So, it’s official. I have been granted my Doctor of Philosophy degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Wake Forest University! I am a real doctor, though not the kind that help people. I will officially be a December 2008 graduate (missed the August deadline by 2 weeks!), though I won’t walk in graduation and be hooded until May 2009. But the degree is finished, and it feels like an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders in the last 24 hours.
I will now be making some revisions of the thesis document, and finishing up some experiments, and breaking into my new role as professor. I want to thank those of you who have been such an incredible source of support and comfort over the past several years, who have listened to the complaining and freaking out and stressful conversations, who have prayed for me over the years and lightened the load. This experience would have been much less fun and incredibly more difficult without all of you. So thank you. Very much.
With the roomie defending her thesis this Monday, we decided to have a big blow-out party next Saturday the 23rd at 2pm. If you haven’t gotten an invitation and want to come, let me know and I’ll add you to the list! We’d love to see you there!
OK, I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting til I had some solid answers about the future, but as it seems my life will stay in a state of semi-chaos for a while longer, I figure it’s time to catch y’all up with the goings-on.
First of all, in case you’ve forgotten, in my absence, what I look like:
And, even though I posted since then, I don’t think I’ve actually said that Rebecca and I have moved into a cute little house in Ardmore just over a mile from school and less than that from church:
We love it – it’s been really nice to be close to school again (not that I was that far before, but it’s still nice to be closer), and to have enough space to have people over regularly (despite having a couple issues with neighbors), and Dinah appreciates having more people to regularly love her. 
Also, this has been my life recently:
I’ve been running gels like mad, trying to get things wrapped up so I can finish this thesis and graduate in the near future – for those counting, it will likely be either May or June, so stay tuned in for the last-minute thesis issues that I’m sure will be coming along shortly. I’m looking for jobs in the area, as I’d love to stay here, but I might end up looking farther afield, but still in the state at least. Let me know if you hear of any good teaching jobs (preferably small, liberal arts colleges, but I can be flexible).
The brother is still doing well out in Cali:
Well, he doesn’t look like he’s doing well there, but he just wasn’t pleased with all of my picture-taking at Christmas. He’s working at Sony, doing some writing, and looking for a good production job now that things are gearing back up after the strike. Dad got to fly out and visit him this past week, so I’m very jealous. Maybe when I have a real, grown-up job…
Mom is still adjusting to her new job and schedule – and she and Dad are having to make some tough decisions in the next little bit. I’m going home tonight to celebrate Dad’s belated birthday, so that will be good.
Hopefully I can keep this more updated than it’s been lately – entering the home stretch may make that difficult, but I will try.
So I’ve got lots of good news that had accumulated over the past several weeks/months that I should share:
My good friends Alexa and Daniel are having baby number 2 this summer (she’s due within a week of her previous due date plus two years). She’s over the worst of the ‘morning sickness’ I think, and probably starting to show (I need to get over there to see for myself!). I’m so happy that Aria will have a little brother or sister soon!
A wonderful couple at my church, Ellie and Vern, have adopted a beautiful little baby girl, Annie-Catherine. She’s just over 2 weeks old and adorably precious and tiny and perfect. Ellie and Vern are just glowing they’re so happy, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for them! I’ve got to get in line to make them a meal or help out soon – gotta keep my membership vow
And most recently, our very own Adriene and Jeff have announced that they are expecting TWINS!!! I’m so insanely happy for them both, and praying for the healthiest possible pregnancy and babies. Such an incredible blessing from God!
There are others too – one of my cousins is expecting her second, and there are several families I know at church who are due any day or later on this year. So I offer my congratulations to you all, and my assurances that I will be praying for you and your growing families, that you will be surrounded by a loving community to help you raise them to love the Lord. Congratulations!
So I’m going to copy Kari here again and hope she doesn’t hate me for it
I put together a mix CD for some friends with my favorite Christmas music – it’s kinda a mix of new and old stuff for me, with a lot of the music I grew up listening to, plus some of the music I’ve grown to love in the last few years. Here’s a list of the songs, and why I put them on the CD.
1. You make it feel like Christmas by Neil Diamond. A fun one to start things off – I used to hate Neil Diamond, and it’s been a recent addition, but I’ve grown to like this one.
2. In the bleak midwinter by The Robert Shaw Chamber Singer. This is one of my favorite carols, and my college choral director instilled a great love of Robert Shaw in me during chamber singer rehearsals, so this seemed like the best version.
3. Baby it’s cold outside by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. I only heard this song for the first time maybe two years ago, and I love it (from watching ‘Elf’). I’m a big fan of Ella, and this version balances the male and female parts really well.
4. Darlin’ (Christmas is coming) by Over the Rhine. One of the acoustic sketched from OtR’s new Christmas album pre-release – I wasn’t sure about putting this on here, but I figured if I had the real album, I would have put the real song on, so you get this one, which I LOVE.
5. Song for a winter’s night by Sarah McLachlan. This is a new one for me, I didn’t even know she had a Christmas album til a couple weeks ago, and I really like this song – her voice goes well with the haunting melody – kinda melancholy, but I like it.
6. Child of love by Sara Groves. I’m new to the Sara Groves fandom, but I really like her voice, and she doesn’t have many Christmas songs. This one is awesome.
7. There were shepherds… by Handel. This is actually a series of three short arias/recitatives from Messiah, sung by the soprano. It tells about the angels appearing to the shepherds, leading into the next song.
8. Glory to God by Handel. The chorus immediately following the set of arias above. The soprano sets up the appearance of the angels to the shepherds, and the chorus enters as the angels, singing ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth’, with the orchestra eventually fading away as the angels return to heaven. Lovely.
9. Silent Night (duet) by Over the Rhine. This is probably my favorite song from OtR’s first Christmas album, Darkest Night of the Year. The traditional but non-traditional sound of this carol is beautiful.
10. Love has come by Amy Grant. I know Amy Grant is cheesy, but this album (and her other Christmas album) is a big part of what Christmas feels like to me. This is one of the first Christmas songs I remember.
11. Blue Christmas by Harry Connick Jr. I adore HCJr (what can I say, I’m a sappy girl), and this is a kinda fun twist on an old Christmas favorite.
12. Welcome to our world by Chris Rice. I love this song, and I particularly like Chris Rice’s voice (though I have to say, I don’t hate MWS’s version either). I love the ‘bring your peace into our violence’ part especially.
13. All I want for Christmas is you by Olivia Nelson. This is the version from Love Actually, and while it’s kinda cheesy (it’s sung by the little girl who was in the movie, who’s like 12 or something), it’s a fun song.
14. Ave Maria by Andrea Bocelli. This isn’t the traditional Schubert version, but I love Andrea Bocelli’s voice, and I like this version, especially after hearing the Schubert version butchered by every other singer around the holidays.
15. I’ve got my love to keep me warm by Dean Martin. A swoony holiday song, and this version seems classic to me.
16. Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant. I almost put Sara Groves version on here, but I’m really used to Amy Grant’s version – so for better or worse, that’s the version here.
17. White Christmas by Otis Redding. This is also from the Love Actually soundtrack, and I kinda like the mellow, jazzy feel of this version, instead of the lounge-y feeling of others.
18. O Little town of Bethlehem by Over the Rhine. Another favorite from Darkest Night of the Year – one of my favorite carols too.
19. What are you doing New Year’s Eve? by Harry Connick Jr. Another swoony holiday song (though not strictly Christmas-y).
20. God rest ye merry gentlemen/We three Kings by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan. I know people have been saying this is overplayed, but I’ll be honest and say I’d never heard it til this year – and now I love it, and it’s fun, so it seemed like a good way to wrap up!
What do you listen to most this time of year? What sounds like Christmas to you? I’ve gotten one of the Christmas mixes from our exchange circle, and it’s great (thanks Bethany!) – lots of emphasis on the waiting and anticipation associated with the Advent of Jesus. It’s been kinda slow for me this year, building up to the excitement I normally experience with Christmas, but I’m well on my way now
I spent the night in Durham this past week with Alexa and Daniel (and baby Aria), so I wouldn’t have to leave Winston so incredibly early to get to the branch meeting in Raleigh the next day. I’ve known Alexa since I was about 11 or 12, and we were involved in a lot of the same activities growing up, including starting a girls ensemble in high school. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding 3 years ago, and they’ve been in the Raleigh area ever since. Their first child, Aria, was born last summer, and let me tell you, she is adorable! I forgot my camera when I stayed with them this week (I’m such a bad pseudo-aunt), but here is a recent picture from Daniel:
She so funny, and she’s starting to use actual words (she can say cat, and Dada, and cup, and several others). And when she wants to go on a walk outside, she tries to get you to put her shoes on, so she’ll turn around right in front of you and plop down in your lap with her shoes so you can put them on her 
Oh, and Alexa said she’s not aware that much about what’s on TV, but when they turn on ‘The Office’, she dances around the whole time the theme song is on – how cute is that?!?! And shows good taste too
) – hopefully I’ll be able to go sometime in the next few weeks when Beth is working again – you should check it out!
