. Not in her car or in my car or at any point in between. After already having an emotional conversation, this was just ICING on a poop cake. Me (being me) went through a mental list of all that we should do. We looked inside-went to the office, went to the library, went to Susan to have her send a mass email. She texted friends and Michael--everyone's eyes were peeled.

NO BAGS.

45 minutes pass without any kind of hint as to where/who/what has happened. And then our friend Lindsey finds us and says that the campus police had stopped by Jess's car earlier. Maybe they had it. Within seconds a campus cop car pulls up and Jess hurries over.

You would think--end of story. Bags are returned. Everyone is happy.

But the cops were apparently trying to make sure that Jess learned her lesson. They walked up and said , "I bet you are looking for a black bag with a laptop, camera, prescription medication, and a pink lunch box."

Of course Jess replies "Yes I am!"

The cops then proceed to lecture her about not leaving her bags on her car and how she needs to keep her stuff together. The officer even got radio-ed while they were talking and he responded "I'm talking to a suspect, get back to you later."

The whole fiasco reminded me of my favorite TV show Arrested Development (Pier Pressure Episode). The cops were channeling their best J. Walter Weatherman--I half expected them to end with "And that's why you never leave your bags on your car."


--this was the snippet I could find!

It was one of the craziest and difficult and frustrating and humorous--only because there was so little to be done. By the end, we just sat in the lobby and laughed. What else are you gonna do?

The rest of my day will be wonderfully boring.
But thanks Jess, my day is not so crummy anymore, and I hope yours isn't either :)


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Photos from the weekend

We had a great weekend full of friends and food and fun! I tried to capture as much as I could...

Friday kicked off the weekend with the law lady bloggers dinner/swap which you can read about here or watch video from here.

Saturday was a me and kiddos day-we headed over to my mommas and played outside. You can read about that here.

Sunday we didn't stop--

We started the day with brunch. Our church meets in a hotel, and the room was rented for the weekend. So we met in our community groups for brunch/study--Stunch as Corey called it. We have a fabulous people in our group.


And they can cook! We had everything from homemade danish to french toast casserole. Corey manned the omelet bar--he missed his calling as a short order cook apparently.


The sunshine made everyone want to go outside, so we tossed a frisbee around--and Brent played with the settings on my camera to create this photo, which I really like! (there is another one, but Stu is too smiley)


Once the festivities were over, I tried to lay down for a moment.


But both children wanted to rest with mommy too. The nap was short lived. We had to get ready to go anyway so Corey and I changed our clothes and headed to an awards ceremony. It was fun to wear a pretty spring dress and step out with my man.


While at said awards ceremony, I got a text from (my BFF-haha) Shawna...I have never ever called her that, but she is...inviting us over for a cookout. We grabbed the kiddos and enjoyed a really fun evening with friends. Kids played in the yard.

Grownups ate amazing food. And had a photo shoot
Chelsy and I were going for Olin Mills, family photo. It turned out way creepier!


this one is better

We weren't ready for the party to be over;
so Shawna and I threw all the children in the tub together.
Joe was not having it.

Jammies, snacks, and leap frog rounded out the night.


Today is ALMOST my last long Tuesday. I have managed to forget my coffee, my breakfast, and possibly my brain. I plan on hitting the gym later-since my jam packed weekend did not allow much time for exercise. The next 2 weeks are certainly going to be jam packed with much LESS fun things like studying, outlining, whining about studying and outlining, etc. I will try to keep all of THAT off the blog!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Whoops...

This weekend was not a picture of productivity in the slightest. I did a lot of stuff, just none of it was what I needed to do. Tomorrow, I will post about the many adventures that we had, but for now, I MUST write a multiple choice question for criminal procedure. For some reason, it is ridiculously more difficult than I initially expected. I feel like this...

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The UP side

If I haven't mentioned it, law school is ROUGH. It drains me. I am sure there are people out there that think it is easy breezy. I am not one of them. BUT nights like last night remind me that there is an UP side. I have a whole new community of people that I would have never known without law school. The blogger ladies (sans Lauren) were over last night for our monthly dinner/general silliness. And my funky week dissipated. I laughed hysterically. These women are all so different from me and from each other, and yet we fit. We all want different things-none has the same career path or the same lifestyle. But the level of humor and fun when we get together is unmatched by some people that I have known my whole life.

Here of some of my favorite parts...

The FOOD.
We are serious when it comes to eating!
The table was filled with yummy, healthy and fresh foods--salad and tempeh & green bean stir fry for the main course and delicious smores for dessert!


Jess talking with her fork. It was a very important point, apparently!


The fact that Joe grabbed a stool and climbed up to the counter to make himself a smore without asking anyone. He was a man on a mission.
This face says it ALL!


Eating our dessert over the sink.
We own a reasonable number of chairs, but somehow everyone congregated in the kitchen, standing around eating and drinking.

Clothing swap--Jess and I liked trying things on :)
(PS, I'm gonna rock some of the scarves that I snagged to combat the in-between hair phase)


FAV story of the whole night: Libby is our shy little gal. She doesn't warm up to people very often, but when Corey and Michael were playing Wii frisbee golf, she was the cheerleader. Unfortunately, Michael had a few holes where he wasn't doing great and had to throw several shots in a row. Libby's cheer was "Try again Michael, try again'" which she bellowed into a plastic cup for amplification. Nothing like a near 5 year old to remind you of your shortcomings :)--Michael was a good sport though!