Happy Birthday, J!

What a week/weekend. I took my second pathophysiology exam on Wednesday (and hope it went as well as the first - I should get my score back any day now). I definitely was a little more distracted this go around and didn't cover as much as I had hoped when studying. We shall see, though.

Our bed in the morning...

I always shut myself in the office to take my exams. It has to be quiet because we have to be on webcam and unmuted conference call the entire exam so they can make sure we don't have someone hiding under out desks and telling us the answers. It can be slightly distracting because you have to listen to everyone cough, clear their throats, and tap their fingers while they try to figure out answers. I mostly feel bad for everyone else because I am constantly cracking my knuckles when I take tests. That or clicking my pen/pencil. As I'm trying to finish up, I can hear Christian moving furiously around the front of the house. I finally submit and say goodbye to my professor, emerge from my test den, and Chris informs me that the landlord was wondering if he could show our house to someone in 15 minutes. And of course he said yes (we're trying to be super helpful to our landlord as he's finding someone to rent our place). So I joined him in the crazy fast cleaning/vacuuming/wiping things down. Luckily I did a pretty deep clean a few days before, so it was mostly putting stuff away and vacuuming up the copious amounts of dog hair we cannot escape no matter how often we clean. The lady was nice, in from out of town I guess...which was why she needed to see the house at an odd hour. She seemed like she liked it, so we'll see. It's easy to talk them up (the house and our landlord) because we love them both.

The weather has been AMAZING. We don't have screens on any of our doors, so we bought a baby gate to let the nice weather in and keep the pup from getting out. It's just been too nice to keep doors and windows closed. I think this is the first dip down for the fall weather. It'll get warm-ish one or two more times, then dip down and stay down. Heaven. I can't wait.

On kitty patrol. 24/7/365.

We've been having friends over almost every other night to watch scary movies and enjoy the crap out of the Halloween season! So far we've watched The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Dead Snow, and The Exorcist. Not too shabby for it only being the 9th of October. I'm kind of looking forward to the new house that has a little more open space to fit more people (hopefully we'll be acquiring a real full-sized couch!). Viesa loves all the company and is not bothered in the slightest by scary movies.

Surprisingly awesome! Yay for foreign zombie movies! (Yes, that's a Nazi zombie...)

Not scared. At all.

 Last night my dad met us in Phoenix for Cruise on Central, a car show and cruise down Central Ave. in downtown Phoenix. The weather was superb and we had a really great time. I'm enjoying unwinding a little after that exam week.

Tire smoke from burn outs. :D

Now we're in Tucson celebrating my "little" brother's 15th birthday! Josh is only little in age, as he's measuring around 6'1" these days. We're ten years apart and he has literally grown up before my eyes.

9 years old on Christmas morning.

14 years old at his first high school football game.

To illustrate his gigantism. I'm 5'9". 

He's super fun, full of shenanigans, and quickly becoming one of my very best friends. I love you, dude. Happy birthday.

Goals this week: coffee with a friend, doctor's appointment, obtaining moving boxes (hooray for Craigslist Free!), and attempting to avoid falling behind in school...again. :)

Love,
Ash, Chris, & Viesa