Fall is coming!!

Hello! Yes, we are still alive. Sorry for the loooong lull between posts. There is so much going on that I really should have blogged more just to record it all! I can't believe it is the end of September already! Whew! Where does all the time go?!? I had my first Fall moment today as I was walking home from visiting teaching and a little breeze had that Fall smell. It is coming whether we like it or not! The leaves are starting to change on the mountain, that is always so beautiful! I can't wait to take a drive up in the canyon with Josh Groban singing to me while I take in the beautiful scenery around me!
Ok, so here's a little summary of what has been happening this past month. I had my birthday! As my brother and my dad so kindly reminded me, I am now a quarter of a century old. I am totally ok with that! 25 has treated me very well so far! I can't wait to see all of the things that will come my way in the next year! On my birthday Mitchell kindly treated me to lunch at Tucanos! Oohh, Yum! It was my first time and hopefully not my last! It was yummy! It is a Brazilian churrasco, or grill. They slow grill different meats on a spit then bring the whole hunk of meat to your table and cut off slices. It was so fun and delicious! We went to a movie together and thoroughly enjoyed the day together.

Here is the strawberry shortcake cake I made for my birthday! It was so good!

The week after my birthday I went to Texas to visit my best friend! It was so fun! She lives in Arlington, near Dallas, and this was my second time out there to see her and her family. I got to meet her adorable 18 month old daughter for the first time too! It was a great trip filled with fun! We shopped, pampered ourselves, played with the baby, went to the zoo, ate sushi, and got massaged...and did I mention we shopped? Haha, it was a really fun trip and a necessary last hurrah before school started.

Here we are! Aren't we cute!?!

Mitchell and I both hit the ground running once the semester started! It has been so busy so far! Good thing we both love to be busy and productive. We don't like not seeing each other as much though. This is my last semester!! I will be a registered nurse by 2010! What a long road it has been but I have loved it! Mitchell is full speed ahead with his Master's degree. He has already proposed his thesis and is pending a third publication in a top tier conference! He will likely be done by April but for sure by August! I am so proud!
I am doing my clinicals this semester at the local hospital here in Provo, no commute! I am assigned to the medical/oncology unit and I am loving it. I had a brief panic thinking that I don't like hospital nursing but it was short lived. The nurses I work with are wonderful and our patients are so sweet.
The highlight of this last week was raspberry picking with my visiting teacher! We went to a family's home about 20 minutes away who have an acre of raspberries that they allow the public to pick for $2 per pound! It was so fun and a great deal on delicious berries! I even came home and made 80oz of jam!

This is 4 pounds of raspberries. It only took me 45 minutes to pick all this!

OH!! How could I forget!!?! We MOVED!!! While I was out in Texas being pampered with my best friend...Mitchell was home slaving away moving all of our stuff from our little apartment into a house! We have definitely upgraded! We live in a 2 bedroom house with a yard, a garden and the best part....a washer and dryer! Oh, the extravagance! I seriously have not gotten over the feeling of complete luxury every time I do laundry in my own home! Ahh, no more laundromats!
Well, I continue painting. I am trying to finish the forest one very soon. Any suggestions for my next painting? We are doing very well and life is great!