Life at the moment...December edition

I had a wonderful day!  Slept in, ate pancakes and eggs, prepared dough for 4 different types of cookies, went to Jesse's for a little bit while he got ready for work, baked 3 of the four doughs, totalling 97 cookies, talked to my BFF Mariana, and worked some more on my graduate school application.

That last part may come out of left field for those who I haven't talked to recently.  I started exploring graduate programs with the intent on entering Fall 2010.  I had found this program at George Washington University in DC last year that is an MS in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Exercise, Eating Behavior, and Nutrition...it is EXACTLY what I want to do as a career!!  So I had a phone conversation with one of the professors and he said there was a graduate assistantship opening for Fall 2009.  A GA spot is full-paid tuition, plus a small stipend.  I would work in a lab in addition to going to school.  This was quite attractive as it is a private university that costs $1000/credit!  So, that's a bunch of money I'd be saving.  So, after talking to some family members, some co-workers, and praying about it, I've decided to apply.  My boss was very supportive, which made me happy, since I would be leaving the study before it is finished (unless I can recruit like crazy and get 42 more subjects in the next 8 months...totally do-able, I am a rockstar! ;-) or so I'm told).  

Jesse is also being very supportive.  He is taking prerequisite classes for nursing school and we had planned on me going to school Fall 2010 so he could finish all the prereqs and then apply to a school near mine when the time came (all the schools I'm looking at are east of Minnesota...).  He realizes this is an opportunity I can't pass up.  Did I mention the prof from GWU said if it was his choice, I was his top candidate?  There is an open house in March that we will go to.  At this event the person who does have the choice of the GA will most likely make his decision.  And it will give me a chance to see the school and talk to people there to see if it is a good fit for me.  Jesse will do as many prereqs as he can here, then finish wherever we end up and apply to nursing school after that.  He is so great.  I really appreciate him being so flexible with his schooling to accommodate mine.  Man I love him!!

If I get the GA spot, then we're moving to DC in August!  If I don't, I will finish my job in Sac as planned and apply to the other 8 schools I'm currently looking into for Fall 2010 and we'll move then! :-)  

One small, minor demand Jesse made at the beginning of our relationship when I told him of all my plans was that if he ever moved away for a woman, it would be his wife.  So if we go in August, we'll have to be married first.  Talk about a lot to think about!!!!  I'm very excited at the prospect of all of these huge life events taking place, but also kind of freaked out that they may all be happening so soon!  (more excited than freaked out!)

It has been a remarkable year and I can't believe it's over!! It feels like just yesterday I was leaving for Guatemala!

Please keep me in your prayers as I go forth on my life's journey.  Also, keep my Uncle Jim in your prayers as he had quadruple bypass surgery this week.

Love, me.