pick a caption

:: I shouldn't bake a midnight
:: Treat recipe bake times with skepticism
:: I used the last of my peanut butter, milk, and eggs for these?

spring break

BYU does not schedule a spring break into its academic year, but many students schedule one in anyway. I joined these individuals last month and flew home for Mom's birthday. 

Linda J picked me up from the airport since Mom was at work and dropped off at home with the the beautiful birthday cake she made for Mom.

Three layers of delicious German Chocolate cake and filling. Instead of waiting for her actual birthday the next day, we each enjoyed a slice on Friday afternoon after our Sam's Club run. Over the course of the weekend, I ate five pieces.

By the time Mom and I polished off the last bit on Sunday afternoon, we ate it right off the dish, no plates necessary. 



Saturday was the main event, Mom's 48th. In true Wood/Petersen fashion, we celebrated with a shopping day. We hit up TJMaxx Homegoods, Nordstrom Rack, JCPenny, Macy's, Anne Taylor Loft, and The Gap. We were a little disappointed with our first couple stops, but managed to secure some exciting purchases. Aside from shopping money, Mom opened some fun gifts throughout the day.

Charlotte and Josh sent Mom a package containing several of Mom's favorite Penzey's products, including their incredible vanilla extract.

Charlotte also sent Mom a cute cowl she knitted. It's such a beautiful color and excellently crafted.

I wrapped up my cleaning clothes, representative of the Mopping Monday I had planned for Monday before I left.

Dad supplied the biggest surprise of all by getting Mom a tv for the master bedroom!

I missed some class and had to play academic catch-up, but being home for a long weekend was so rejuvenating. Being home gives me time to self-evaluate and self-evaluate how I'm doing. It's easier to remember who I am when I'm with my family than when I'm caught up in school.

I'm so grateful that I was able to be home to celebrate with Mom. She is the most beautiful woman I know. Being her daughter is a one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love going home. I love walking into the kitchen through the garage when the house is quiet. I love walking back to my room and sighing with pleasure as I look at my big comfy bed with freshly laundered sheets. (Almost every time I go home, Mom washes my sheets and irons the pillowcases. This time, she even made a down comforter into the bed so that I could sleep with the window open! Heaven.)

I love Moosey's excited greetings. I love hanging my clothes back in my closet. I love that Sarah, John, and I are developing friendships. I love that I can return home and feel like I haven't left. The kids are usually taller each time I go back, but not much else changes. We talk in stupid voices and make stupid faces and drink Pepsi. I love Wood-hood.

Sarah's alter-ego, "Krystal with a 'K'". We see her around frequently.

weight

I just clicked this icon.

Doing so submitted my application for the MAcc (masters of accountancy) program. I'm only 20. How did this happen? This feels weighty. I'm making decisions about real people things I want to do when I graduate. It's exciting. But weighty. 

Also, I haven't blogged in a month. My absence is explained by the weighty button and all that's behind it. Weeks and weeks of cases, assignments, projects, and exams. Nights and nights of textbooks and computer screens. Days and days of malnutrition. Dark circles under my eyes. Pepsi in my fridge. 

Accounting Junior Core. 

Almost over. 

One week from now.

{More thoughts on this to come}

12 on the 12th--exam recovery edition

1. Still in brain-dead, exam week recovery mode, I slept in and wasn't productive until an embarrassingly late hour.
2. I broke from my post exam weekend diet of brownies and ice cream to have broiled tomatoes and cheese. It was an interesting snack.
3. Then I had more ice cream.
4. This box of tissues was more full a week ago.
5. I came to grips with my many overdue to-do items, casualties of accounting. The furthest past its due date is "Take down the Christmas tree." It's still on my list.
6. Obtaining this roll of quarters was the biggest adventure of my day.
7. Three of my favorite shirts, all in a freshly laundered row.
8. I noticed that the bathroom was echoing and realized that there were no towels on the bars. It was laundry day for us all. Not an interesting 1/12 at all.
9. My dryer full of warm, clean clothes that I pulled out around 10:00 p.m.
10. Why are these outdoor stairs neighboring my apartment carpeted?
11. My tax reading study guide. I even took the time to make exciting letters to help make compensation a little more exciting than it already is.
12. My midnight snack. Kraft mac n' cheese and broccoli. I should have stuck with the ice cream.

exams week, 5 out of 6

I'm in exams week number 5 of my Junior Core career. Jordin and I were going over our tax study guides while we fell asleep last night and took a break from cost recovery methods to crunch some stats. By the end of this year, we will have taken 18 exams. With an average test time of 2.25 hours, that means that we will have spent 40.5 hours taking very difficult tests. Awesome.

Jordin and I are both nursing runny noses this week. I keep my box of tissues at the kitchen table where we study, and we have little piles of used tissues accumulating. This morning I went to grab a tissue from one of these piles and asked, in my stuffed-up, sickly voice, "Are these mine or yours?" It was a little pathetic.

Exams weeks bring out desperate thoughts and ideas. I find myself thinking, "Surely, I can go one night without sleeping and still make it through the week." These thoughts are quickly quieted when I remember that I needed a nap halfway through the afternoon yesterday even though I got a solid 7 hours of sleep the night before. So I keep studying as much as I can, drinking Diet Pepsi, and taking an occasional nap on top of my textbook.

This weekend, I'm going to sleep, make real food, and knit.