Thursday, April 21, 2011

Exam Insomnia

So before I write this post, I just want to say that I realize how lucky I am to be able to attend law school and work towards my dream of becoming an attorney. Yes, I am stressed, but I am not dying, and it will all be worth it in the end (unless I fail, haha). With that being said...

There is something that I like to call "exam insomnia." I know that I am not the only one that experiences this, and maybe y'all have this or have had this at some point in life. I never experienced it until law school, and traditionally have been someone who could fall asleep anywhere, sleep for twelve hours straight if I got the chance, and sleep through a tornado. But, ahhh, last night I realized that exam insomnia is back for yet another round of its torture.

I will study all day until I feel that my eyes have gone crossed, and that is when I decide to go to bed. Usually, I am so tired that I can barely speak in full sentences. And finally, I am able to crawl in the bed....and then nothing happens; I just lay there. My brain refuses to shut down. It methodically goes over my outlines in my head and pictures my notecards. Periodically looking at the clock and re-evaluating how much sleep I could get if I feel asleep at that moment only makes it worse. Then, after some sheep counting or something of that nature, I finally fall asleep-but only to a sleep filled with exam questions and essay answers. So here is to powering through two weeks of sleepless nights. I guess it isn't completely terrible, maybe I am absorbing the material better by dreaming about it too, ha.

So, to get me through my weariness, I will share a few of my favorite things that help me through exams. No, it is absolutely not things like hard work, planning ahead, and confidence; although these things help me to achieve the results I want, they do not keep me from turning into a zombie. Will provides most of these, as he is the most amazing husband-and is actually the only reason I have a chance of making it to May 5th. Don't worry, I will be throwing him a party when I graduate.

I love sharpie pens. They help keep me organized, and I love the way they write. I keep several extra packages on backup, just in case.

Hershey's Cookies & Cream candy bars are the fabulous sweet snack I need. I love to keep them in the refrigerator before I eat them.
Hallelujah! That is pretty much all I have to say about my Grande White Mocha Skinny Latte. (But at $4.70 a piece, I can't say it nearly enough.)

My outlines are pretty intense, with a good bit of color coding going on, and can be kind of lengthy. So, during exams, I usually go through 2 cartridges of each, black ink and color ink. But, I'm so glad I have my own printer, because I would hate to just see all my painstaking color coding go to waste on the school's black and white printer.

I just love nerd ropes because they are fun to eat. Also, are you seeing the trend in things that get me through exams, don't judge if I have gained a few pounds at the end!

Don't worry, law school is not all bad, and I really do love it. But, if you see me over the next two weeks, please do not hold me responsible for my appearance, and I will be rejoining the human race soon.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Fabulous Wedding Weekend

Two weekends ago, one of Will's best friends got married. Jeremy and Brittany are good friends of ours, and we were so happy to be a part of their amazing weekend. Everything was absolutely beautiful and the bride look gorgeous (I didn't get any good pictures of the bride and groom Saturday night, sorry!)

We got into Lexington for the rehearsal Friday night. (Sidenote: It was a little strange, being at Mt. Horeb for the rehearsal since that is where we got married as well, and I cannot believe it has been almost two years since Will and I were standing there!!!)

Here are the groomsmen from Lexington (minus Zac). Jamie, Jacob, and Will all played soccer together growing up and have been friends forever. Will Wantland also grew up with us and lived with Will and Jeremy in Clemson-it has been great having him live in Charleston now because we get to see him a good bit.

Me and Will at the rehearsal. Brittany asked me to be the "stand-in-bride" which was such an honor. If you are not from the south or not sure of what this is, there is an old superstition that the actual bride should not walk down the aisle or stand at the alter when the vows are being gone through until the actual wedding.

Here is the beautiful couple at the rehearsal. On the second run through, Brittany stepped in at the end so that she would know when to kneel and all. Let's face it brides, we're not paying attention at this point anyway-I mean I completely kneeled at the wrong time in our wedding and threw the whole program off, ha!

Me, Alicia, and Lindsay at the Rehearsal Dinner. The dinner was at a private dinner club downtown Columbia, and it was so nice! They had a great slideshow of the couple, and wonderful toasts!

Me and Will in the church after the ceremony. The ceremony was so special and beautiful. It was obvious that Brittany and Jeremy are so in love and they were so ready and excited to commit their lives to each other. The reception was in Columbia, so they had a bus to take all of the wedding party and their dates to the reception. It was so nice, and worry free!

It is always fun to go to Lexington weddings because you get to see so many people that you haven't seen in a while. This is my friend from high school Caroline. We actually lived part of a summer together in Clemson as well. Caroline is such a sweet person, and I wish I could see her smiling face more!

Yes, Will and Sara Beth are posing in front of the carriage (don't worry, no one else had come outside yet). It was great getting to see SB, and that beautiful engagement ring she is sporting these days!

I know most people say they love weddings, and I am no exception! But, I will say that since I have gotten married, weddings have taken on a whole new meaning for me. Each time as the couple says their vows, and they are joined together, it makes me remember the vows that I promised to Will. I am reminded of how I need to live up to those promises everyday, and how sacred and special our marriage is. I hope as we get older, we will always be excited to go to weddings, not only to celebrate with the couple, but also to remember our own commitment to each other.

What is your favorite part about going to weddings?