back in Montana

I'm back in Dillon for my list trip before we move here soon. I am doing some recruiting, trying to find a place to live, and getting things ready to move.

I got to my office on the first day and this is what I saw...

They decorated! They are so ready for me to be here full time!

celebration dinner

Thanks to a generous gift from my parents and my incredible smarts/luck Mikel and I went to a delicious dinner tonight at Mitchell's Fish Market in Lansing. We have always seen it and wanted to go but never made it happen. Me passing my exams gave us the perfect opportunity!

 Because I can't be too mature for long...

 Our amazing meals...

 Happy days...

We are talking and planning and packing and it is WONDERFUL!

HAPPY EASTER!

Holidays away are not nearly as fun as holidays at home. There are not big meals or family get togethers but we're growing up and doing our own holidays. Plus, because we don't do anything elaborate, Mikel always seems to get scheduled on holidays! Bummer deal dude!

I did get a big smile and surprise when I got this picture messaged to me last night...

Sweet shirt, right?! I made it for my Aunt Barbara way back when and she still has it! I always knew I was an artist at heart!

Happy Easter everyone! We miss you!

bye bye Breslin

I can't believe we are going to be moving so soon!

Comps were such a stressor that I hadn't thought much past them. However, today was likely my last shift at Breslin.

We hosted Buckle Up and Stop Texting. It was an event about the dangers of texting and driving and they had a pledge to sign that people would never text and drive again. There were free shirts for the first 1,000 people but I'm guessing the took 900+ back home. 

I felt bad for the people because people were telling sad stories about family members who had died texting and driving but it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and who really wants to come to such a sad event?! I can understanding doing it as a school assembly or even as a halftime or during some other event where there is a captive audience but, as today showed, it wasn't a huge draw by itself. 

Either way, my $2 Goodwill blue blazer has definitely paid off and Breslin has been an awesome part-time job. I've seen cool events and saw more basketball and football than I ever would have been able to otherwise. Another good memory!

happy

The first words out of my mouth this morning when Mikel woke me up because he was going hunting: "I passed my orals!"

I'm not sure how long Mikel will put up with this (kind of like my birthday week/month) but he is definitely proud of me and it feels so good!

I was able to sleep in and then make breakfast with Mikel when he got home from hunting. Unfortunately, he had to sit in the rain and hail because Michigan has not figured out that it's supposed to be SPRING! It may speak to my nerd-ness but I can't wait to return the huge stack of library books I had to use to write those papers!

I PASSED!!!

I passed, I passed, I passed, I passed, I passed.....

That's the magic signature!

Today wasn't fun but it went really well and all my committee members were really happy with my work and my answers. It feels so good to be DONE (well, at least with that HUGE hurdle)!

I am now officially ABD!
ABD=all but dissertation

fortune cookies

We went to Chinese food today for dinner (not the original plan but delicious anyway).

We got very fitting fortunes. This was mine...

 And Mikel's...

Ha!

I could benefit from some conquering tomorrow as I am defending my written comprehensive exams. Prayers, thoughts, vibes, and whatever else you've got would definitely be appreciated!

April happenings

It is a crazy week around here finishing out the semester, turkey hunting, starting to pack, and surviving the crazy snow and rain we are having for weather.

Mikel has been out turkey hunting with Matt and Matt got a turkey the other day...

I am so done with this snow!!

Also, Mikel finally got back his deer mount from the deer he shot earlier this year.

He was very excited about how it turned out!

Annnnnddddddd, we're starting to pack. Nothing too serious yet, just a box here and there when we think of something that we don't need but it should make things easier when the time crunch starts...

Also, I can't believe that Mikel had never been to the MSU Dairy Store for lunch so we checked it out the other day. MSU makes all their own ice cream, cheese, and other dairy goodness so they sell grilled cheese and soup for lunch during the week. On Mondays, it is free tomato soup so you can get lunch for about $2.50.  Delicious!

MSU Small Animals Day

We had a rainy, windy day here in East Lansing so our original plans of going to the University of Michigan spring football game didn't happen. Instead, we checked out the MSU Small Animals Day at the MSU Pavilion.

There were tons of baby animals that were so cute! There were a bunch of animals in the Pavilion and then buses ran out to the poultry farm and the horse barns on campus.

 Seven day old cow...

 Baby ducks...

 Little pigs...

 Baby sheep was sooooo soft...

 Momma and baby...

 Rooster in the poultry barn...

 Baby Japanese Quail. They were little minis...

 Baby duck...

 Sleepy...

 This was the inside of the Pavilion where there were people riding horses for some sort of a show...

A fun day! (And  I got to wear my new MSU rain jacket that I got from the volleyball team!)

another birthday

Happy birthday Poppo!