Little Updates:)

I wish that I had more time to post blogs these days but as you can imagine, there isn't a lot of free time lying around and, probably more significantly, my life is not all that interesting! As you gathered from my last post, unless the world of evidence or torts is something you wanted to know all about, I don't have much fun stuff to report--surely no pictures. So, I have already finished my assignment for today and I thought I'd have fun with this post before hitting the books again.

1. Since I last wrote, I have revamped my study schedule. I decided at the end of last week to try studying at home. I have been very productive and not distracted at all by TV, cleaning, eating, internet, etc. so I'm doing great with the new plan. I come home after bar/bri which is nice to have the time to decompress a little in the car. It's impossible to be stressed after the 25 minute commute down the coast! I eat lunch, watch some TV guilt free, and then hit the books again. It's pretty steady til about dinner time and then a little more work after dinner til about 9. I've been really good about getting to bed early. It's sort of non negotiable because I know how much I need my morning workout time to myself and I have learned just how much energy is required to focus during the bar review lectures in the morning. Can't afford to be tired! Here's the stack of books that welcomes me home from bar/bri lecture every day:



I have learned so much about myself through this process already. I'm excited to see what God has in store for the next 2 months leading up to the exam. But, one of the immediate things I learned was the need to treat myself every day in some way. It doesn't have to be anything big but basically, the only requirement is that it gets me out of the house. A "break" to me is being outside, in the world, interacting with non bar studying people! The little breaks around the house are important too but it's too easy to become a hermit during this time and I know myself well enough to know that seclusion is dangerous for someone like me--depressing, really! So, I take about 30-45 minutes EVERY DAY to go do something--my favorite is a walk around my neighborhood (or going to CVS and buying bronzer and texting Kate as to what is the best brush for applying it, haha, thanks girl!) But I also have standing dates that I already treasure and just the thought of having those brings me peace and comfort...and a smile!

2. I guess I'll get the bar update out of the way so I can move on to more fun things in this post. We have now finished 2 subjects. We finished evidence last Friday and worked on it all weekend-essays and more multiple choice. Yesterday and today, we tackled torts. The professor was SO funny! He is a torts professor at George Washington in DC and was so engaging and down right hilarious. He definitely changed the feeling in the room for all of us which helped all of us pay attention and have a better attuitude about it. I just can't believe that we finished a year's worth of material in 2 days-eek! Tomorrow we have a workshop for essay exam writing so that should be interesting and helpful since we have to write an essay on Thursday to turn in Friday for review from a bar/bri staff attorney. That is going to be VERY humbling. Lawyers at work and my dad told me that your essay comes back bleeding red ink but that you just have to learn as much as you can from it and not let it get your spirit down. So, I feel ready for that whole experience--as ready as I can be! The multiple choice continues to be challenging for me but I was relieved doing essays over the weekend for evidence because I did much better on those. But overall, I am far from burnt out at this point and I actually wake up excited to go to bar review class and to do my assignments (even though my evidence professor told me that I must be lying when I saw him on Sunday and told him that bar/bri was going well!) So, once again, thanks for all your prayers...they are working, trust me!

3. In fun news, I took a study break last week and bought a birthday gift for sweet Savannah Grace Bryan who will be 1 this month! I would post the pictures because I'm so excited about her gift but I want her mommy, who may read this, to be surprised! So, everyone else will have to wait...:)

4. Oh, some of you may have known that I wasn't feeling well last week. As a result of staying in all weekend and cancelling almost everything fun I had planned (except for my Sunday morning standing date-thank God for that!), I am feeling much better. Luckily, it didn't become more than a sore throat but it was a good reminder to take the best care of myself because there's no time to get sick! Isn't it funny how you forget how great it is to NOT be sick?

5. My wonderful grammie celebrated her 89th birthday last Saturday. My (healthy, yeah!!!) brother surprised everyone and was up in San Francisco to visit with everyone..such a sweet treat for the birthday girl!



6. Aaron survived the 6 game homestand in Midland this past week, I'm so proud of him! And now I'm excited to get to skype with him a little more this week since he will be getting off work at a NORMAL time! I can't believe he has a 12 GAME homestand this month!

7. There is a precious girl that is Aaron's year at school named Valerie who just married her college sweetheart over Memorial Day. She was so sweet to share this link with me of pictures that her and her husband (!) took after they got back from their honeymoon. I don't think she will mind that I shared them because Valerie said she loved her photographer and said that she is the kind of person you want to tell everyone you know about because she is a Christian photographer who, obviously, does a wonderful job. Take a second to skim through these-they will warm your heart!
Note: **I'm not sure why the link doesn't appear but if you click on the boxes, it will take you to the site**



and




8. So, like I said, I give myself some sort of little treat every day and today was no exception:) I had to do some grocery shopping at Trader Joe's so talk about a simple pleasure...gerber daisies for $4! They just make me smile.



I hope that everyone is having a great week so far!

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple." Psalm 27:4