Purple Orchids

These happy things plopped down next to me on the bus today in the lap of a handsome Swiss. We had one of the nicest visits I've ever had on a public bus. What a fun start to the day, no?!

Purple AND orchids. My two faves.

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Below will just be a mess of photos I've collected over the last semester.

Homemade Larabars made with Mel

Faces I miss.

Ky Ky came to visit Lauren, so I got a chance to see her.

And the other girls...well I just miss my sisters sometimes :)

Boston Temple at *night*

Home!

Took a spontaneous trip home a few weeks ago

Can never leave grandma's house w/o flowers from the garden

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I wanted this f.o.r.e.v.e.r...and finally bought it with the gift cards I received from Uncle Matt and Aunt Molly (two years in a row) and mama and daddy of course.

And I desperately want this!

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Where I've been "living"...clinic

Lecture in the city one night.

Took the ferry to get there.

*Last semester Triad partners*

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Campus grounds in the Navy Yard

Video from Harbor Ferry

Happy Easter Everyone!

Mel

Mel is arguably the most thoughtful and kind-hearted friend I have. I'm lucky to consider her one of my best friends since moving out here to Boston.

She knew I was having "one of those weeks", so texted to see if she could come over...

and she didn't come empty handed.

How do you know when your 'friend' is really really honest to goodness truly personally your friend???

When they don't even have to ask what your favorite 'concoction' at Coldstone is.......and they show up with it at your door.

Spot on Mel

~You're the Best~

Clinic

Just for a glimpse into my days @ MGH

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Even though my classmates and I all have a full load of classes, we all find ourselves spending about 80% of our time with "clinic"...just everything clinic. We each have two clients that we see twice a week. This involves weekly lesson plans, progress notes for data, parent handouts, and...the 'prep work'. Can't tell you how many hours I've spent with scissors, crayons, and tape in my hands thinking, "waaaiitt, don't I have like a paper due or something I should be working on? but instead I'm cutting out caterpillars?...hm" (but it's so fun!)

With the little ones (like 4 and under), having a theme to center each session around helps to focus the objectives and often produces better results.

This week? The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Basically, this theme is allowing me to target:

-attending to a storybook

-showing proper handling of a book

(independent page turning, etc)

-contrasts Big vs Little

-spacial concept 'through'

-entity+location (caterpillar is ON...)

~ Happy Times ~

~~~Thanksgiving~~~

This was a special and unique Thanksgiving for me, as it was my first holiday away from home. Honestly, it was such a blessing because I had such a wonderful time with friends. Plenty of us are far away from home, working and doing school, and going home just isn't feasible. So a small group of 8 gathered together and lived the single's dream.

~The Beautiful Finished product~

...let's see how we got there.

Every group needs at least one man...for the carving of course.

Calvin very much claimed an entire leg, and I wasn't about to get in between that. Later in the evening (I forgot to take a photo...sad) he brought the wish bone to me and we pulled it apart together...I got the bigger half! He must have overheard me mention how I used to pull the wishbone apart with my cousin Karin when we were little, and he went off to find and clean the bone and bring it to me. Love~

T.H.E rolls

So Mel (the master chef behind this all) asked me if there was something that just 'made' thanksgiving for me that we should make. I said, "My Aunt Ellen's orange rolls!" So, thanksgiving day, upon arriving early to help prep, Mel informs me that they did in fact make my orange rolls...and then proceeded to eat them all already! Ha! Naturally, I made the next batch. I've never made rolls before, so I am very proud of these.

*beautiful*

Oh, so while I'm takin a break on the sofa, my friend Nishan sees me and apparently decides it's time me and him break what he thinks is my comfort level 'touch barrier' of our friendship by pretty much enveloping me in his hug. Hmm. yeah he stayed like this for a while, till I convinced him I felt much closer to him and we were definitely better friends because of this 'experience.'

Boys

OOOhhh the Pies

{Another "first" for me}

Late the night before all the festivities, I went to Mel's place to help her make the pies. She's just amazing at all this stuff. Nothing is store bought when it comes to food. It's all from scratch, all the time, every time.

{sorry blurry. Pecan Pie}

We laughed cus it came out looking like one giant cookie, but it tasted sooo yummy.

Lemon *meringue*

Allison (or Miss Mitton for me) with the whipping cream.

And, she made these cute little turkey place settings. Apparently a family tradition that 'made' thanksgiving for her. Her mama even sent her one in the mail for all the roommates. Sweet.

Their home is so cute.

I'm so lucky to live really close to them. It was not really planned when we all moved out of the Nottinghill house to live so close to each other, but it has worked out so great. It's my second home here.

Used mason jars for cups.

And, as I think is fitting for young single adults on their own for thanksgiving, we sat on the sofas and floor for the 'feast'. We tried to get tables from the church, but apparently weren't the only ones with that idea. I thought it was perfectly appropriate for our age group!

Me, Miss Mitton & Mel

We may not have had our moms and family, but we are all so blessed with friends that feel just as close and good as any family :)