Struggle bus.

I am having a really hard time here. Classes are fine - everything else isn't. I'll update you on the past two weeks this weekend... I need to talk to my parents. :(

The New Place

So far, the place is great. Love having a pool! Love having a washer and dryer in my place! Love the free coffee in the clubhouse all day long! I've only taken photos of my room, really. The rest of the place is pretty much how it's going to look but I'm gonna wait til Cat is here - we have some stuff to finish up before I show photos. :)

This is where I get tan -


The animals relaxing: the cat is my sister's -


One view of my bedroom -


My bookshelves and jewelery box: I still need curtains for my windows -


My dresser and part of my closet: owl and plaque on wall from friends -


My bed, end table and comfy chair -


My desk, complete with lots of photos (your fave, Leo!) -


The animals relaxing in my room -

My 1st Week in Gainesville

Being in Gainesville has been hard. My sister went back home to IL for a few weeks to visit with family so I've been here all alone. It has sucked pretty bad. It's been really lonely - I'm glad I have Henry, at least. I've been going back and forth to campus getting paperwork done for school and for my assistantship. I had a meeting with the professor I'm TAing for - I think the class is going to go well. He was nice and very clear in his expectations - I like that. The class is 150 students - whoa! - and I'll be responsible for a lot of the grading. I do have some stuff that I have to do next week before school starts - some boring stuff online. I have to set up a bunch of online discussion board forums so that they're ready for the class to start.

Family Vacation

We arrived in Florida late Saturday afternoon and checked into the beach rental that my parents got for the week. Kel was with us - he was very helpful in the move and I appreciate his help SO much! - and was headed to pick up Ashley and the girls at the airport. Our townhouse in Gainesville wouldn't be ready until August first so we had a day to relax and unwind at the beach. We spent the 1st in Gainesville - again with the help of Kel, Jeff and his girlfriend, and my parents - and Cat and I spent the night so that we could start getting things settled and organized. Back to St. Augustine on the 2nd for the rest of family vacation.

Vacation was awesome! It was so fun having the whole family together for a week - I can't even remember the last time everyone was together. It's been a long time! It sucked leaving the beach house and vacation on Friday night. I was heading back to Gainesville - my new "home" - and my family was headed back to their homes early the next day. It was sad. I'm still sad. I cried. I miss them.

Moving Day

We all left for Florida on Friday, January 29th. It was an exciting and very sad day all rolled into one. Spent the morning and afternoon packing up both Cat's apartment and mine. Miraculously - we were able to fit all of our stuff into the U-Haul and the cars we were driving. My parents and my brother were there to load up and help us move - so appreciate of them!
It was hard saying goodbye to Muncie and to my friends and especially to Leo. It sucked, really. But I just tried to stay positive as we loaded up and moved out.

This is where Henry wanted to sit for the drive to Florida -


Ready to head out -


Henry and Leo saying goodbye -


Our last dinner together before the move, The Nile! -

The last few weeks in IL with family: in photos.

Lylla had a great 4th birthday -



I made a new friend -



Bella was adorable -



Witnessed a gorgeous sunset from the front lawn -



Lylla learned to swim without her life jacket and/or floatie wings -



Bella discovered the amazingness that is a monkey inner tube -



Currently reading: The Hiding Place

xox

The beginning of the end.

I spent the first week of July in Muncie packing - this is how it went.

Henry was very helpful.



Got a ton done!

Time at home.

I've been at home in Woodstock, IL this summer - working with my dad at his company and spending time with my family before I move to Gainesville, FL. I can't believe that I move one month from today! It seems as if it happened very suddenly. I am going to back to Muncie next week to pack/see people, and I will be back the last week of July as well.

I have really enjoyed spending time with my family - especially since I won't be seeing much of them when I move. Well, I'll see Cat A LOT since we're living together and I'll probably see my brother Jeff some, too. I am going to miss my family so much! My adorable nieces are just so precious to me and I am so sad that I will be missing so much of their young lives. If all goes according to plan, I'll be back relatively close in 3 years. Something to look forward to!

Enjoy the photos!

Little Slugger



Little Bug



Hot Wheels



Sammy! I love that we were holding hands for this photo! Giggles!



This pretty much sums of the shenanigans... Marie, Debbie and Curtis



Babysitting Bella - she woke up @ 4:30am and wouldn't go back to sleep. Until she was snuggled in bed with me. Yes, it was early, but I wouldn't trade those precious hours for anything. Anything.



Warming up in the baby pool before going for a real swim!



Bella is all sunblocked up and ready to go.



Sisters!





xox

Currently reading: The Shack

Florida visit pt 1

I went to Florida on June 1st. I was going to stay with my brother, who I hadn't seen in over three years, and to visit the University of Florida. Finding a place to live in Gainesville was also on my list. Thankfully, I was able to find a nice townhouse for my sister and I - it only took 6.5 hrs!!! So glad to have it taken care of. :) Here are some photos:

When I arrived in St. Augustine Jeff took me to a great lunch on the beach-



Later, we climbed this lighthouse-



This is a view from the top of the lighthouse-



Aw! Big bro and little sis together again-



He's just a big kid (and I bet I'll pay for this)!-



Ew! Big shrimp-



We chased down this brush fire-



As we got closer, the fire got worse-



This is my building at UF for the next 3 to 4 years: Turlington Hall-



xox

Florida Visit pt 2

On Friday, Jeff took me to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm - there were lots of alligators, crocodiles, birds, small animals, etc etc etc. It was neat!

An albino alligator-



A very fat alligator; they don't get much exercise on the farm-



Black swans at the Alligator Farm-



The Alligator Farm is a nesting ground for hundreds of native birds, there is nothing keeping these birds here-



Finally had time to spend on the beach Friday afternoon-



My brother's dog Dexter is pretty cute-



The Castillo de San Marcos at night - the first line of defense for St. Augustine-



Saturday morning we took the ferry to Ft. Matanzas-



We went and saw a canon firing at the Castillo de San Marcos-



xox