Graduation Countdown

In 100 days, you can call me Dr. Sara. Just kidding! I will have my doctorate in Occupational Therapy and "OTD" after my name!

It is hard to believe that these 3 years of graduate school are almost over. I am very ready to be finished with school and join many others in the "real world." One of my classmates already has a job! congrats Dr. P! I guess I better start the job search, too, since I graduate in 100 days!

An old picture from our first year!

Owl Babies

Saturday night I went to a baby shower for two of my Chi Omega sisters, Laura and Hailey!! Laura is due in March with a little girl and Hailey will have a little boy in April! I could not pass up buying owl gifts for both of them! I don't have many pictures and deleted the pledge class picture, but here are a couple! Hopefully someone has a good pledge class pic to share with me! :)

Hailey opening her owl gifts!

Laura with an owl onesie for her little legacy!

Birthday Celebration!!

I may have had too much fun making birthday treats for Hannah and Stacie!

Make a wish!

Birthday girls in the middle!

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can corn niblets, undrained (I use 2 cans)
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco mix
Salt and pepper
4 c. water
Tabasco sauce, opt.

Brown meat and onion. Drain fat. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large soup pot. Simmer for 1 hour (or more). If desired, garnish with grated cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

You can freeze this soup, too!

Happy Birthday Hannah! Happy Birthday Stacie!

Stacie and Hannah

Let the Studying Begin!

Beef Vegetable Soup

Recipe for my new favorite soup!

1-1 1/2 # ground beef (brown with 1 chopped onion)
2 cans beef broth
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can Rotel
1 cup cut celery
1 cup cut carrots
2 cups cut potato
1 cup cut okra
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it spicy)
2-3 cups water

You can either slow cook this soup for 9-10 hours or bring to a boil and then let simmer for 1-2 hours.
I plan to cook this soup this weekend and then freeze individual servings for cold winter days!

One More Semester

Tomorrow is the first day of my last semester! I have 12 weeks of fieldwork, navy Polo's and khaki pants (oh joy!), and learning all I possibly can before heading out into the "real world."

Meeting Miles

Over break I also got to meet baby Miles (Lindsey Grace and Jared's sweet baby boy) and spend time catching up with Lindsey Grace and Cam. We had a nice long visit and watched Miles sleep and play some, too! Such a sweet baby!

Christmas Memories 2007

Some of my classmates came over to my apartment to celebrate Christmas as well as the fact that we have completed our thesis and our last academic semester. We had a great time watching movies, eating some great food, and exchanging gifts. I think we might just try to continue this tradition even after we graduate! A few of us went out a couple of nights later to look at the lights around Franklin and Brentwood. We had a lot of fun trying to find the list of items that Hannah created for us and even got out to take pictures! We missed out on seeing some things as the power went out in Franklin while we were driving around. There is always next year! I went home for two weeks and stayed busy getting ready for Christmas and babysitting for some of my favorite families! My Granddaddy came and stayed with us for about a week. Jason, Jessica, and Ruby arrived on Christmas Eve and then left Christmas day to be with her family. We meet up with all of them later for Christmas dessert! We visited my Granddaddy's sisters the day after Christmas and had a nice visit with them. My mom and I went to my Granddaddy's church with him on the 30th for the candlelight service to remember loved ones who have passed away this year. My uncle, aunt, and cousin were also able to attend. It was a nice service and nice to see people who have been friends with my grandparents over the years.

Another pic from the Christmas party!

Looking at lights!

Ruby in her Christmas dress on Christmas morning!

Traditional Christmas morning picture! We had on matching "Life is Good" PJs this year!

Sally spent Christmas Eve in cat jail for hissing at Ruby. This was more of a protection for Ruby and not a punishment for Sally Fred. Ruby just wanted to play!

Christmas night with Jessica's family. This picture: Bobbie (Jessica's mom), my dad, me, Jason, Ruby (so tired), and Jessica.

Christmas Tradition

Every Christmas my mom orders us dough ornaments. I get so excited waiting for the arrival of the new ornaments! This year mine was from my experience this summer at Vanderbilt Children's for my first Level II Fieldwork (clinicals). It also represents my research study I completed with one of my classmates: The Impact of Therapy Balls on Attention in the Classroom. I think this one might be one of my favorites although I say that about all of my new ones!! We also had one made for Jason and Jessica and their dog Ruby!

"A house divided." Jason as an Alabama fan and Jessica as an Ole Miss fan!

Ruby! (Jessica's nurse ornament is in this pic, too.)