As if you (or I) had any doubt:

I bring you confirmation: my personality type, without a doubt, is ESFJ. However, I am tied on the F and T (feeling vs. thinking) part. I will break this tie and decisively opt for the F, rather than the T, in recognition of my strong emotional base for decision-making. Also of note is that the J part (judging=planning, organizing, motivated) part is affirmed by a score of 10 for J and 0 for P (perceiving, is it?). This is about the tenth time I have taken similar personality tests, all which reveal these results. I think this speaks volumes for what I have mastered, as well as what I have to work on, for my graduate studies. In fact, this time I took the test in our orientation session last Friday. So, know that what we deeply suspected is now in the affirmative.

Tomorrow is the official start of graduate school. This weekend was spent having as much fun as possible before school rules me. I found some great shopping this weekend and got some great things for back-to-school. If you were uncertain whether buying things for back-to-school applies to levels as high as graduate school, note that it does. Also note that I will back-to-school shop for my PhD. program, as well. : )

For now, I am focused on making this a great semester of school. In the immediate future, Abby and I are excited about our next trek up to Huntsville. We're hoping to squeeze in some lake time, as well. I cannot wait for fall..

Reasons why fall is great:
1. Cooler weather!
2. Cute clothes, esp. coudoroy, cardigans, and tweed!
3. The smell of the air (it's indescribable, but quite distinct)
4. The excitement of the coming Holidays
5. People have good energy after taking a summer off
6. The food is good. Think soups and chilies.
7. The leaves change. Which is why I'm going to the Mts. this fall, as I've always wanted!
8. My mom tends to cook more--better, even--casseroles for me to freeze and eat for a while.
9. My hair is finally going brown(er)...oh, you just wait!
10. The T.V. line-up is good again...(of note here is the much-awaited premier of THE OFFICE).

This moment, I am HOPEful

I have met what might be the greatest group of people in the last two days! I am so lucky to have such a great, diverse, talented, intelligent graduate school "cohort." It has been wonderful to finally see all of the faces that will be some of my closest friends and colleagues over the next 18 months (that's about how long we have until we are out practicing off-site). I am so excited. I really am. It's been a while, but I finally feel CONTENT with what I have and BLESSED to be surrounded by such wonderful, God-loving people. Yesterday I got to know several of the new girls by meeting up to go buy books together and later cooking a Mexican dinner together. It was great fiesta. It was like we all showed up to my new friend Caroline's as strangers and left as old friends. What a wonderful feeling. I think we have such a unique "learning community," to borrow from this week's orientation theme, at Montevallo. I continue to be impressed by my professors and peers. And, oh my, how we know how to have a good time outside (and sometimes inside of) classes. I could not be looking forward to the semester more, besides the frequent feelings of nausea about my clinic caseload! Ha. Am I really equipped with the skills I need to "fix" speech issues in kids?! We will be finding out... I feel uplifted after tonight's dinner at our department chair's house. It was nice spending some much needed down time with our faculty. OH, GOD is SO FAITHful. I am so proud to be His. Though all the dark times, the LIGHT is shining--and oh, how bright it SHINES...just you wait! This is a good time. But how will I feel come next week when the workload is bearing down on me and exams and projects start looming overhead?

Oh, the wisdom of age ten is deeper than I thought.

Today was nice. I spent time with my puppy, (obsessively) watched some Olympics, and went to a great cookout with the family I worked for this summer. I took their ten-year-old girl to paint pottery for the afternoon before the cookout. I love painting. We got to the place and I figured I paint a trinket box, knowing that I could use another little box (it's not like I have a hundred or anything)..so, she chose to paint the same thing. We got our box, paint, and brushes and sat down to paint. A few minutes into painting -out of nowhere- she went off on one of her wiser-than-my-age sermons about how people are generally afraid of things that they shouldn't be afraid of. "Grown-ups," she said, "are so scared of painting with bright colors--scared of difference in life...you know?" I nodded. "Why do you think that is? I mean, why are grown-ups all uptight about everything...they like things just their way." I looked up from my painting toward her. "They are just afraid of change..that's really what it is." I agreed with her. She continued to talk about how adults should have a more child-like understanding of things. I agreed. Only moments later the conversation had switched to talking about horses and what's new on the Disney Channel these days. It was a reminder of simplicity. How funny to hear her articulate her thoughts on what grown-ups are like. It was, indeed, as if she was inside my mind today. How funny, right? I love the mindset of ten-year-olds. Maybe we should all try to adopt their attitudes about life. They make my heart smile. :)

Vacation time

Abby and I have been on a long trip out of town. We just returned tonight and already my puppy is asleep. She wouldn't even eat dinner, she was so tired. Just wants to sleep. Poor Little Bear. We ran away to Huntsville for a few days and spent some time in Nashville with some good friends. I can't wait to do it again. It was so much fun. The shopping was alright, too. I hope we have a good fall this year, I bought some great fall clothes! All I have watched is the Olympics since they started. I love watching the swimming and diving. The gymnastics are pretty exciting, too. The drive back today was long, but so nice. It rained the entire way--just kind of softly. In fact, I think it's still raining now. That helped Abby sleep so I could just drive and listen to music. It's only two weeks until graduate school starts up...I've still got to go get the books and everything. I plan on continuing this vacation lifestyle through the next two weeks, so I'll be doing some major relaxing, lunch and dinner dates, and movie-going. It should be excellent. I'm awaiting a furniture delivery that I hope comes early tomorrow morning. It's my two red sofas and coffee table. Oh yes, red sofas. They are a nice crimson color...that will be especially fitting for the fall. Roll Tide. Can't wait to go to some games. It's going to be great.