Christmas Memories

Well here we are once more. The presents opened, the cheesecake eaten, the new toys put away and the Christmas tree no more gracing our living room. Now with the Christmas festivities at an end, I can honestly say that I this has been the best Christmas ever! Why? Because this Christmas I was more concerned about the giver than the gifts. A simple hug or smile or handwritten letter meant so much more than the glamorous wrapping paper! And with my whole family in such a merry mood, I could just feel God smiling down on us! It was wonderful! 


As for a few specifics, the whole Christmas Eve service went off without a hitch! Everyone loved the mime (phew!) and the music was great and the sermon fantastic! Carl came to the second service and then accompanied my family and I to the barn afterwards! Our tradition to gather with my dad's side and read the Christmas story if you remember. Oh! On a side note, if you've been reading my blog for a year, you may remember that my post in Christmas Eve last year, I ranted about a guy coming to my church whom I didn't want to. Well, that was Carl! Funny how things turned out huh? :)


Anyway, Christmas day was wonderful! We all got up at 7, opened presents, ate a nice big breakfast, did our Advent devotions and spent the day watching new movies and messing with new stuff. In the late afternoon, we went to my Grandma's for dinner and more presents and family and laughs. After we got home, I headed to Carl's house to watch It's A Wonderful Life with his family. When I got home, it was snowing, the huge flakes softly falling to cover everything. All I could do is stand in the driveway, let go a contented sigh and smile, thanking God silently for all the blessings He's given me. Of course I had to generalize or I'd still be standing out there! 


So there it is. My Christmas in a nutshell. Wonderful, fantastical, amazing, unforgettable. I hope yours was the same kind of wonderful! 


Now I have a whole week to read and write and spend time with family and friends! No work, no school and a calendar surprisingly empty! And I'm enjoying every minute of it! :)


Ok ok ok, I'll stop blabbering and give you your song. How about some swing dancing? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLO2-_emvDY

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Faith Like Mary

Hello my dear readers! I won't try to tell you all the stuff that's happened the past few days because there's too much for one blog post! It was all good stuff though. In short: caroling and cookies and Christmas Eve dress shopping and cookies and Christmas letter writing and cookies and scores of other things! I just love Christmas time!


Now for something that struck me in my devotions the other day. I was reading a part of the Christmas Story from Luke 1 and read this:

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:38)

Is it just me or is that amazing? An angel comes and says "Hey! You're gonna have a baby!" Now for this pure innocent young girl of those times, to me, her faith in God is incredible! She KNEW what might be at stake! She KNEW what she was getting herself into! She KNEW she could lose everything she held dear, including her life! She KNEW this and yet she still said yes! She trusted that God would take care of her and carry her through the scornful glances and rejection. This faith is.... fantastical to say the least! Here is a song that I really like that I think gets a good idea of what Mary was feeling: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLwZCprtkI

As a side note, did you ever read the Christmas Story from Matthew? In particular, Matthew 1:24. If not, it says:

"When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." 


Again! Faith! To trust that the woman he loved was still pure and yet bearing this child, God's son. And what's more, to marry her even though he would share in the scorn and rejection Mary experienced! 


It makes me wonder, the things Mary and Joseph put in God's hands were HUGE! The faith in Him they had was amazing! So why do I struggle with completely trusting God with the little things? Giving Him my future and myself like Mary. I want faith like hers! 


Well, that's all I have for you today. Christmas is only three sleeps away! It's coming fast! :D


Keep your smiles on! Until next time! 

Good Moods, Friday Adventures And Battles Won

Hello my dear readers! Happy Saturday! Happy 7 days till Christmas! Happy Christmas Break! Happy happy happy! Yeah, I'm in a good mood. :)


Know why? Well, LOTS of reasons! One, I got to spend like all day with my best friend yesterday! Literally! First we talked about some serious stuff over coffee and I was able to explain my position well which made me very happy. After a few hours, I went to work and got to work with Brittany! And we only had 9 kids which tapered off rather quickly! Then when I got home, we had some missionaries over for a lasagna dinner and some good fellowship. 


Now for the highlight of yesterday, swing dancing! There were lots of good points to this. First of all, I went with a whole bunch of friends whom I had not seen it quite a long time! It was for Shannon's 18th birthday. Second, my big triumph! You remember how my best friend didn't like dancing? I believe I even asked your opinion about it once which sparked a long 30 comment long debate. Well, he came swing dancing with us last night and would you believe it if I told you that he loved it? Well you better cause he did! And he wants to go again! :D All it took was faith and trust and a little pixie dust.... or maybe it was the batting eyelashes, I'm not sure which. But it was great fun to dance the night away and come home all tired out, falling asleep with a smile on my face. :) In short: I could have danced all night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNaIor5lxN8

Ah. Life is good. :) 


I can't leave though without giving you a Christmas song! So here you go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnIqLlBwzrc

Well now I'm off to babysit Blacksmith and Skunk Monkey for the night! Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Officially Official

Ladies and gentlemen, if you will give a big round of applause to our special guest... Christmas Break! I had my last final today! Which means..... I'M DONE WITH MY FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usfiAsWR4qU

It was weird coming home and not having any homework to cram in before work. Usually my mind spins with "Oh! Don't forget to do this! And you have to do that tonight! And make sure you get this done before Friday!" And now I have a whole lot of loose time on my hands. However, I also have lots of people who want to fill up that loose time which is okay with me. :)


So, that's the big news of the day. After class, Carl came over for an hour or so and then I regretfully had to head off to work. When I got home, I went with my family and lots of people from church (there were about 30 of us) caroling at a HUGE nursing home! It was great fun! My legs hurt and my voice is tired but the smiles on their faces was definitely worth it. 


So, since that's about all I have to say, here is your song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co7ZGOjGV4A

Oh yes! And did you know there's only 9 days until Christmas? :D It's coming!!!


Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Almost.... There!

Oh my goodness! I'm so close to Christmas break, I can taste it! Oh wait.... maybe that's the candy cane I'm eating. Never mind. 


Yesterday I finished my first college class! :D American Government: check! Today, English Composition: check! Tomorrow we finish Physical Science and Thursday, Concepts in Math. I'm just a little bit excited if you couldn't tell. ;) I'm ever so ready for a break as I've told you countless times. But I might as well say it again. 


It always amazes me though how I think about Christmas break and I think "Yay! Time to kick back and relax!" But this is NOT the case! If anything, things get more busy around Christmas time than ever! Like this week: class tomorrow and Thursday, work Wednesday through Friday, friends for dinner tomorrow night, caroling Thursday night, swing dancing Friday night, babysitting Saturday night. And Christmas is next week! That means I gotta finish Christmas letters and choreograph the Christmas Eve mime! That doesn't include all the extra stuff planned for next week either. Eek! 


One thing I am determined to do about this Christmas is not losing the real reason for the season in all the fun and friends and stuff to do. It's so easy to slack off on my time spent with God when I have so much else I could be doing. But I can't let it happen! Maybe that means waking up earlier. Maybe that means not watching this or that movie. Maybe that means not spending so much time blogging. Whatever it takes to get it in. Life is just better when I do it! And feel free to keep me accountable too! 


Ok, well that's about all I have for you today. Enjoy your song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QITJK8ExG-U

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

This And That

Today was a pretty good day! Church in the morning, lunch with Matt and Garrett, watching Holiday Inn while eating candy canes, playing piano, watching Little Dorrit with my mom and keeping tabs on the snow outside. Just loverly! 


Since that was my day, I have two things I wanted to share with you. The first is an absolutely hilarious song from a movie that I've been walking around singing all day (and I'm not sure why). Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAxlIbUTlZo

The next thing is something I found the other day when I was cleaning out some old e-mails. This is something my old friend Kate sent me forever ago and I found it very humorous! She wrote it of course and I wanted to share it with you. :) 

20 reasons to date a writer:

Egg Nog In My Tomato Soup

Ah. Saturday. I just love Saturdays, don't you? It's nice to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the week. Today I got up late and took my time getting ready, dancing around my room with Lucy. While I was fixing lunch (grilled cheese and tomato soup), the milk and the egg nog were sitting side by side on the counter and I almost grabbed the egg nog to put in my tomato soup! Yummy huh? Thankfully I noticed before I poured it in the pan. Then I've been working on my government study guide this afternoon and I finished it in record time! (an hour and a half) Tonight is the LSCC Ladies Tea for which I made cheesecake yesterday and I'm so looking forward to spending time with some amazing ladies! 


Oh and guess what! Only four days of class left!!!!! Final on Monday, review on Tuesday, final on Wednesday and final on Thursday and then it's ooooooovvvveeeeerrrrrrrrr!!!!!! Three blissful weeks of reading and writing and baking and sewing and spending time with people that I haven't seen in months! Oh, and writing Christmas letters too. :) I'm so looking forward to it! Christmas plans (my aunt, uncle and baby cousin are coming up for Christmas!) and New Years plans and plans in between and everything ever so enjoyable! I even get a week off of work! How great is that! I'm sure that with this break, there will be cookies and cheesecake and probably some Jane Austen involved. ;) And hopefully multiple sleepovers with the laughs and the pillow fights and the chick flicks. Ok, done daydreaming. I'll quit rambling and give you your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYR5l7S4y20

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Class, Work, Class, Work, Write, Write.... Write...

Guess what guys! We're almost there! Ever so close! I can almost touch it! One more week full of studying and finals and then we can officially say hello to Christmas break! :D And I have a feeling that this will be the best Christmas ever!


So, yesterday and today have been quite busy. Physical Science class yesterday in the morning, homework in the afternoon and then work. And in the evening, we had Lucy's birthday party! Hannah and her family came as well as Carl (of course :) ) and we all stuffed our faces with cake and ice cream. Then the boys and I went to take Wes and Jess some cupcakes! Unfortunately Natalie was asleep so I didn't get to see her but I can get my baby fill on Sunday too. When we got back, Carl and I did some stargazing.... well.... more like standing outside in the freezing cold, craning our necks upward and looking for constellations. We found a few too. :) 


Today was freakishly busy! First was math class in which we had a test. No comment. After math, I came home to a frozen pizza for lunch and then was off again to go to work. I worked with Karie today and we did okay! There wasn't an unmanageable amount of kids and we got a few cabinets organized. I got home on time to breakfast for dinner! So after some sausage gravy and biscuits, I got started in my paper for English class. My mom brought me tea and cookies at one point. After a little while, Carl dropped by to say hello and I was quite happy that he did. Brightest spot in my day! :) When he left, I finished my paper in about two hours! So now I have a little time before bed to write this for you! Aren't you glad? 


Ok I'll quit rambling and give you a song. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trCBBqwPqlU

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Studying, Birthdays And Romance

The end of the semester is upon us! Next week is that inevitable week that comes at the end of each semester: FINALS WEEK! This means that this week is spent doing all kinds of study guides and taking extra measures to study stuff on top of the normal assignments and working and other miscellaneous stuff. It should be a good week but I doubt I'll be blogging much until school's out. 


Guess what! Tomorrow is my little sister's birthday! She's going to be three years old. She is the most adorable thing..... when she's in a good mood. ;) Tonight on our way to dinner, she was looking out the window and every house we came across that was dressed in Christmas lights, she would say "Look Casey! More lights!" like every house was the most magical thing she'd ever seen. She's growing up so fast! It's awesome to watch her color inside the lines and play Spot It with us big kids and "play piano" with Carl. As she grows, so does her curiosity and I thank God every day for a little sister to keep me on my toes. 


One more thought which is kind of random. Today while flipping through my Bible, I sped past Song Of Solomon. As my eyes scanned the pages, I noticed that not only does it contain the romance between the Lover and the Beloved but it also has the opinion of the Friends! I had never noticed that before. They praise the love between the Lover and the Beloved and share in their joy with them. It made me think, romance isn't something between just a couple! You really should have your family and friends there to help hold you on the ground when you're tempted to float off into the clouds and they should be able to rejoice with you! And not that I haven't thought this before. I've had that opinion for quite a while but I thought it interesting that it would show up in the Song Of Solomon. So yeah, there's my deep thought for today. 


Huh? Oh, you want a song do you? Well.... I suppose I can scrounge up something. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InGN7JH6QeA

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

A Weekend Of Fun And Adventure

Hello my dear readers! My apologies for my neglect the past few days. I've been quite busy with many things and when I did have time..... well I didn't have time! :)


So, instead of giving you a play by play of the past few days, making for a very long and boring post, I'll just give you my highlights! 


Thursday was your normal go to class, go to work, do homework day so I'll just skip it. Friday I had very little homework and was able to go with my cousin to try on bridesmaids dresses for her wedding! It was very nice! Saturday was chock full of fun!!! First I had a birthday brunch with my family in the morning. I think birthday cake after breakfast should become mandatory all over the world! Then for the wonderful surprise, guess what happened Saturday! Well you never will so I'll give you a hint:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMt0IdeWowk

Did you guess it? That's right! It snowed! And quite a bit too!!! :D So, since there was all this white stuff, I had the pleasure of going sledding with Carl and his siblings (or most of them :) )! We had very much fun flying down the hills. Ok well they did. I mostly stayed at the top of the hill with his sister and watched and laughed as people wiped out. Taunting yes but fun. :) When I got home, my mom, Garrett and I went to a wedding. And it was beautiful! The bride was an old friend from Co-op who graduated my freshman year. She was sooooo gorgeous! One of those brides that was glowing and you could really tell. So after a beautiful wedding and a lovely reception, we came home and I set off for Carl's and some Christmas tree decorating. I have to say that the more time I spend with his family, the more dear to my heart they become. :) They are all awesome! I had a lovely time and got home quite late. 

Today was nice too! Nursery serving for first service this morning so I got to spend some time with baby Natalie. :D Then I sat in second service and my dad preached a lovely Christmas sermon on Luke 1:26-38. After church, we all came home and ate lunch together, my mom and I went shopping, I took a nap, we played Euchre (Garrett and I won btw), watched The Miracle On 34th Street and ended the night with our Advent devotions. 


Tomorrow starts another busy week of classes and studying for finals and lots of other odds and ends. But only two weeks of classes left! Ok, technically 8 days! :D I'm kinda excited about that if you couldn't tell.


Of course I cannot leave you without giving you another song. So here is one of my favorite Christmas songs that I grew up listening to. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Qt14YW3Lw

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Winter Weather, Shopping Trips And Christmas Lights

I must say, today was absolutely fantastical! Completely and utterly. I really don't know how it could have gotten better. 


To start off the day, I had the pleasure of calling Carl at 6:45 to wake him up. Yes, he did have to get up then anyway so I was attempting to make the inevitable more pleasant (since I had to be up at 6). After my morning cup of coffee, I went outside to discover that it was snowing! It took forever for my car to warm up as I drove to class (I even started it early) but, of course, it did not too long before I got there and then I didn't want to get out. But I had to. So into class I went. The lecture was boring as usual but thankfully the lab was fast so we got out quite early. I came home to turkey and noodles for lunch! Then, after finishing some English homework, Gavin and I ran an errand. Lucy's birthday is coming up next week and I had to get a present! So we had a good time in the car, singing to Christmas carols and talking and joking around.


Not too long after I got home, it was off to work. I worked with Brittany today. It was nice! We had a lot of kids at first but many left by about four o'clock and so the rest of the time was easy. No big issues and Christmas pretzels for snack! I left on time and when I got home, Carl came for dinner. After hanging out for a while, he and I went to go drive around and look at Christmas lights! He treated me to Starbucks and we had a great time talking while we drove. We saw some pretty sweet lights too! It was great fun! We got home just in time to catch the end of White Christmas which means that I'll have to watch it again so I can watch it from the beginning. But anyway, now here I am, thoroughly tired and ready for some sleep.


However before I sign off, you deserve a song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOgaTRFbIlg

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Back Into It

Well, here we go again. The pressures of class and homework and working are back after a lovely week of having it free and easy. I have to say, I think I'm going to enjoy going back to work and seeing all the kids and my coworkers. However, I don't relish class and homework. But I will survive. 12 more days!


The past two days have been quite nice, despite school! Yesterday was my American Government class at 8 am. It was very very very boring too. We went over our latest test (which I passed with flying colors by the way) and our legal briefs. I literally fell asleep. After class, Dad took Carl and I out to lunch which was lovely. Then I came home, took a nap and worked on some math homework. In the evening, Carl and I had plans to go to Starbucks however, just about dinner time, he called and suggested I come over to his house to help make a gingerbread house. So I gratefully accepted the invitation and arrived to find a HUGE house on the table, made out of cardboard. I mean it was monstrous! I stayed quite late and we still didn't get it done but it was great fun! We ate the famous Watkins homemade pizza for dinner and played cards and ran to the store (twice and through the rain!) and helped a little with decorating the house. I really enjoyed hanging out with Carl and his family and getting to know them all better. They're pretty much amazing. :)

This morning my alarm went off at 8:30 as usual and as I sat up, Carl called. Probably the best way to wake up I can think of. :) After talking to him for a few minutes, eating breakfast, showering and packing up, I was off to math class. We went over probability again today. Very boring if you ask me. After class, my grandma and I went shopping for a pattern and material for a dress. We're going to make something in the 50's style over Christmas break. We found a pattern but no material so we'll have to go out again soon but we had a good talk about life and history and stuff! And while we were out, it snowed! :D When I got home, it was back to math homework. Now, I'm supposed to keep Lucy upstairs while my mom has her ladies meeting. And whilst doing that, I'm going to attempt to finish my math homework and maybe some English but we'll see. 


Now for my randomness of the day. First, a quote I found and liked very much! 

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

~C.S. Lewis

This is so true! To love, you take a chance. I think some people lean towards the more cautious and some towards the more trusting. Me, unfortunately I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. But if I don't, I'll never find those people who are worth the risk. And I guess I'd rather be too optimistic than pessimistic. 


Ok, your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1WMeKk2qqY

And of course I must include a Christmas song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4aA_K2MF5E

Well I think that's it. Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Christmas Cheer Part II

And we continue our Christmas adventures! Today was just lovely as well! 


As you know, Jess spent the night last night. We stayed up entirely too late talking and giggling and debating issues and hitting each other with pillows. And then we managed to get up at 7! Good right? We made it to first service on time and afterwards, Jess, Matt, Garrett and I went out for pizza. We got Matt to pay for us. :) Then we all came back to my house to hang out. Mostly, it was watching Jess and Matt hit each other with pillows and try to find witty comebacks besides "Your face!" We also had popcorn and watched The Phantom Of The Opera (good movie that!). 


THEN things got really good! Carl came over and we all went up to church to decorate for Christmas! It was lots of fun! Hannah came and we manned the kids craft table. Turned out to be all us big kids doing the crafts and having a blast! And there were cookies and laughs and Christmas carols and now the church is all decked out and ready for Christmas! 


After that, Carl came home to eat pizza with us and join in our Advent devotions. Lucy got all snuggly with him on the couch during the story. It was cute. :) 


So now I'm here, writing to you when I should probably be asleep. I can't believe how fast Thanksgiving break flew by! Tomorrow it's back to class and homework and work and busy busy busy. Three more weeks of school though. *deep breath* I can do this. At least I'll be seeing Carl more often which is something to look forward to!


Ok, enough babbling. Here's your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBZQ6DOgcgs

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Christmas Cheer

Wow what a weekend! Oh the fun, oh the friends, oh the food, oh the laughter! This has been one of the best weekends I can remember. Really! Let me tell you!


First was Thanksgiving right? Thursday. Now though I did post, I didn't tell you much about my day. I woke up late as usual and got all ready and my favorite part? Rachel came to spend Thanksgiving with me! Her health issues prevented her from spending it with her family so she got to come with me! :D We had a lovely time too! We spent all afternoon talking and then went to my Grandma's for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was awesome! When everyone got back and she had gone home, Carl came over to watch Elf with us. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Not sure how many times I've heard that line over the past two days.....


Anyway, Friday. My family has the tradition of getting out all our Christmas stuff and setting up our tree the day after Thanksgiving. Since we have a fake tree instead of a real one, it takes quite a lot of putting together. So we break out the Christmas music and set to the task! This year, Carl came over to help. I'm not exactly sure if it went faster because we had extra hands or slower because we got distracted easily. Ok, THEY got distracted easily. I'm quite proud of my Christmas lights skills. :) The afternoon was spent playing with Lucy and arguing about jazz (I'm obviously for it and Carl obviously isn't). We also went on a Starbucks run and Carl treated not only me, but both my brothers! I knew there was a reason I liked him. ;) After some pillow fights and dinner, I left for Becky's. We went to see the musical Cats! It was fabulous! The singing, the dancing, everything! I envy the lady who sang Memory. Her voice was amaaaaaziiiiing! I didn't get home until midnight and know what? Carl was still here! I come in and he and Gavin are sitting on the floor playing sudoku. Now there's a sweet guy for ya! One who will hang out with your family even when you leave! My family loves him..... obviously. 


Today should be fun too! I got my legal briefs done for American Government class Monday so now I'm able to just hang out with my family for the afternoon. Tonight, Garrett and I are picking up Jess and we're going to Shannon's for a movie night when a bunch of people. Then Jess is spontaneously spending the night! :D 


Tomorrow I'm going to.... well I guess I'll save that for tomorrow. 


Oh! Guess what guys! It's after Thanksgiving! So I can officially post Christmas music now! For starters, here is the amazing trio: Dearest Harry, Darling Michael and Wonderful Frank. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra6val6Vsjw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNuZUCpgNeA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pk-SLQPYJ0

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Feminine Friday: Sparkle

Hello again my lovely lady readers! Today's subject is something that's been on my mind this week. 

In two of my college classes, there are a few girls I sit close to every week (one of the "this is my chair" kinda things). Now all of them are lovely on the outside. Well groomed and seemingly intelligent. However, whenever they open their mouths, it reveals that their hearts are otherwise. And I'm not really talking about their language (though it could be slightly improved). It's just that every single thing they say is negative! They are either putting down a teacher or a friend or a boy or their parents, always complaining and griping about how terrible people are. The name calling is rampant and VERY disrespectful. 

Then, one day as I was doing my devotions, I came across this verse: 

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky... Phil. 2:14-15

As daughters of Christ, we are supposed to stand out in the world for Him right? And here's a pretty good way to do that! We just have to quit complaining and arguing! After all, encouraging words are so much more pleasant to listen to! So I have a challenge for you this week! When you are tempted to complain or argue with someone, bite your tongue! Be encouraging and uplifting instead! And as Philippians says, you will shine like stars! You will sparkle! 

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! It may be rainy and cold but oh what a day to thank God for all the blessings He has given me!!! Having so many of them, I wanted to share some with you!

I am thankful for:
My amazing parents who encourage me and support me in everything I do.
My wonderful siblings who make me laugh and get me through the hard days.
Rachel and her steadfast friendship that has lasted through many good times and bad without once wavering.
Carl and his willingness to listen to anything I have to say, no matter how crazy or ridiculous.
Zach and Joe and their friendship and encouragement.
Shannon, Danni, Becky, Hannah and all the other friends who I don't see that often but still love dearly.
My good college professors who really care about their students succeeding in class.
My job and my boss and coworkers.
My wonderful church family and all their love and support.
And last but most certainly not least, my relationship with my ever loving Heavenly Daddy. The One who carries me when I fall and will ALWAYS be there for me no matter what.

So there you have a short list! I could add many more things to it but we'd be here all day. Instead, I'll stop there and give you a song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyi97DPsOlk

May God bless you, my dear reader, with a long list of things to be thankful for! Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Reading And Writing

I could get used to this break thing! The past two days have been ever so nice! 


Highlights of yesterday: Shannon came over for a while and we had a great time laughing and talking. I had the afternoon free to run a few errands with Maisy and play a little with Lucy. Carl came over for cheesecake and ended up staying for dinner. Last but not least, Maisy and I had a girls night last night and watched movies and painted nails and ate pizza! So yesterday was a wonderful day!


Now for today. Today has actually been kinda quiet and lazy. This morning I helped my mom clean the house and then I've spent most of the day writing. My new story: 'For The Love of Jacob'. It's the tale of the Biblical Jacob and Rachel, except told from Rachel's perspective. Turned out rather well I think! It's funny. The longer I go without writing, the more I forget how much I love to write! To create a story from your imagination and put it on paper for others to enjoy.... and actually have them like it! One of the greatest kinds of satisfaction in the world I think. 


This brings me to a thought I had today. It's about books. Now I love to read. I always have! My parents and grandparents read to me when I was little and since then, trips to the library were weekly and countless birthday and Christmas presents consisted of books. The written world is a wonderful place sometimes! A way to escape life and live as a heroine for a few hours. However lately, I've found that I don't really need to escape into a book. Not that I won't read but I don't feel the need to. Why? Because I wouldn't trade you my life for anything! There is not one book I could open and say "Man, I wish I could have this adventure and be this person." Yeah, my life has it's rough spots but as a whole, my life is pretty spectacular! God has blessed me so much with..... oh wait, that's tomorrow's post. Nevermind. :)


Ah yes, you need a song before I go! Alright alright I will oblige you. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWw24s5gG8

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Tests, Cheesecake And Emily Dickinson

I have to say, today wasn't too bad! Especially for having to get up at 6 this morning! Being Thanksgiving week, I only had my Monday class and now I'm off for the rest of the week! :D Feel free to dance with me. 


This morning we had a test which meant we got out of class early! After class, I got to text Carl and then talk to Rachel! And guess what! Rachel is spending Thanksgiving with my family and I! :D I'm soooooooo excited about it! Anyway, after lunch, I found myself with a whole afternoon of nothing to do. So what did I decide on? Baking of course! Today I made a layered mocha cheesecake. And let me tell you, it turned out BEAUTIFUL!!! Just look at the above picture! Isn't it glorious?! My best creation yet! Anyhoo, while that was baking, I got to watch a movie with my mom while helping her fold laundry. Then we all ate dinner and I got to read some Emily Dickinson! The poet, remember? My mom had a book that's all Emily's poems! And she gave it to me!!! So I'm going to try to finish lots of it during break. Finally my parents and Garrett couldn't wait for the cheesecake any longer so I had to cut it up. I almost didn't want to, it being a masterpiece and all. However, you can't keep cheesecake forever. So we served it up and ate it and discovered that my recipe is definitely a keeper. Then the four of us watched The Shawshank Redemption and now here I am writing to you! So, not too bad a day for the first day of break! 


Now for your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqZq5fM4TBo

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

The Best Weekend Ever

Wow! I have so much to write but where do I start! I guess I'll just give you my highlights of my weekend since relating the WHOLE THING to you would be way too long a post. 


So, first highlight. I got to go to dinner with a bunch of ladies from church on Thursday night! I just love spending time with my grown up friends! They want to know all about college and love interests and stuff and yet still treat me like an equal, not some ten year old child. They're amazing. :)


Second highlight. Thursday night/ Friday morning, I went to the Harry Potter midnight showing with Becky, Robert and my two brothers! We had much fun watching the 6th one before we left and then going all together to see the new one. I love hanging out with Becky. :) That's really the only reason I went. I'm not a huge HP fan but it was worth hanging out with some good friends. 


Third highlight. Friday night, my family and I went to Carl's house for dinner! I thought it went pretty well for a first visit actually! My siblings seemed a little shy at first but once we all got to playing games and laughing, it went off rather well! We all had a lovely time and I believe there has been made mention of doing it again sometime. 


Fourth highlight. Carl came over Saturday around lunch to work on the van and stayed for the rest of the day! We had a great time playing with Lucy, taking turns playing piano and playing games with my brothers. It was fun!


Fifth highlight. I got to have lunch with my mentor, Jess, today! We had a great talk while playing with her baby, Natalie, and then got to go run some errands and just spend time together. It was wonderful to catch up with her after a few weeks!


And now for the sixth and most important highlight. As you probably know, Carl has been my best friend for quite a while now. Well, I've discovered that the only thing better than having an awesome best friend is starting a courtship with them! That's right! Carl and I have officially started courting!!! And I don't think I've stopped smiling the past few days, even in my sleep! So yeah, I'm very very happy and life is good. :)


Just in case you wanted to know, here's my theme song as of right now. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKh0dLIuIu8

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Feminine Friday: It's All About Love

Hello again my lovely ladies! Finally a Friday to write to you in particular! And boy have I got some revelations to share! But first, some Bible for the base of my argument:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." ~ Mark 12:30

"Honor your father and mother..." ~ Matt. 19:19 (A type of love if you ask me.)

"Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children..." ~ Titus 2:4

As you might have guessed by now, I've got love on the brain. And here's why. Lately I've been questioning if love is just a feeling or if there's more to it. Is it just the crazy hormonal stuff going on in my brain or is there a foundation to it? My conclusion? It's a lot more than just a feeling. Know why? Because... love is a choice! That's right! The more I see, the more it proves my point! Here are my reasons for thinking this way. 

First, loving God. My entire life, I've been surrounded by Christian people 24/7. My family are all Christians (or at least the ones I see all the time). My friends are all Christians. Everyone encouraged me to love God and follow Him, no questions asked. Then..... I graduated. Dun dun dun. Yeah. It was a big leap of faith off that cliff. Suddenly I'm out in a world that does know about us Christians and our God but scorn us for our choice. Even in this first semester, I've had conversations with people who have been challenging my faith. It's been good for me though! Loving God is a daily choice! Having to stand on my own two feet and hold tight to Him in a classroom of people who think I'm silly for being such a goody-two-shoes is tough. Yet, through this, God keeps showing me that He exists and He cares for me and has a plan for my life even if I don't know it right now. His provisions and blessings definitely make the choice easier! But nonetheless, it's still a choice. 

Second, loving family. I'm talking specifically about my parents and my siblings, the people I see every day. Where my parents are concerned, I've always had it pretty good with them. I've learned to respect and honor them and the biggest problems I've had have been tears over math at the kitchen table with Dad. You have no idea how thankful I am for that! I watch other kids my age (and even younger) yell and scream and give their parents attitude! The result? They hate their parents. They can't wait to get out of the house! Me? I still live at home, even though I'm in college, and I wouldn't have it any other way! My choice to love and respect my parents have morphed into a beautiful friendship with both of them. I can talk to them about anything and they are definitely some of my biggest cheerleaders. It's kinda the same with my siblings. I used to be an absolutely horrible older sister! My siblings and I fought constantly and we even yelled and screamed at each other quite a bit. If you had given me the opportunity to sell any of my siblings to the circus, I would have taken you up on it. Now, not a chance! I realize that some of this comes from maturity but for the most part, it came with my change in attitude towards them. Instead of babysitting being a burden, it became a joy! In fact, we started asking when my parents were leaving again! Now, I have a wonderful relationship with all of them and they with me! Choosing to love them was one of the best choices I've ever made in my entire life!!! Yeah, we still have our arguments over who gets to wash dishes or vacuum the living room but usually I find myself letting trivial stuff like that just roll off instead of fighting nonstop about it. God has gifted me with the most wonderful family in the whole wide world and I'm so glad I made the choice to see it!

Third, loving my husband and children. Yup, I know. I'm not married yet and I have no children yet but I hope that I will someday! And I know that love will be a daily choice (not that it isn't now). When he's going to work late for the fourth night this week and there's finger prints in the icing on the birthday cake and no one will help around the house without being asked, love will be a choice. I know it's easy to say now but I think my family is good practice for those times and I know that God will be there to carry me every step of the way. And honestly, I can't wait!

So there you have it. Love is a choice. Now my question is, what will you choose?

Until next time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmoX_O6rd1I

Raptors In The Refrigerator

Hello once again my lovely readers! I don't know why but I'm in a gloriously fantastically good mood this evening! Being so, I figured I'd write to you even though I don't have much to say. 


Today was pretty average. I had Physical Science class this morning. Lecture and lab as usual. I did get home a little earlier than usual though which was nice. Then I spent my afternoon writing that paper for English class. I got it done though! All finished and turned in! Phew! Huge load of my shoulders! Then off to work I went. Today went quite well. We didn't have a lot of kids and Brittany and I cleaned all the toys and organized everything (see Title of this post). They all left in a timely manner too! When I got home, I ate and cleaned the kitchen and finished my paper and talked to Carl. So all in all, a very good day! 


Now here's a song that I heard the other day in the car with my mom. It's an oldie but a good one. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGe1tuYLheY

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Just Because

I don't really have much to blog about today. It was foggy (or "froggy" as Bella puts it) when I woke up and left for class. Then it started raining and has been for the rest of the day. And it's cold. Guess it's fall huh? I've also been way tired all day too. It was a struggle not to fall asleep during math class! But I managed and we got out about 20 minutes early thankfully! This afternoon I ran errands with my mom and then I've been working on my paper for English class for there remainder of the afternoon (except for the short interruption of a phone call from Joe). Now I'm seriously thinking about going to bed.... and yes I know it's only 8. But a little extra sleep would definitely be awesome. Especially since tomorrow is a 6 am morning. Oh joy. 


Well instead of rambling on and on about doing nothing today, I'll just give you a song. Here's one that I listened to today for the first time in a while. I'd forgotten about it! It's definitely one I love. So, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx32qkwixkw

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Study Guides, Coffee And The Nutcracker

Today was completely and utterly the epitome of awesome! Ok, BESIDES having to get up at 6 in the morning. But the rest of the day totally made up for it! 


First was American Government class at 8. Our lecture was boring as anything (Mr. Weir's favorite phrase today: "... going to Hell in a hand-basket.") but the second part of the class was sweet! We have our test next week which means we have like two pages of review. Well half of today was review day. And he answered over half the questions for us! Makes my job on Saturday really easy! :D 


After class, I "ran into" Carl at Starbucks. ;) Yes, I know you're wondering how you can plan to run into someone someplace but we pulled it off. I got my peppermint mocha and we sat and talked for.... oh.... 3 whole hours! Time really flies when you're having fun! Though honestly, when I left, it wasn't enough time. Reminds me of a line from an Owl City song...


Anyhoo, when I got home, I alternated between doing homework, cleaning my room and helping my dad with his construction project. And doing some other things which are surprises I can't tell you about. :) Then the kids got home and I got to help everybody get their dinner and talk to my mom about my day. When Gavin and Maisy had left for Bible study, my parents decided to go to a movie so it was me, Garrett and Lucy here to entertain ourselves. We had quite a good time of it too! Lucy got a new puzzle that we put together and played I Spy with before making popcorn and watching The Nutcracker! Not the Barbie version mind you, the authentic ballet. The funny part was that she knew exactly what was happening! She kept asking me questions like "Why did the brother do that?" and "What are the mouses names?" Now tell me, how does a three year old understand what's happening in a ballet?! I think she's freakishly smart myself. I think they're finally starting to believe me. 


So there's my day! Wonderfully fantastic for a Monday! Heh, wonderfully fantastic for ANY day! :D And a wonderfully fantastic day deserves a wonderfully fantastic song! So grab your trench coats and magnifying glasses and lets do this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH0oqlYsUrg

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Autumn Days

Finally! Some Fallish weather! I needed a jacket when I stepped out the door this morning. Oh how I love it!


So this morning, my plan was to sleep in a little and go to second service. My mom came in though and said she wasn't feeling well so I needed to go sub for her in the little kid's class at church. However, it was too late for me to get ready and make it to first service on time so I had to suffice with a nice slow breakfast at the table with my mom and making it in plenty of time to second service! Garrett came with me and it was ever so nice to see people! I got my hug from Mr. Adams this morning too! He's so sweet! This morning, he greeted me with "Well there's my little rose!" :D He's great. Anyway, class went well. Matt and Steve followed me up which was funny cause we only had one kid. Poor thing. I'm sure she was bored to death cause you can't really play Duck Duck Goose with two people (the big boys wouldn't play). We were all glad when the service ended to say the least. 


Lunch was burgers and fries and Matt joined us as is usual for Sundays now. He and Gavin had guitar lessons after lunch and then we sat and talked for a little bit around the kitchen table. Cue random quote of the day: "Casey, you're hair is getting so long. Don't cut it." compliments of my mom. Anyhoo, after Matt left, Gavin and I played around with the computer and the webcam and then headed to the movies! We saw Megamind which was.... interesting. I won't spoil anything for you though, just in case you were thinking of going to see it. I thought the plot was pretty good for an animated movie however I'm still not sure if I like it. The whole making bad look good thing bothers me. 


No matter the movie though, Gavin and I had a lovely time together! When we got home, we ate pizza and watched some TV with my family. However TV never holds my attention for long so I soon wandered off to other more important things (like chatting with besties :) ) and finally, blogging! All in all, a completely loverly day!


Now then, since yesterday was full of soundtracks, today is going to be some other fun songs I love, but with words. :) Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvHKjDKY_O8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EXxMlIExpo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy_qlYjAh8o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7ZjO-Nf5Q

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Not Again!

Hi. Yeah. So remember how last Friday I was sick? Heh, I had a little repeat yesterday. Some weird stomach bug swooped in on me out of nowhere and kept me dozing and texting on the couch all day. I even had to miss our guests to sleep through a movie! Not fun at all. Today I've been a bit better but still taking it slow at my mom's insistence. So, to make up for my lack of adventures, I've decided to give you a bunch of awesome epic adventurous songs! Then you can imagine flying through clouds, running with Indians, fighting pirates, rescuing children in distress, all the things I should have been doing this weekend! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IBlQj2U5kU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY3CVbv2zjY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfkV6CMaQiw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8O0tIJRu28

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

A Day Worth Recording

I won't apologize for yesterday. By the time I finished studying, I didn't feel like posting and on top of that, I had nothing to tell. Today went better though!


First of all, I made it through my two tests without dying! :D I have no idea how I did on them but at least they're over and I put in lots of effort. I also finished a good bit of homework this evening which will make tomorrow's load rather light. Hallelujah! 


So, today. I had math class today. And that silly math test. It was actually kinda interesting today though. One of the guys in my class who I've never spoken to before (I've not talked to hardly anyone in that class) came up during our break and asked me out! Most random thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life. When I got home and told my mom and little brother who were standing in the kitchen, we all burst out laughing hysterically. It was quite funny afterwards. What a math class!


After class, I ate and went to work. Being such a nice day, we didn't stay inside for very long at all! Kelsey left early which meant I was free to do things the way I wanted. Hence, we stayed outside as long as possible. By 5:30, it was getting dark and cold so I finally said we should go in. At that time, the sky was pink lemonade pink. It actually made the air kinda pink. I was tempted to stick my tongue out to see if it tasted like strawberry but I didn't. All the kids left in a timely manner and I made it home by six. 


Once home, I made myself grilled cheese for dinner and ended up eating by myself though Gavin kept me company while I ate. We listened to some old songs we hadn't heard in a while and I talked to him about..... well, stuff. Then to the computer I went to talk to a few people and start homework.


Now for a couple different songs for you. First, one that kinda says how I feel at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quDk3iZtccI

Second, one just about.... my life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqOwLwhHUqo

Keep your smiles on! Until next time!

Tuesday Misadventures

How to even start this post. Today has seemed like one bad instance after another! Thank goodness it's now time to settle down so hopefully nothing else can happen. Oi!

I guess I'll start at the beginning. My morning began well. I got to sleep in till 8:30 and had my coffee and toast for breakfast. I was off to class by 10:20 and ever so glad to be driving Charli again (thanks Carl!). Our lesson today consisted of conversions. :P I was literally falling asleep so to keep from banging my head on the desk, I started writing instead.

Math class mayhem

Message in my pocket

Pay attention! Concentrate!

Give up and check anyway

Swimming among numbers

Stuff I already know

Mind wanders to yesterday

Face graced with a smile

Poetry in math class

What's with this inspiration!

I should be converting volume

But instead I play with words

Yeah. I was bored. 

We didn't get out till 1:50 today and I ran by the gas station and Starbucks on my way home. A Peppermint Mocha was definitely a need today. When I got back, I barely escaped my mom's list of chores. Except, shutting myself up in my room, it suddenly hit me how much I have to do before Saturday! Studying for two tests, math homework, a ridiculous amount of English homework. Eek! Good thing I had that coffee. After getting it all put on paper and in a tentative schedule, I started in on studying for science. Test tomorrow. :P

Mom and Dad both left this evening for dinners with people from church so me, Garrett, Maisy and Lucy got the kitchen to ourselves (Gavin was also gone). That meant we got to pick the music. Here's one of our favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0

After dinner was eaten and cleaned up, I decided to play some piano. Cue disaster. Suddenly I heard Lucy screaming from upstairs and Maisy frantically yelling for me to "COME NOW!!!!" Dropping the song I ran upstairs to find Maisy gaping and Lucy standing at the top of the stairs, her hand bleeding all over the place. Grabbing the baby and leaping down to the kitchen sink, Maisy explains to me that she shut the door on Lucy's finger. Thank the Lord for red washcloths! At first I wasn't sure how bad it was but once I got most of the blood cleaned off..... well I still couldn't really tell. The thought running through my head the whole time: "Be okay. For Lucy, be okay!" First on the to do list, send Garrett next door for my grandma who's a nurse. Next, call mom. Those done, I could attend to the baby who just sat at the kitchen table, holding the washcloth on her finger (her pinky) like I told her to. Grandma came over immediately and looked at it though couldn't really tell how bad it was either. So back home she went to go get bandages while I sat on the kitchen floor with Lu, just rocking her back and forth, poor baby. I honestly don't know how she wasn't crying harder than she was! Grandma was back in a jiffy and she bandaged her up while we waited for mom to get back. It took too long but she did eventually. Then off to the doctor they went.

Sweet Maisy had been upstairs the whole time, crying sooooo hard. I could hear her downstairs. :( Knowing exactly how she feels, I grabbed her and Garrett and we went to get ice cream. Especially Lucy's favorite, strawberry. The trip took a whole ten minutes but it was good to be busy. When we got back, Maisy and I turned on the movie 'Hook' while we waited for Mom and Lu to get back. When they did, she seemed fine besides having her left pinky bandaged up. Mom said that the tip of her finger, starting just below her nail was dangling there by a bit of skin. The doctor literally sewed it back on and they took some x-rays. Now she's home and fine and dandy. A million gold stars for her!!!!! She will now be spoiled for the rest of her life. 

So there you have it. Not the best day..... at all! I pray tomorrow will be better.

Keep YOUR smiles on! Until next time.

Capturing A Day

And I thought yesterday was lovely. Today was even better! Even if I did have to get up at 6. 


First bright spot was literally a bright spot. The sun was up when I left the house at 7! :D Next, class went okay and we got out a whole hour early today! Three cheers for awesome profs! THEN Carl came over to work on the cars (Charli is fixed :D) which meant my dad was helping..... which meant I got to watch Lucy! We had a lovely time swinging and playing in the great outdoors, being such a nice day. After that, Carl stayed for dinner (what's said at the dinner table stays at the dinner table. ;) ) and he and Garrett and I watched 'When A Stranger Calls'. I have to say, the commentary was pretty hilarious. When the movie finished, we just sat and talked until my Dad "kicked him out". Too bad all good things must come to an end. 


Now I have some inspiration to write so I'm going to attempt to capture my day in a poem, my style of course. :) So here goes:

Sun rising
Sky alight with pinks and yellows
Seven AM
Leaving in the early light

Clock ticking
Teacher drolling on and on
Assignments given
Dismissed with an hour to spare

Ladybug kisses
Chasing butterflies through the grass
Sunshine dancing
Red curls bouncing up and down

Best friend
Laughing too hard to eat
Discussing politics
Baked potatoes now cold

Scary movie
Curled up in a blanket
Laughable commentary
Sitting in the darkness

And there you have it. From the mind of..... me!


Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Pampered, Plays and Poetry

Today was actually quite lovely for being a "getting over being sick" day! Oh and yesterday, I did nothing so I won't bother recording it. Anyway, today. 


First of all, we had church this morning as usual however Charli (my car) is currently out of commission so I had to be ready by 8:30 to leave with my mom. It wasn't all too hard. The time change gave me an extra hour of sleep so it worked out just fine. :) When we got there, I tried to keep my distance from people, still having the sniffles and a cough. One of the older ladies that attend came up and asked me "So, how's our college girl doing?" haha "Our college girl" Makes me feel like the LSCC Poster College Kid! :D Everyone's so sweet and encouraging and I have several who ask me every week how I'm actually doing, not just how classes are going. I love my church family!


After first service, I left with my grandparents and we went out for a late breakfast! It was so nice to have them both to myself for a little while. We had a great time, talking and laughing and just catching up. And I have to say, it's so cute to watch my grandparents flirt with each other. :) I hope that when we're old, my husband and I will still be that much in love. 


When we got home, my Grandma and I grabbed the tickets and headed to the theater! She took me to see 'The Belle of Amherst'. It was a play about the American poet, Emily Dickinson. Honestly, she's definitely one of my new heroes! She wrote who knows how many poems and the majority were published only after her death. And she was a very eccentric young woman too which makes her all the more interesting. 


Of course, as soon as I got home, I looked up some of her poetry. Out of the few I read, here is my favorite:

If I can stop one heart from breaking

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

I love it! She had such a way with words! Oh how I aspire to write like that. *Sigh*


Well, on our way home, Grandma treated me to ice cream (as if she hadn't treated me enough!) and then I looked up some poetry when we got back. A little while later, Matt came over for Gavin's guitar lesson and stayed for dinner! Pizza and Tim Hawkins make a pretty fabulous combination! 


So, all in all, a wonderful day! Now for your song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLO2-_emvDY

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

A Sick Day

Yes, I am aware that it is Friday and that today's post should be a Feminine Friday. However, I didn't have time this week to write one ahead of time and today, I came down with a horrid cold which has kept my brain from working to it's full witty capacity. So you'll have to content yourself with just hearing about my day. 


Last night's sleep was less than restful. :P I "slept in" till 9 but I was up every hour from 3 am until then. Not fun. I finally got up cause my throat was killing me, my head was pounding and I couldn't breathe. My mom made me tea with lemon and honey which made a fine breakfast. Then I dressed in the most comfortable clothes I own (excepting my pajamas) and got my bit of homework done. Just two peer reviews for some first drafts. I'm ever so glad I didn't have any math homework today!


Lunch consisted of some leftover chicken and noodles from last night and I commandeered the comfy green chair. All settled in with my Brazil blanket, my water bottle, my tissue box and my phone, Garrett (he's sick too) and I started watching The Sound Of Music. After a while, my sweet amazing best friend surprised me with a visit! He brought me a Peppermint Mocha and stayed to talk for an hour or so. Made my day! After he left, my mom wanted to watch this DVD series we have of this guy who tours Europe. It's actually kinda cool! So we watched that while waiting for my dad to get home. 


Once he did, we ate dinner. Pizza! After that, we started The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. Carl and I texted lines to each other through the whole thing which was kinda funny. He could make pretty accurate guesses to where we were in the movie. Then that ended and while my family started the next one, I said my goodnights, took my medicine and here I am. 


I shall do my best to give you a belated Feminine Friday post tomorrow but we shall see. So to make up for my lack of thoughts today, the least I can do is give you my new favorite song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw7ZjO-Nf5Q

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

It's Coming!!!

I'm here! Don't panic! Now come on, just because I missed a post last night doesn't mean you have to get all upset! Geez! Ok ok ok, I'll update you! Chill!


Yesterday was a pretty good day. Class went well though the lab was ridiculous. We had a thousand chemical equations to balance! :P Blech blech blech! Thankfully we still finished in a timely manner. On my way out, I dropped my Speech textbook at the bookstore (it was a rented textbook) and ran into Darius! We were both pretty surprised to see each other. Weird. Anyway, after that, I came home and ate lunch and did homework before it was time to go to work. Usually Wednesdays are our busy days but yesterday was pretty easy! Most the kids went to Homework Club (a new and beautiful establishment at the school) and Brittany and I got to leave by 5:45! :D When I got home, I quickly ate dinner and volunteered to take Gavin and Maisy to church for Bible study so my mom wouldn't have to. Finally home again, I got started on my paper..... and discovered there was a lot more work involved than I had expected. The assignment was a 1200 word Rhetorical Analysis paper for my English Comp. class. Well first, I was required to read three different sites on HOW to write that kind of paper. THEN I had to read the core reading again and finally write the paper! Phew! I was up until 1 am (kudos to Carl for keeping me awake!) and by that time, I really didn't feel like writing you a post. So I went to bed instead! 


Now! Today! Today is Maisy's 10th birthday!!! She woke me up at 7:30 this morning for me to come watch her open presents. At first I was kind of annoyed because I was looking forward to sleeping in till 9 but I quickly decided that I should be glad she wants me included in her special day! So I got up and joined the family in the kitchen. After bacon and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast (oh and coffee :) ), I got ready for class. There was a new girl today and it turns out that I know her!!! We are more like acquaintances, knowing each other through other people, but she's really nice and it's great to have someone I "know" in a class! What are the chances! Anyhoo, we got out an hour early today which was awesome so I ran by Starbucks. I now has my favorite Starbucks drink ever, a Peppermint Mocha! :D And those come out only around a certain time of year. And that time is.........


CHRISTMAS!!!!! So usually, I don't condone the Christmas spirit before Thanksgiving but this year I broke. Hey! Garrett and Maisy are playing Christmas songs on the piano, I have a Peppermint Mocha, it's supposed to SNOW tomorrow! What are you gonna do?! This being the case, I also broke out my Christmas music. :) And I think it's time for a song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcZAwoip5aY

It's coming! It'll be here before you know it! And I'm soooooo ready for it! :D 51 days!!!!!


Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Finally Some Good!

You know, looking back, I've just been through the worst week of my life. I'm still wondering what God is trying to teach me by taking me through it. Maybe just to show me that He'll hold me up when I can't stand. Maybe it was a test, to see how much I would trust in Him. I don't know but let me tell you, I am SO glad it's over! 

Today was pretty spectacular! I got up at 7 (and didn't have to!), had a slow morning getting ready for class and drinking my homemade pumpkin spice coffee and was on my way to math class by 10:20. We had a test this morning and usually, when we have tests, we get to leave afterwards. However, being an 8 week class, we had a lesson after our test. But oh well. I think I did pretty well on the test which is better than nothing! Then I spent two lovely hours walking around the park with Carl. And guess what! I got my best friend back! :D *happy dance* Highlight of my life! When I came home, Grandma and Garrett ventured out to retrieve dinner and after a nice meal together, I'm now writing this, procrastinating on homework. I have an open book SCI 111 test to take that's due TOMORROW!!!!! EEK! So I'd better get to it. But! I'll leave you with a song first. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcUEjKU7Qi8

Keep your smile on! Until next time!

Soaring On The Wings Of Time

Today I've been contemplating "life, the universe and everything" as one of my good friends often says. And he couldn't put it better. But what exactly is on my mind? Time. 


It's amazing to me how sometimes, time flies and other times, it creeps so slow. Usually, I think it goes the fastest just when you don't want it to. The times you want to drag on and on and on and they're over before you know it! 


Yesterday, Garrett and I were discussing how our cousin will be getting married next spring. And yet only yesterday, all five of us were playing dress up at our grandma's and fighting over who got the frilly pink skirt! Long summer days, full of made up games and lemonade stands and popsicles. Sneaking into the living room to peek at the presents under the Christmas tree. Switching the silverware of one of us with our cousin's who we didn't see except on Thanksgiving. Rainy days arguing over who was going to pick the movie for the afternoon and tiptoeing through the kitchen because the little boys were asleep under the table. Now we're all grown up. All us five oldest in high school and college. And one of us getting married. Weird. 


It also brings to mind all the pleasant memories of friends, past and present. Walking through the dark church hallways, singing Phantom of the Opera. Late nights spent laughing over new inside jokes like "Keep your tuba on!". Long phone conversations about books that never ended up getting finished. Falling asleep waiting for a text. Writing notes during Bible study while not really listening to the lesson (ok that might have been just me). Watching Avatar episode upon episode while cuddled on the couch with oreos and Dr. Pepper. Secret handshakes and nicknames. Journals filled with letters to both of us that we passed back and forth. Miles of the randomest chat conversations you've ever seen, sprinkled with blueberries and penguins. Cookie decorating parties. Helping each other ruin diets with chocolate and pizza. 


Someone told me my freshman year of high school that it would fly. I shook my head in disbelief. Boy were they right! It's still hard for me to believe that I'm in college. Right now, looking forward at the next few years, it feels like FOREVER! But hey! I already only have six weeks of school left before my first semester of college is over! Crazy!!!


It's kind of made me think hard about the here and now. Time is flying by. Am I living my life to the fullest? Am I missing out on any opportunities to be Christ's light to someone? Am I staying mad at anyone when it's just not worth it? Deep stuff that. 


Now, for my daily happenings, todays was pretty good! I had American Government class this morning, found out I got a 98% on my test from a few weeks ago, had a fabulous talk with my dad, worked and spent the evening with Jackie! Good day.


Ok ok ok. I'll stop talking and give you a song. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFhq22t5fdc

Keep your smile on! Until next time!