GOOD Things are Happening in December

Fall 2011: LONG and STRESSFUL.

But I have terrific news to share... I am a December 2011 candidate for Georgia Southern University's College of Education Masters of Education in Instructional Technology, Library Media degree.

I completed my lengthy practicum in 2 HoCo schools and 1 Bibb school -- all the while building and finishing my portfolio which can be viewed here: http://lauralanelee.weebly.com/ (if you're really bored). I presented the portfolio last Thursday evening which went very well.

December looks to be a great month. These are my next four weekends: celebrate my birthday, graduate "in absentia," Christmas, New Year's Eve. Good stuff. :)

For Thanksgiving my parents, Kansas the Beagle and I drove to SE Georgia to see my Dad's side of the family (about 30 miles outside Savannah). My cousin Wendy and her husband were thrilled to move into their new house just weeks before Turkey Day. Our family had our first Thanksgiving feast together in their beautiful dream house.

That weekend I met Josh in Atlanta, and we went to Stone Mountain Christmas, my ideal way to get into the Christmas spirit. This is the first time the temps were perfect -- not too cold with the perfect amount of chill in the air.

The next weekend we celebrated my mom's 60th birthday with the family. I used my Cricut machine to make some cute "Sweet 60" decorations. I decorated plastic tumblers for party favors with the date. I baked a rum cake and cookies cut out in the shape of shoes (She loves shoes.). I think she really appreciated all of it.

Happy December!

Josh and I had so much fun at the 2011 Stone Mountain Christmas outside Atlanta. Here we paused for a pic in front of the massive Coca-Cola Christmas Tree.

At the end of our night, the Snow Fairy made it "snow" real, crunchy icey bits and I appreciated catching the snow drops (though you can only faintly see it in the photo... those dandruff-y flakes on my navy coat!)

If you know me, you know I am becoming a frozen yogurt connoisseur -- so much so that I asked Santa for the Cuisinart frozen yogurt and sorbet maker. My "hurry up and take the pic so I can dig into my dessert" face. (Yogurberry in Atlanta.)

My first trip to Macy's Pink Pig in Atlanta. Josh had never been either. I was impressed that he was so willing to ride a a hot pink pig ride around the roof of Lenox Square.

Hittin' the books again...

I am taking a quick moment to update this afternoon before I head out the door and start the weekend, if you can call it a weekend. I am downloading Photostory as I type, so that it will be ready to go tonight and tomorrow.

I spent last Friday night and all day Saturday on a 25-page paper -- as in I got up Saturday about 10:00 AM, ate something, took a shower and planted myself on the sofa from Noon to Midnight. But at 12:15 I made myself save my work, shut off my laptop and get some sleep. It can feel very isolating, because I cannot work well with the TV or any other distractions. I have to get in my quiet place and focus.

This weekend I have my second big assignment due in my other class. (I'm taking two Spring semester. I will only have two remaining and a practicum. It's a good feeling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.) This assignment is not a paper but a collaborative media project where I am having to integrate 30 photos with text and audio in a video-like format. My finished project will play like a video and take viewers on a virtual tour of the Sonny Carter Media Center (or library for those who are confused). I actually will pay a visit to my parents this weekend, so that my mom can assist me in making sure I correctly identify everything in the pictures (i.e. the nonfiction, fiction sections). She had to take the photos for me, because my working hours clash with the school day hours. She did a very good job playing photographer since she so rarely touches a camera.

Unfortunately no creative projects for decorating the house or for eating are on the books right now...just focusing on the text books at the moment and going to work everyday. It's quite the fun cycle...not!

I've also been learning how "to coupon," with the help of www.southernsavers.com. But that is a whole other post in itself.

I do have one adventure coming up though. My friend Sarah (the Hilton Head Island bride) and I signed up for the Disney Princess 5K at Disney World. We will be going to Orlando the last weekend of the month for it. She can run rings around me. She also signed up for the Half-Marathon, so she will be conquering two races in one weekend.