Grad School Here I Come!

Well, I have landed safe and sound, and survived a taxicab ride (my first!) to the University. I have established my wifi connection (woohoo) and am ready to go! The part of campus that I've seen so far is really beautiful. Apparently the building we're in is only maybe 6 or so years old, but it's done in beautiful brick and matches the older parts of campus. I can't wait to explore more of it! I'm waiting in the hopes that a few more people will arrive, and they will want to explore with me! Our first dinner/meeting is tonight at 6pm, so I've got a few hours to kill. So far, only one other woman is here, so I'm not sure when everyone else will arrive. Tonight we have a "casual buffet" and then we get to meet all the professors, find out about the structure, grading, etc...then tomorrow morning at 8:30 we start full speed with our first class "Plants and People." Should be interesting, and I know there's at least two field trips to different botanical/research gardens. I'm looking forward to it, though I know it will be intense to have a full 2 hour graduate course crammed into one week! I better get good sleep tonight =)!

Aside from arriving in St. Louis today, it's been a busy couple of weeks! Last weekend I flew to NE for my 10 year HS reunion and had a blast! I was really glad to see that most of my choir/band friends were there. It was fun to see everyone and catch up! I also enjoyed the time with my family, especially my sister who came down from MN for the weekend. After arriving back from NE on Wed, I was able to spend a few days with Justin as he was granted a rare day off! Woohoo! We got all of Thurs, Fri and Sat together before I had to fly off again this morning. I tell myself that three weeks really isn't that long (and it isn't, it could be 3 months, or worse a year!), but it was still hard to say goodbye. I'm figuring these next three weeks will fly by though since I'll be so busy with class and homework, and before I know it-I'll be flying back to TX! Anyhow, on the 4th we had Justin's family over for fajitas and brown-cows (aka root beer floats). It was fun to spend time with them, especially McKayla who just gets smarter and cuter everyday! I was also able to get up to the hospital with Andrea to visit Abigail and Hailey. Since my last update, Abigail has had it a little rough. She developed an intestinal infection (NEC) and was given two blood transfusions and put in isolation on a 10-day antibiotic course. Thank God that the doctors caught it early and she seems to only have had a mild case since the "hotspot" on her intestines went away and she is getting feisty again =). It could have been much worse and required surgery, so we are all extremely grateful that she is back on the mend. She has started feedings again, and hopefully will be moved back by Hailey soon. Hailey, on the other hand, has been doing wonderful and is now well over 3lbs! She was graduated to be able to wear little tiny clothes and being swaddled. She can basically control her own body temperature now too, so they can hold her for longer periods of time and for more than one time per day. Hopefully Abigail will continue to improve and catch up to Hailey soon!

Well, I think that's it for now. Wish me luck on grad school and hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!!!