Heading right on into summer/Shout out to Mom!

In order to fully get accepted into the graduate program at the Technion, I need to take a Hebrew proficiency exam on June 20. I had planned and convinced myself that I could study on my own for this exam. However, once I started studying and doing the practice tests, and then I realized that I could in no way prepare myself for this exam alone. So I headed back to ulpan, the Hebrew course I had been taking for the past half a year. And I am certainly glad I did. It really makes a difference to be in a classroom setting, surrounded by Hebrew and encouraged to study by teachers and fellow students. It's going great so far and I was placed in the highest level so I am being very challenged - which I needed. I can already feel the improvement once again. Yay!

In just over 6 weeks I'll be flying to WA for a MEGA family reunion with all my siblings and some aunts and uncles and cousins and amazing family friends. I'm very very excited. Ultimate family fest 2012.

Today also just happens to be Mother's Day! In the U.S. Mom and Dad and I typically celebrated with breakfast and an outing to the plant nursery to buy hanging potted flowers to put around the house. Today I celebrated it by calling my mom on Skype and telling her how much I love and appreciate her. It's not the same and it's hard. I want to be there to give my mom a huge hug and head out to the nursery with her and the dadster. Thank goodness for Eyal's great hugs to pull me through a little rough patch. My mom has done so much for me, including giving me the support I need through this whole life adjustment phase called 'growing up'. I couldn't do it without you, Mom!

My mom got this teddy bear as a baby shower gift. Ever since I can remember I have loved this little guy and always think of you, mom, when I give him a squeeze. Today I put him through the laundry and thought how proud you would be that I actually laundered him :)

Me and my cool mom partying it up in Jerusalem. You're wild, mom!