Catching Up

This semester has mostly been spent catching up and re-catching up. After missing a week and a half at the start of the semester I returned to school with the intent of doing my best. I spent about a month catching up in my 8 classes. As the semester continued I caught up in one class but fell behind in another. This inevitably happens near the end of every semester I just started off that way this year. Now that the semester is over I can catch up on my blog. I will give you the high-lites of each month starting with July...

July...

My parents came to visit, and brought along a fury, white, little bundle of joy (read terror). I named her Penny Laine, and she never fails to bring a smile to my face. I really am thankful for her everyday. Even when she eats blankets and woodwork.
August...

Penny and I took a road-trip to visit my parents before the semester started. I was determined to make a coffee table/bench that I had seen in the Anthropologie catalogue (certainly I could make one just as nice that didn't cost $1,000). So I bought all of the raw materials...

...And this is the result...

August was also my 21st, first day of school. True to Chad's tradition I laid out my clothes the night before...

Quick first day picture with Penny before heading off to Clinic Orientation at 8 am

September...

Friends and family joined to celebrate my mothers life. She was loved and will be missed.

October...

At the start of October I got a new beau named Ben. In the middle of the month a classmate hosted a pumpkin carving pot-luck. Here is Ben helping Alison with her polka-dot pumpkin...

I picked out an albino pumpkin to bring to the party. One of my classmates was kind enough to share their stencils from a carving kit. I thought the ghost seemed fitting. All of our pumpkins...

Perhaps a better shot...

At the end of the month Paul came to visit for his birthday. Penny and I were very excited to have him visit...

November...

As I packed up to head back to Iowa for Thanksgiving break Ben kept Penny's attention by playing a form of "fetch."

I think it is safe to say that I have finally graduated from the little kids table at age 25. A new crop has forced Ev and I to join the "big kids" at the adult table.

The spread on the main table(s)...

December...

The final stretch of the semester found me re-listening to lectures. Dr. Connor puts Penny to sleep too.