It's been awhile

Hello world, it has been awhile. Since I came back from Kenya, I haven't blogged. Kenya was phenomenal, as always, and I have been a combination of busy and not really in the mood to write. Life has been a roller the past couple of months and I guess writing would have been to acknowledge that all was not peachy, and I just hate doing those sorts of things. So skipping over the bad, and onto the good...

I've started rock climbing again. The new crop of graduate students includes a couple who climb, so now I've got a group to inspire me to go climb.

My friend Natasha and her family moved to Houston. I got to spend an awesome weekend with them helping them move and spending time with her beautiful baby! That was so fun!

My cousin Greg got married! In NAPA! The wedding was awesome and I got to spend a weekend in California with all my cousins and family. It was awesome to have a family reunion that mostly involved drinking wine. Then on the way home (and out to Napa actually) I saw Matt and Jules. Also got to have lunch with Gary and Sarah and Matt and Jules before I left for the airport.. I definitely miss them all, and I didn't have nearly enough time with any of them. A return visit is a must!

Mom and me in Napa

This semester has raced by, and I am working through edits on Paper 1 and Paper 2 has been outlined. My coauthors want me to target that paper for Science. I am both humbled, honored and scared about writing that paper. But, as Kieran says "whether they accept it or not, comes down to the color of socks you are wearing." So crossing my fingers and starting that over winter break.

Steph and I spend Thanksgiving at my advisor's house. It was really fun, and I am really lucky I have such an awesome advisor. The food was delicious! After dinner we played horseshoes and I got a ringer! It was pretty awesome. Then Steph and I had a besties road trip and found some amazing roads with huge trees covering the road.

This past weekend some of my friends and I went to the Baylor vs. Texas Tech game in Cowboy Stadium. We had front row seats on the endzone! We were even on tv and the jumbotron a bunch. We made these signs.

Victoria, me and Forrest with our signs!

Me and Bruser the Bear!

Parker and me tailgating! It was so cold out, we tailgated in the car!

Finally Sunday Dominic and I went to the zoo! The zoo always has a way to make me laugh and just feel like a kid again.

Today after class Laura and I came home and worked together. I was reading my friend Sarah's blog (same Sarah as from SF) and I was looking at all her photos and I was just inspired. So this afternoon I finally (after living in my house since June) put up art in my room. I was reminded by her, that life gets stressful and crappy sometimes, and maybe we don't take care of ourselves to the level we want, but we have to make time for ourselves. Well that's a wrap up. Promise to try not to go so long without writing.

L