Graduation Day At Last!!!!

At times it seemed as if this day would never come, but after four and a half years, last Saturday I graduated with my degree in Nutritional Sciences from OU.  I was very fortunate to have my family at the ceremony.  Friends I had not spent much time with since starting classes, joined us at the after party.  I failed to take pictures at the party, but here are a few from graduation.

The graduate

My class

Alison and I (we carpooled and studied together)

My husband and kids

My in-laws were added in

My hubby

My parents and sisters

Miss Abbie and me

My family

Final Few Days

Well, this past week was full of beginning to prepare for back to school.  Oklahoma has tax-free weekend the first weekend of August so I shopped for myself and our son Riley (Abbie was gone backpacking and Travis was still in LA).  I am beginning to build my professional wardrobe and had to have khakis and a polo for food lab.  Riley hates to shop for clothes so I tried to make it quick and as painless as possible :o)  He came out with some nice items.  Abbie got home early Thursday and all she could think about was food.  The person in charge of planning the food for the trip did a poor job.  After a much needed shower (a whole week without one) and some french toast, bacon and coffee, she was ready to shop.  We hit the shops around campus first, then the local mall.  She was exhausted by the the time we finished there so we came home.  Friday we did the rest of her shopping in the city.  Now Travis is on his way home so I need to spend the weekend prepping the house and getting the rest of Abbie's dorm stuff.  Come Monday I will be making another one of my children "Welcome home" french toast (he has requested it also).  Then we will be heading to the mall to shop for his back to school clothes.  I know this won't be happening much longer as Riley will be graduating from college this year and the others won't be far behind.  Thursday will be move-in day for Abbie at the dorms and I have orientation Wednesday and Thursday, so we are looking at another busy week.

Two Weeks of a Vegetarian Lifestyle

Well, my DH was feeling sluggish and requested a two week vegetarian diet and then slide into a flexitarian lifestyle.  This all started on Friday with black bean soup and caprese sandwiches.  It was wonderful!  Saturday we started the day with cinnamon-apple stuffed french toast and for dinner grilled portobello mushroom burgers with a lovely salad with grilled peaches, blueberries, raspberries, granola, toasted almonds & goat cheese with a lite raspberry vinegrette.  Sunday we started with a frittata with summer vegetables and dinner was baked ziti with summer vegetables.  Last night, I served black bean burrito bake, yellow rice and rotel with tostitoes.  So far it has been enjoyable.  I have been keeping up with articles about vegetarian deficiences and using variety to maintain proper nutrition.  The whole family seem happy with their meals.  Our son has noticed an increase in energy but I have been lacking in energy.  It has taken a lot of time to research in order to have recipes to make but I am happy for the new recipes.

Another Semester

Well, I'm down to finals week and am I ever ready to see Friday!  I would have to say this has been the most challenging semester yet.  But the good news is I will have completed my gen. eds. and I have been accepted to HSC for their Nutritional Science program.  I am so excited to finally get to this point.  Believe it or not, in a few short weeks all of my children will have graduated high school!!!  So proud of each one of them!  So needless to say as soon as I bubble in the last multiple choice question and answer the last critical thinking short answer question I will be addressing Abbie's announcements.  I know she is ready for this to be over, as she has also been taking classes on campus this year.  Now if I can just get her to fill out her housing form.  Well, I will post again next weekend on the other side.  Who knew going to college in your 40's could be so much work :o)