It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

With Thanksgiving over everything is in full blown Christmas mode.. and so I have begun my Christmas prep as well... One of my favorite Christmas Traditions is cards.. I am so excited to have wonderful puppies to send out on our personalized cards!! But at work on "black friday" while everyone else was shopping i was stuck writing the same message on as many cards as I could in the 8 hour time block.. it made the card giving thing much less exciting!!  So after having a quite boring day at work on Friday I decided I would go see some of the day after the day after sales and check out the craft stores.. and I got some really good ideas for Christmas crafts and began making them! It was soo much fun that I will probably be doing it all season long!! So much for studying for those exams..

Starting new traditions..

Thanksgiving has been quite the adjustment since Zach and I have been together.. We both want to spend the day with our families but there is only so much time in the day and food you can eat.. I am learning to adjust to the larger family that I am becoming apart of I do believe that I truly enjoy the larger family dinners.. there's much more to talk about about, more people to see and of course more food!! Although, Thanksgiving seems to be all about the food nowadays I try and remember the meaning of the holiday and know that is about be thankful and I AM thankful for my new family and my "old" family!! Today was a little difficult as it is my first thanksgiving without my grandmother and the shortest time I have spent with my mom on the holiday and though tears were felt I also was greeted by lots of smiles and hugs which made the day wonderful!! Being about to spend the day with Zach's family gives me much hope for our future and I know that I am going to love being apart of this family! I look forward to the many more holidays with them.. 

Ahh.. Relief

The Day we had long anticipated finally came..

We got to meet our neice!!! She lives in S. Africa where her parents are missionaries and we finally had a chance to meet her this weekend! It was soo much fun! She was such a happy baby.. Watching Zach with the baby made me smile from ear to ear!! It was wonderful!

He is going to be a great dad... SOMEDAY!!

The End is Near

As the semester comes to a close and the holidays near you feel the intense feelings accomplishment and stress.. The horrible timing of the two together that has always boggled me.. You have term papers and exams and projects all coming due but the need to visit with families pulling at you from all angles making time your worst enemy and sleep nearly impossible.  As I finish the semester I know that I am closer and closer graduation but the large amounts of work and planning and progress that has to be done prior to that date makes me queasy!  I can't believe that in 6 months I will be Amanda Hamilton Saulter, BA in Theatre and Psychology!!! That is just insane! 

ABCT (Continued)

so.. This is a little late but to finish the trip's story... 

On Saturday.. we had the best intentions to get up and attend some symposiums before lunch but our bodies had other plans and we slept in till almost 10 am!! So once we got up we just decided to go grab brunch before heading to our afternoon events. We went to this place called spoodles on the Disney boardwalk.. OMG IT WAS AMAZING! The had an all you can eat entree with french toast, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage and bacon! Best breakfast EVER! After brunch we went back to the Dolphin where the conference was held and I attended a poster session very briefly then to my workshop on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) for Adults with ADHD... Which was interesting.. 1) the therapy that I am in right now is very cognitive based so learning how to perform therapy in adults with adhd is very similar to the ways you do cognitive therapy in depression clients.. 2) Almost everyone in the workshop already has their PhD in Psychology and is a practicing therapist.. Since I am still in undergrad I was not able to relate to many of the issue brought up.. although I understood the material I was not able to apply any of it but still enjoyed learning it!! After the long training I attend one more poster session before heading off to the Most magical place in Orlando.. DISNEY Of course!! We went to the magic kingdom  

This was tons of fun.. We rode most of the rides.. and I just felt like such a kid again!! Gosh it was the most fun! We stayed there until the park closed and just enjoyed being a kid.. Then we went back to the hotel and we so incredible exhausted that we took an HOUR nap before our van picked us up at 2:30 am to take us back to the airport. When we arrived at the airport NOTHING WAS OPEN!! The shuttle told us they had to pick us up at that time to ensure we would catch our flight.. So we get there about 3:15 and have to wait around until 5:20 when our flight leaves.. unable to check in.. unable to check baggage.. and the only thing open is LUCKILY starbucks!! So we get coffee and hang out.. Then it comes about 4:15 and we can go check our luggage and there is this huge line that we get in because we think they are waiting for a person but then we see the kiosk check in so I go and check us in using the kiosk that was working the whole time and some lady comes up and goes "we are all in the line waiting to do that exact same thing" in a snotty voice.. and I just stayed quiet and proceeded to check in I was already annoyed with no sleep.. ThEn we get in line for security check and the person there was like "GET BEHIND THE LINE" and I was just jeeze.. Then we get to security check and everything goes through fine except my purse and i ask "Is there something wrong" they lady says "We'll see" so I waited and she yells "NO liquids beyond this point" and throws away a bottle of water from my purse that I wasn't even aware was in there and I apologized but was thinking you don't have to be so rude!! By this point I was just ready to get to North Carolina where people have Southern Hospitality and Sweet Tea!!!! I sleep the whole ride to Charlotte when we get on the plane to Wilmington There are only 10 people riding!! So we sprawled out in the seats and enjoyed the ride.  Upon arriving at ILM the flight attendant says "Welcome to Wilmington Home of the Seahawks" and that just made my day! I cheered and got off WAY excited to see Zach and my puppiess that I could barely wait for Crystal to use the bathroom!!! I ran through the airport straight to Zach's arms!!! I was soo happy to see him!!! Vacation is always fun but coming home is even better!!!!

ABCT Conference

So Thursday afternoon we( Myself and my Lab partner Crystal) flew out of the Wilmington Airport heading to Charlotte.. What a bumpy ride!! We Get to charlotte 40 Minutes late and have 20 minutes to get all the way across the airport to our next flight!!! We made it just in time for another bumpy ride to Orlando, Florida.  By the time we got to Florida we were starved and exhausted so we got food in the airport.. rested for a few before figuring out how we were going to get to our hotel... As we wander through this HUGE airport we find some person who just happen to be going to the same place!! He told us about this shuttle that will take us to the hotel and pick us up for only $32 then we get a discount for being apart of the conference so it was only $28.. this may seem extreme except that a taxi would have cost us $70 one way!!! We ride the shuttle and make it to the hotel just in time to miss registration for the conference so instead we decide to wander around and figure out what this hotel is all about... This place is HUGE! We stayed at the Swan but it is right next to the Dolphin which is where the conference was.. Between the 2 hotels there was 5 restaurants, 4 stores, 1 spa, 1 pool, 1 beach, 3 tennis courts, 2 volleyball courts, and 4 water fountains!! It was crazy nice!! After the expedition around the place we decided to go back to the room and sleep! What we discovered in the room was flat screen tv, Bath and Body works lotions, soaps, ect, starbucks coffee, and 2 bottles of water!! Way cool... except the price! 

Friday.. We have a wakeup call for 6 am.. I slept through it! But lucky Crystal did not and she woke me up by 6:30 to get ready for the BIG PRESENTATION which begins at 8:30.  We have some breakfast and study our posters before heading into the conference hall.  After registering we meeting with our professor who helps us hang the poster and IT BEGINS! we have to stand there in a big adult science fair and give out handouts of the information on the poster and answer any questions people have about the research.. Luckily for me I did not get any difficult questions! It was great! Then it was over  almost as soon as it began.. And we were free to do whatever for the rest of the day!!! We went to a few symposiums where we have people talk about their different kinds of research.. I went and saw Russell Barkley talk!! Which was great he is the guy who developed the theory that all my research is based on!! So that was awesome.. then I went to a few more before heading back to the hotel to rest.. We then decided to go to Downtown Disney for dinner... OMG Downtown disney was unbelievable.. There were statues out of LEGOS, HUGE Rain-forest places that you could EAT at, T-Rex dinosaurs the size of my apartment complex!! INSANE! WE decided to eat at Planet Hollywood which was huge! 4 stories! There was huge statues of creatures from movies and clothing and other articles from the various movies!! I tried to take a picture next to the Nightmare before Christmas exhibit but it was too big and on the stairs so people kept being annoyed.. But the food was Awesome.. the music was so loud it was like being in a nightclub.. After dinner we walked back to the free shuttle and explored the different Disney Stores.. They have disney EVERYTHING!!! It was cool!! After that we took the shuttle and just went to sleep! and Now.. I'm about to get ready for Saturday!! We have a fun filled day planned and more on that TOMORROW!!! 

Wedding~

Isn't it amazing how things just come to you all the sudden and solve the many problems at once. I was driving down the road yesterday when WHAM! It hit me in the head.. I wanted the date of Zach and I's wedding to have significance plus work the dates around his sisters plans too.. and BOOM there is was have the wedding on June 13th!! 2 weeks after his sisters wedding which allows for his other sister to be there AND~ It's exactly 1 year and six months after we got engaged!!! So it's SpECIAl!!!!  I think that its just so amazing!!! So now I have a wedding again! I just hope that I can figure out new flowers... I don't think the ones I picked out are going to be available in June... And the dress.. Thats a tough one.. I have started getting people to vote on their favorites but I just don't think i've found "THE Dress" So I hope to go shopping in Burlington over Winter Break.  Gosh and other than that I have no idea what else I need to do!! I know there's tons.. I have the books to prepare me but very little time to figure things out!  

A Day of Rest

As I ponder and ponder how I am going to ever complete my always growing TO DO list I just want to pass through the next few months and jump to May when I can graduate and begin life as a adult and not a student. I am so tired of the never ending TO DO lists and the 15 hour days and constant unfinished unaccomplished feelings. I leave to present my research on Thursday! I am very nervous! I haven't flown in..4 years and then I was terrified and thus I am still terrified!! I don't think I have the answers to all the questions that I will be asked and still have much knowledge to gain on the topic and no time to gain it!! I can't wait until my presentation is over so I can go and see what everyone else is presenting and just visit being in a new place!! It's going to be a long weekend with strangers!! I think this is the longest I will have gone without seeing Zach and my "kids" I hope they can make it without me.. :( Well I should get back to work and knock more items of the TO DO List!

A New Day

Today I decided to create this blog so that my family and I are able to keep up with those that we love who are farther away then we would like them to be.  After keeping up with my future sister-in-law's blog for several weeks now I think it's a wonderful idea.  Even though we are much closer to our loved ones than she.. the internet provides such wonderful conveniences for keeping up with friends!! So this won't be the most interesting blog for a reader but will be interesting for me to see how well I can keep it up!!!