Finally back :)

So the good news is that when it came time to need to be focused and study hardcore for the first test of the semester i was able to find enough motivation to do so. I will say that during the week of the test it didn't feel like i'd totally found it back because I didn't feel the stress and total craziness of last semester's test weeks but nonetheless when all was said and done the test went FAR better than I thought it would (even than I thought after finishing taking it), so apparently I found enough motivation back to survive. Even greater than getting the first test out of the way was the fact that we had NOTHING - like absolutely NOTHING to do this past weekend. We didn't have small group cases to work on, no test to start studying for, no stuff we should be looking over - it was probably the free-est weekend since the start of med school, so that was WONDERFUL!! Melissa and I came home after the test (well after the test then a class then a deans meeting) on Friday and watched LOST for 2hrs. That was glorious. Then i laid around on the couch for the rest of the afternoon watching more DVR'd programs. It was quite enjoyable! Of course i lost track of time and wasn't ready to head to des moines when i was supposed to be, but oh well!! Brendan's brother and I rode together to Des Moines and met up with the rest of their family Friday night to hang out and eat lots and lots of snacks. Saturday Brendan and I got lunch and hung out, went and saw Karlee & Brock's cool new house and then just laid low until we met his fam for dinner. It was a really, really good weekend!! So nice to just hang out and spend time with people wo any stress! Sunday I met up with my fam at church and then had sunday dinner with mom dad & mal (BIL was outta town for the weekend). We had a good time messing with Maggie (the pug) who showed off all of her new tricks. Mal and I had a grand old time looking through some old photos and books and such laughing at how ridiculous we used to look! I also got to see Laura & her kiddos at church, which is always fun!! They're just so danged cute. I sure hope my friends' kids get less cute before I have kids because that'd just be too much to compete with!! Once back in the IC last night Rebecca and I hung out and sorta watched the superbowl but mostly just hung out catching up. It was just SOOOO nice to have a weekend to catch up with everyone and not feel stressed to be doing school stuff! I don't remember the last time i didn't do school stuff at ALL on a weekend... it's been a long long time since Sunday wasn't totally a school day. Alright, well speaking of school i'd better hit the books-- no test this week, just a bunch of stuff to keep up on and some review and such... alrighty-hope everyone else had a great weekend as well!! Andrea