It’s been a while so we’ve got some catching up to do 😉

Last week, I came home for TEN whole days for Thanksgiving break and it was much needed. During that time, I slept, visited my friends from home and those who were home for break, slept some more, went shopping until 2 AM, and cuddled with my favorite pup.

With only two weeks left of this semester for me, I’ve got quite a few things left to do. BUT I had the opportunity to forget about all my academic responsibilities for a whole week and loved every minute of it.

I counted up, and I’ve visited home on the weekends a total of two times before Thanksgiving break and I think that’s pretty healthy. The homesickness really isn’t that bad for me, though, because my family only lives 45 minutes away so they actually come up here often. I get to see my parents and sisters a whole bunch so the only people I really miss are my grandparents, friends, and dog, Jake. He’s a Goldendoodle and his hugs fix everything so not having him around when I’m stressed was hard for me at first.

As far as activities go, I did quite a few things over break. Every year, my high school choir performs carols at the Festival of Trees and it was extremely weird to be sitting in the audience after being on that stage for three years. Although I wasn’t too moody that I couldn’t jam along to every carol in my seat. Pleasant Valley choir and its students and directors will always have a very special place in my heart. Here’s a picture I took with my best friend, Cate, post-concert 🎄

After Festival of Trees, I had lunch with some of the other choir alums- including Celia, and my friends Claire and Michael. My favorite thing about coming home is feeling appreciated by all of the people around you in a familiar place, again. Sure school is great, and my friends here are wonderful but just taking the time to talk to people who genuinely care about me is so heartwarming.

I spent the next few days just lying around and being lazy, because I finally could, and didn’t do much of anything besides visiting some more friends and cuddle with my puppy.

Thanksgiving was held at our house and I ate with my parents, two sisters, and grandparents. Mom and Dad make the best food on any normal night, so I, being deprived of a homecooked meal for weeks, was living for Thanksgiving dinner. My little sister, Nicci, is quite the baker and for desert, she made apple pie with a crust completely made out of cinnamon rolls. I wish I would’ve saved the pictures I took of it because this pie was absolutely beautiful and tasted even better. I know Thanksgiving is over, but if you’re wanting to make your for the holidays or just own just for fun, here’s the recipe she used! Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Later that evening I went Black Friday shopping with my sisters and friend, Lauren, to the mall and had such a great time. We only stayed at the mall for a few hours but made sure to stop at Atomic Coffee before the night was over to get our caffeine in.

The next day, mom and I decided to shop small and went to a super cute boutique we saw on our local news station. Katsch is located fairly close to my hometown in Geneseo, Illinois and it is the cutest boutique I have ever seen. It looked as if it was a shop made entirely of my pins on Pinterest, so it’s no wonder I fell in love. They sell a variety of things from gifts to home decor and  jewelry, along with women’s apparel and even children’s clothes. Here’s their online store and a few pictures I snapped while in there last Friday! Katsch: Women’s Fashion and Home Decor

Before returning home, I had to pick up some festive decorations for the dorm, though!! Celia and I decided not to invest in a Christmas tree this year simply because we’ll only be at school for two more weeks so it’d probably be a waste. But I couldn’t go without updating a few things first. I switched out our autumn daisies for a little glitterier bouquet, added gold tinsel to the lights under our beds and added other subtle festive decorations seen below:

 

 

I can’t believe this semester is coming to an end so quickly. When I put it into perspective, I really only have two written assignments and two exams standing in the way of my month-long freedom. The thought of Winter Break is the only thing motivating me these next 14 days and I’m pretty sure I can make it through (not positive yet, but we’ll see).

Make sure to keep visiting my personal blog! Here I am 🙂 freshhawk.wordpress.com