Christmas Weekend Highlight Reel

Well, I am about to head back to work after having four days off. It was a great time with family full of cards and food and lots of laughs. Here are some highlights from the weekend:

• getting to see almost everyone a day or two early because of the weather :)
• and...because of the weather, having a very white Christmas
• having 3 dogs in the house at one time and listening to several barking competitions as people came and went....or whenever the dogs decided they needed to bark
• AMAZING food all weekend long....from pulled pork sandwiches to ham to homemade chicken pot pie to homemade chicken noodle soup and chili to lots and lots of cookies!
• being so tired and in such a good mood, that, while playing cards, you suddenly burst out laughing and can't even breath anymore and you start crying....and can't stop because everyone else is laughing that hard, too....all over a really, really bad round of cards :)
• receiving two kisses and a hug before every nap and bedtime from a precious little girl
• bundling up an almost 2 year old girl with 2 pounds of extra clothing, just to go out and play in the snow....she looked almost twice her size in her winter clothes! But, as cute as ever!
• going sledding with said precious little girl and hearing her loudly exclaim at the bottom of the hill: "Iowa!!!" and "more!"
• Hearing her begin to string two words together....I tried desparately to get her to say "Ainsley, play, snow" because she can say all those words....instead she insisted on saying "Ainsley, snow" or "Play, snow". It was cute, nonetheless.
• watching the longest game of copycat ever between an almost 2 year old and a 23 year old...neither one was about to give up!
• being with family, at home, with nothing to do but be around each other.... :)
• arguing over who used to sleep in the "yellow room"....
• and much, much more!

Even though it was a short few days, they were a blast!! Hope everyone had an awesome Christmas as well!

Home Sweet Home

Soo....I forgot to mention I was home now!! I have been home since Thursday, actually. I hung out with my family that night (family game night...woohoo!!). Friday night I babysat, and yesterday and today I worked my usual shift of 3 to close. Last night we got done around 11:30pm...tonight we got done before 11pm...yay!

Well, that's it, just wanted to let you all know!

I don't know exactly who all reads my blog, but I will be seeing some of you very shortly!! I am excited!! :) Safe travels everyone!

Pictures

Hey all...I decided it might help your guesses if I gave you some pictures. So, here are a couple of pictures of the final number of boxes...all 72 of them! Feel free to revise your guess if need be!

Update

OK....Angie and I spent ALL day today picking up the last of the books, sorting them, counting them, and packing them up! It was a long day!!

We still have a few books coming in, but I think we are pretty much at the final count. I am going to let you guess again as to the number of books we have collected! Here's your hint: we have packed up 72 boxes of books.

Good luck with your guess! :)

Sigma Kappa Book Drive

I don't know if I told you all this or not, but this semester, Sigma Kappa (my sorority) has been holding a book drive on campus. It has been a HUGE success thus far. Tomorrow is the final day, and Angie and I will collect the final books that were dropped off. Tonight, we spent a good 4 hours gathering, counting, and packing books. I am not going to tell you how many books we counted yet, because only Angie and I know...and it's not the final number yet. However, let's play a little guessing game. So far, we have packed up 49 boxes of various sizes, all full of books. How many books do YOU think we have collected so far?? :) Leave a comment with your guess.

Sing For Joy ~Robert Pierre

When I walk in darkness, and I can't see my hand before me
When my heart is aching, and it's all I can do to just breathe

I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy.

When the dawn is breaking, shining down on this valley
Blinded eyes can now see, You have always been with me

I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy

When I'm home in glory, with all the saints around me
The choir singing "holy", and heaven's walls are shaking

I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy, the joy of the LORD, in the middle of it all
I will sing for joy

Why?

Why is it so hard to express how you feel about something to someone else? Why is it so difficult to pass on your beliefs and views on the most important things in life? Why is it so easy to focus on the small things? Why is it so easy to simply quit rather than fight? Why is it so hard for people to see the damage they cause and change their ways?

New Layout!

So I have decided I need to change my layout again....this time for Christmas!! I can't believe how fast Christmas is coming up! I am super excited for it....like I am every year, but I feel like I am missing out on the Christmas spirit excitement somewhat. Last night, I came back from work, and our house was all decked out for Christmas. I enjoyed it very much, but it surprised me a bit. I mean, I know that Christmas is coming, but I guess I wasn't quite prepared for Christmas decorations?? I honestly don't know. :)

But, it makes me very happy every time I see the decorations....and since I for some reason seemed out of the loop, I decided my blog needed to be more Christmas-y. :) So...there ya go.

It took me awhile to find a layout that I liked....one that I felt portrayed the true meaning of Christmas and not just snowflakes, or santa, or presents, or christmas trees, or....well, you get the idea. As the old saying goes, "Jesus is the reason for the season." We celebrate because God sent Jesus to become human....to become one of us.....to live here, in this world....and live a perfect life....and die....and live again....because he loves us. Notice I didn't say because he "loved" us......he LOVES us.....then, now, later, always. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever. He sent Jesus then, because he loves us now. It can be a difficult concept to wrap one's mind around. Mainly because it is such an un-human thing to do--to give up one's son/life for all humanity, when said humanity absolutely does NOT deserve it.

How awesome is our God?!?!?!!!!

Super Cute Purses!

Check out these cute purses!

Charm Design Bags and Totes $50 gift card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Give thanks

This song was going through my head last night, and those who have attended FBC will probably recognize it:

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now, let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks.

Home!

Well, I am officially home for Thanksgiving break! I finished my 2nd and last final yesterday morning around 8:30am, headed back to my room to pack, and then headed off to Iowa and home! After enjoying lunch at Culver's with my mom, I just relaxed a bit in the afternoon. When Kaleb went to work at 4, my mom and I headed out again to do some shopping. We are re-doing the upstairs bathroom and the downstairs bathroom, so we went to find towels and other fun decorations! We went to Kohl's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Gordman's, and Walmart. We didn't find all that we wanted to, but we did finally find some pictures for the upstairs bathroom that go GREAT! We also found some wall decals (basically stickers that can go on the wall and come off easily) for the downstairs bathroom...maybe. One of them is a huge sunflower...for those of you who remember our downstairs bathroom, we had a sunflower theme going a little bit. We are sort of staying with that theme, because we are keeping the shower curtain (yay! love it!). But we are painting the walls...probably a blue of some kind. And then, we were thinking bright orange and yellow towels to match the shower curtain and help brighten up the room some.

Sounds fun, doesn't it?! Anyways, after shopping, we came back home and had chicken fajitas....yummy! Afterwards, we all just relaxed. I ended up going to bed around 10:30-11 (I know, I know, early for a college student, but I was exhausted!). I did end up having to get up around 11:45pm because my dog got sick.....when she gets over excited she has a tendency to get sick, especially if she ate during her over-excitedness (is that a word??) Anyways, no big deal, I took care of the mess and passed out again until this morning.

Today will be my first day back at Culver's...from 3-close. I also work tomorrow from 3-close, and it looks like most of next week, too, same time.

Well, that is all for now!

Puzzles

As part of our sorority, each year the seniors are given "alum chums". Alumni of our chapter choose a senior to become her alum chum. It is similar to a secret santa type thing, except it goes all year long. I guess it is to help keep the seniors' stress levels down a bit. :)

Anyways, so far, I have received two boxes of stuff from my alum chum, including stuff like playdough and sticky notes and candy. This last box that I got had a jigsaw puzzle in it. How did my alum chum know how much I like to do jigsaw puzzles?? I don't know, but anyways it is a 500 piece puzzle. I started it last night and finished it today (with a bit of help from Angie Kay).

Here is the finished result!

Thanks Alum Chum!! :D

Ainsley

Kristen and Ainsley came to visit us back in August, and while Ainsley was here, I got some pictures and videos of her doing some of the activities. I made it into a video with captions and music and totally did not realize I hadn't even shared it with you all!

So, here it is...sorry it's so short....and, enjoy! :)

Placement

I got my student teaching placement today!!! Yay!!!

I finally found out today where I will be student teaching for the spring semester. Since I am doing early childhood, I have to spend half of the time in a kindergarten class (oh shucks :)) and the other half in an older elementary class.

I will be student teaching at Highland Elementary School in Lewistown, MO. It is about 35 mins away, but I hear that they have a really good school. For the first part (I think it is something like 7 weeks), I will be in Mrs. O'Brien's 2nd grade class. That will start (at this point) on February 1st and go til March 19th. Then, starting March 24th, I will be in Mrs. Schultz' kindergarten class until May 12th.

It is kind of scary to think about, but I am also excited to get back into the classrooms.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be sure to keep you all updated. :D

More Art! :)

I thought I would share another art project that I did for my art class. Before I tell you how to make it, I thought I would show you a picture and see if you could guess how it was made.

Here you go...

Any guesses?

It is an abstract sculpture made out of....

wait for it.....

a wire hanger and panty hose!

Haha, yep, you read that right...a wire hanger and panty hose. Oh, and I guess technically, a block of wood and paint.

What we did was cut off the "hanger" part of a wire hanger to make one long piece of wire. Then, after drilling two small holes in the block of wood, we put the ends of the wire into the holes and shaped the wire how we wished. Then we placed the panty hose over the wire which created an abstract shape. Then we painted it as we wished. :)

It was quite fun, and much easier to to do than describe. :)

Here are a few more pictures...and believe me, it looks much cooler in person...

.

New Job!!!

Guess what?!?! I got a JOB! :D

There is a new restaurant going in in town, called Saints Avenue Cafe. It hasn't opened yet, so I haven't actually started working yet. But last night, we all got together and filled out tax forms and such. We are meeting again on Thursday for an orientation of sorts. They were originally going to open on November 1st, but I think it will be later than that.

As far as what I will be doing, I believe I will be a waitress. It is a sit-down restaurant. I believe it is similar to a Golden Corral. The menu has a variety of items....from breakfast to appetizers to sandwiches to steaks, seafood...and of course salad and desserts.

I am super excited to have a job again...but I am a little nervous because it is new and I have never waitressed before.

But, just wanted to update you all!

Swing-a-thon

Hey all!

Next weekend, October 23rd-24th, Sigma Kappa Sorority, here at Culver-Stockton College, is holding our annual Swing-a-thon! What is Swing-a-thon, you may ask? No, it is not a large swing dance competition. :) It is one of our fundraisers for our major philanthropies, Alzheimer's Disease Research and Gerontology (the study of aging). We have a porch swing in the back of our house that we use for this. For 36 hours, a Sigma Kappa must be sitting on that swing. In the past, we would ask for donations to get us to sit on the swing. Now, we generally just donate some of our own money for the cause, because we are all required to sit at least an hour on the swing. All of the money goes to the Sigma Kappa Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease Research.

This time, I am going to try something new. I am going to ask all of you to participate as well by donating money to the cause! I have already signed up for an hour on the swing...but there are still spots open! If you would like to see me sit on the swing for more than an hour, or if you would just like to help us out, please donate money! :) Obviously, there is not much time left before the event, but if I receive some money, I WILL sign up to swing some more. :) Please do not feel obligated to donate, but if you are interested, I would be greatly appreciative!

To give you an idea of how much fun we have with Swing-a-thon, let me tell you a bit more. First off, remember one of us has to be on the swing at all times for 36 hours straight? Well, that means during the middle of the night as well! Although I personally have never held a 3am shift (due to inability to stay up all night), I have heard those are the best times! With cold weather setting in, it is a perfect opportunity to snuggle up in some warm blankets with some hot chocolate and sisters! Oftentimes, some of the fraternity guys will come down and play football or keep us company. It is all GREAT fun and for an AWESOME cause!

So, if you feel led to donate money to help Alzheimer's Disease Research, please send a check, made out to SIGMA KAPPA SORORITY, to the following address:

Sigma Kappa Sorority

MSC #122

1 College Hill

Canton, MO 63435

Please write SWING-A-THON or ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH in the memo. You can also send cash to the address, if you feel comfortable doing so.

Thank you!

YAY

So I forgot to include this in my last post. I got a letter yesterday saying that I have been accepted into the Student Teaching Program at Culver-Stockton College. YAY!!! I also got a bar of chocolate with the letter...that's what I was really happy about.... :)

Fall Time

I officially declare it fall time. :) Not like it's really up to me at all...but I am finally willing to admit that summer is over and fall is here. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are turning, and every time I walk out the door, it smells like fall. What does fall smell like you ask? Hard to explain. But I think you know what I mean. :)

I also got pumpkin pie tonight. Yay!!! :) Definitely a perfect fall-time treat.

Ok, so it has been cool here for several days now. However, my room was still crazy hot. We had the air on for a long time, but for some reason, our room was still crazy hot. So last night, I gave in and opened the window and turned the fan on. I left the air on...I guess just for air circulation, because it wasn't exactly cold air...outside was colder. Anyways, the window was open and the air on all day today. When I got back from economics class, I walked into a SAUNA. Holy smokes, it was HOT HOT HOT. I could not figure out why it was sooo hot when it was fine an hour earlier. But then, I knew what had happened. The school turned the heat on. Remember, this is a college. I have no control over whether our unit produces cold air or hot air. I only have control over the temperature (to an extent) and how high it is on. So when the school turns the heat on....the heat is on for good. Chances are the air won't be turned on again until summer time. Anyways, just one more way I know it is now fall time.

I am looking forward to more colorful leaves, more pumpkin pie, and Thanksgiving. :D

Check it out!!

My sister is having a giveaway on her blog. She is giving away some of her homemade cards! For those of you who don't follow her blog, feel free to check it out here! :D

Art Class

So I just HAD to share with you all what I did in art class today. :)

To explain a bit, this class is all about elementary art projects that we could use in our future classroom. So she teaches us how to do them, and then we actually get to do them. It's fun. :)

So today, we used something called Scratch Art Paper. It's kind of hard to explain, but you know the "scratch & win" lottery tickets and things of that nature? Where you scratch off the covering to see what's underneath. That is the basic idea of this. Except instead of "winning" words underneath, there are colors. One of the ones I did was a multi-colored background with a black scratch-off covering. So what you did was take a small wooden stick and scratched off the black to reveal the colors underneath, and then you create a picture. It was so much fun! There are also papers that only have one color underneath, and I did one of those, too! :)

So, instead of trying to explain anymore, here are pictures of my pictures! They are way cooler in person, by the way. :) But this will give you an idea. :)

The multi-colored picture I did...

a not-very-good close up picture...trying to give you an idea of how it works ;)

the single colored one I did...

Last week was recruitment for all the sororities on campus. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Greek recruitment, let me explain it to you. This year was a little bit different from previous years. It started on Tuesday night with open houses. Girls that were interested in joining a house could stop by any of the houses and hang out with the girls in the house. Wednesday night we had an ice cream social where we all just hung out and ate ice cream. Thursday was another open house. These days were just to let the potential new girls get to know some of the girls in the houses and what the houses were like.

Friday night was Philanthropy Night, which means all the sororities come up with a craft of some kind to help one of their philanthropies. For example, one of Sigma Kappa's philanthropies is Gerontology/Alzheimer's Disease Research. So for our craft, we painted suncatchers for the residents of the local nursing home. The suncatchers are going to be part of our "Adopt a Grandparent" program that we will be setting up soon. Anyways, the new girls were split up into 3 different groups that rotated between the houses. Each group had 45 minutes at each house. Then Saturday night was Preference Night. This night is, for many of us, the most special. We get very dressed up and certain girls are selected to tell their stories of why they joined the house. There are also several small traditions that we do, such as a special poem written by one of our alumnae, and a song that is very near and dear to our hearts. Saturday night was the last night of recruitment, so it really was the last chance for the girls to see who we are. Sunday was Bid Day. This is the day when the girls decide which house they want to join, if they want to join. This is also the day when we find out which girls chose us. So...after a very long week of anticipation and excitement, we proudly welcomed 7 new girls into the Beta Mu Chapter of Sigma Kappa!! It was an exciting day, to be sure. :)

To celebrate and bond a bit, we went to Quincy to a place called "Going Bonkers". It is basically a big play area, kind of like the play places in McDonald's, except bigger. It was similar to the Playstation in Cedar Rapids...but the Playstation is better. :) But it was still fun!!

Well, as far as classes go, they are good. My first test is Friday and my next test is Monday. Yippee...NOT. :)

I just watched the movie Freedom Writers. If you have not seen it, you need to watch it. It has made me start thinking about the impact I will have on my future students. I wanted to share something with you. I received this in an email some time ago. I hope it touches you the way it touches me.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?” She paused for a second, and then began...

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?"

She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.

“I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”

Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?"

His jaw dropped; he went silent.

It's that time of the year again...

...to be going back to school! I am sorry for the lack of updates the past few months! Here's what's been going on...

• Vacation was GREAT! It was awesome to just get away from work and home for a while! I was actually away from work for 2 whole weeks and away from home for about 10 days. It was a quick and busy trip, but we had so much fun together! :)
• After the actual vacation part out east, we came back home and family time began! My cousin's wedding was that Saturday so we had family around from Thursday through like the next Tuesday I think? Don't remember exactly.
• Then it was back to work for all of us. I continued to work 40+ hours each week on my usual shift of 3-close. We have been closing at 10pm in the dining room and 10:30pm for drive-thru. I think the earliest I ever got out of there was 10:53pm and the latest was a little after 11:30pm. But generally, it was right about 11pm when we would all walk out the door.
• Yesterday, I moved back to school. Oh, except wait...back up a bit, story time. Around Tuesday or Thursday of last week I started packing. For those of you who know me at all, that is very rare for me. I usually end up packing the day before I leave to go somewhere. (To give you an idea of how rare this is, even my brother made a comment about how I never pack 4 days in advance.) Anyways, so I started packing. By Saturday, pretty much everything was packed except for like bedding and some other minor stuff. But, none of it was in the car yet. (p.s. remember the car I drive is the little Neon) In the past, EVERYTHING that I take to school fits in that little car. So, the time came for the car to be packed. To back up just a bit, earlier in the day I had gone shopping and got gas in the same car. My dad went out to move the Neon from the street to the driveway so it was easier to pack up. And....it wouldn't start. Wouldn't even turn over. Nothing. Ok, so understand this car sometimes has problems when anyone except me drives it, haha. But seriously, so my dad tried it, my mom tried it, AND I tried it. Absolutely nothing. Soo...thus begins the long process of trying to figure out what is wrong with the car. Keep in mind that at this point it is about 5:00pm on a Saturday evening. Long story short, my dad had the battery tested, it's not the battery and it's probably the starter. So, my car is out. So we proceeded to pack up the '97 camry which my brother usually drives. Oh, except first we had to go to his work and switch cars with him so we could pack it up. Sigh. Anyways, we got the car all packed up and it all fit just fine, with plenty of room left over. And I got to school just fine, car worked great. I am pretty much all unpacked and settled in. My roommate (Jessi) and I have our room set up as far as furniture and stuff but we aren't sure how long it will last. We like it for now, but we might change it in a few weeks. We'll see.
• I had my first two classes today: Geology and Macroeconomics. They went fine...let me just say that there probably won't be a lot of excitement on my part for either of those classes. They shouldn't be hard...but they also probably won't be exciting at all.
• Well, I suppose you want to see some pictures? Here are a few from our room...keep in mind nothing has been put up on the walls yet and I will do that eventually, just didn't get to it yesterday. :)

this is our door...it's a little blank right now cuz we haven't put up our white boards yet :)

this is the view from the doorway. my bed is on the right, jessi's is on the left. my desk is back in the corner by the window.

this is the "front" wall of our room (the one next to the hallway). my closet is on the left, jessi's the right. the door is on the left. jessi's bed is on the right, you can just see the corner of it.

this is a closer view of my desk area. it may seem a little cramped, but it's actually not bad. it's just my own little corner, kind of deal. again, my bed is on the right, jessi's the left.

this is the other wall. jessi's desk, plus our dressers with the tv on top. my dresser is on the left, closest to my bed, jessi's is on the right, closest to her desk.

Well, that is our room! At least as well as you can tell from pictures! Oh, for those of you who have been watching the weather craziness (or experiencing it) in Iowa this summer, here's an update on today's weather in Canton, MO.... SUNNY!!! :D Seriously, yesterday and today have both been perfectly blue skies with nice even tempertures, not too hot, not too cold. It's so awesome! I kind of forgot what nice weather was!! :) Tata for now!

Vacation!!

Well, I am sitting here in our hotel room in Boston, Massachusetts!! :) We left Sunday after church and drove for about 11 hours, but time-wise it was more like 12 because of the time change. We spent Sunday night in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and then continued on to Niagara Falls. We did the "Journey Behind the Falls" at Niagara Falls where you actually go right next to the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Falls). It was so neat to be right next to all that water pouring over the edge!! According to the facts, 34 million gallons of water are poured over the falls every minute. Wow!!! That's a lot of water!!!

We also did "Maid of the Mist", the boat that takes you right up next to the Canadian Falls. We also did the new attraction there called "Niagara's Fury". None of us were very impressed with that though--it was just a simulation-type thing, not nearly as cool as the real thing. Let's see, that was Monday and then we drove on to Boston. We arrived late again, so we had two late nights in a row, but it's been good! Today we went whale watching; it was great!! We had several sightings of the same mom and calf humpback whales. It was really neat to be that close to wild whales! Then later we went to visit the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument. The USS Constitution was really neat--lots of history! Bunker Hill was okay, we were all already tired and we had to climb 294 steps!! It was a really good work-out!

Currently we are lounging in our hotel room, just enjoying some relaxation time. I was going to upload some pictures but they are taking too long and I'm impatient! :) I will try again some other time!

What is the purpose??

Earwigs. Just the name of the things creeps me out. Living in the basement of my house, I have had several run-ins with these creepy crawlers. I recently read a friend's blog that discussed how they had to "bomb" their house because of all the earwigs. I shudder just to think about that many earwigs in my house. Pondering these things, I started to tell myself that they were the worst of all of God's creation. But I stopped myself. To back up just a bit, I am scared of and hate plenty of different insects. Bees, for one. Spiders, for another. And earwigs. You will almost (almost I said) find me running from a room screaming if there is a spider or earwig present.

So, I detest the little creatures just as much as the next person. But does that give me a right to say they are the worst of all of God's creation? After all, he created everything for a purpose. For those of us who hate spiders, we remind ourselves constantly that when they are outside they do good because they catch and eat small insects. Bats keep the mosquito population down, and bees pollinate flowers. Does that make me like any of those things more? Heck no. But it does put my thinking into perspective. So, how come we never hear what good earwigs do? Personally, I think it is because there is not a single person on this earth (okay, except maybe scientists) who actually want to find some good in the things.

But, nevertheless, I worked up my courage (haha) to google the purpose of earwigs on this earth, half expecting to get no results. To my dismay, there was an answer. Sigh. Turns out we can't get rid of all the earwigs on the planet because they do serve a purpose. According to John A. Jackman, an extension survey entomologist at the Texas Agricultural Extension Service at Texas A&M University, earwigs feed "on both dead and living insects as well as mosses, lichens, algae, fungi and occasionally some growing plants." So, see, they do have a purpose in this world. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, this article also mentioned that earwigs do NOT reproduce indoors. Yay!

Anyways, I thought it was interesting that we so often fail to realize how every creature, plant, animal, and person has a purpose in this world set forth by God alone. If he even has a purpose for the earwigs that everyone hates, how much more of a purpose do you think he has for you and me?

Wow...

Okay, wow, I am soo sorry to all of you!! It has been WAY too long since I updated you all on stuff!! I have been keeping pretty busy. Here's what I have been up to:

• finishing an online class--went great! got an A in the class (it was a really easy class, in my opinion)
• started teaching Sunday School for the 3's--absolutely LOVE it!! :) I love getting to know all the kids and spending time with them and teaching them.
• helped plan, organize, and execute the preschool VBS--it was a great week! we had anywhere from 20-21 2-4 year olds with 5 adults and 2 youth workers. we did everything from play outside to playing with playdough to crafts to finger painting with pudding (which was a favorite :) )
• been working anywhere from 38-42 hours every week...getting really nice paychecks!! :)

Okay, so it doesn't seem like that much when I write it out like that...BUT it has been keeping me busy! Weatherwise, last week was incredibly hot and humid (90s) and we had a couple of thunderstorms. One storm...which was mainly wind...took out one of the trees in our back yard. :( It was one of the ones we had planted when we moved in about 19 years ago. We used to call it the "big bird" tree because it had this one branch that would grow out of the very top and it made the tree look kind of like Big Bird from Sesame Street. My mom, brother, and I did a count of how many trees we have ever had in our yard...we came up with 16. Currently we have 8 left standing. So sad!!

So, at the final program for VBS last week, they made scotcharoos for dessert. They were very yummy, and of course, there were some left over. Now, having the connections that we do...Mom being the Children's Ministries Director and all...we got some leftovers. Of course, there were not nearly enough ;), so I decided to make some today. I made a single batch, which equaled out to be a 9x13" pan. I had one when they were done. Then I went to work at 3. I got home about 30 mins ago and my family was asleep. Now, mind you, I don't know the full story, but what would you think?? I went to go have another one and HALF the pan is GONE!!!! Keep in mind, it was only my mom, dad, and brother at home!! Now, they could have put some in the freezer, which would be great, but somehow I doubt they made it that far... ;) Sigh, guess I will have to make some more. Shucks, right?? :)

Anyways, guess that is it for now. I have the next 2 days off of work...yay!! I'm ready to relax a bit!

And the summer begins...

Okay, so I feel kind of bad that I haven't posted much recently! Sorry about that! I've been crazy busy these past few weeks! Here's what has happened lately:

• I successfully "junior marshalled" the seniors of Culver-Stockton College during Graduation this year...it was pretty exciting! Oh, and this will only mean something to those of you who have been in band...I never have to perform "Fanfare and Pro/Recessional" ever again!!! I didn't have to perform it this year because I walked in and out with the seniors....and next year I will BE a senior! (for those of you who are confused...it's the songs that are played when the seniors march in and out...it gets a little old after playing it over and over 5 different years...)
• went to a 21st birthday party for one of my friends...at Hard Rock Cafe in St. Louis! good times! ... and a little scary, too, because soon I will be 21!!
• FINALLY made it home, just in time for Mother's Day. Yay!
• Started (and now finished) my junior early field experience for school. I needed 40 hours in an upper elementary classroom and had to teach 2 lessons. I was in a 4th and 5th grade reading/math improvement class (okay, there were actually 4 classes, but some of the kids were in 2 classes...4th reading/LA, 5th reading/LA, 4th math, and 5th math). my lessons went really well, and I enjoyed it a lot! Never thought I would ever be happy with the older kids, but I know now that I would! :)
• started working again at culver's...yay!! been working about 40 hours each week...5 nights a week, anywhere from 7-9 hours at a time...always closing (which means not getting home til at the earliest 11:15pm). it's been pretty exhausting since i had to get up at 7 on the weekdays for school!
• i'm taking an online class currently...it's going well, it doesn't seem like it will be too hard. 3 quizzes, 2 papers, and like 6ish discussion questions. Not bad at all for a 3 credit hour class!
• i did 7 loads of laundry the other night...yes, it was all mine...no, it wasn't even all of it...hahaha. 
• this is totally random, but again i had someone ask me if i was engaged...haha, because of my purity ring on my right hand. :)

Well, I think that is about it...hope I didn't forget anything! :) I am really excited for the summer and all that comes with it! 

Almost Done!

I am almost done with my junior year of college! Craziness!! 

I just have some homework items to complete for my online class, hours and paperwork to complete for another class, and then I will be considered a senior! Yay! I am also taking an online class this summer (American Government and Politics)...should be interesting. 

I  will also be working at Culver's over the summer, like usual. I am also helping teach the preschoolers for Vacation Bible School at my church this summer, as well as teaching preschool sunday mornings in the summer. Should be a pretty busy summer! But I am looking forward to it a lot!

I will be home for the summer on Sunday, Mother's Day. So close yet so far away!!

I am just glad that the weather is nice...makes it all seem so much better when the sun is shining!

Well, I have to go to work...more later!

I received this in an email. Please read:

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.

They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women.. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun.. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,

Your words are empty air.

You've stripped away our heritage,

You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,

And precious children die.

You seek for answers everywhere,

And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws,

Through legislative creed.

And yet you fail to understand,

That God is what we need!

Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge..... Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"

Pictures

So, here are the pictures from formal. Sorry they are a bit late!

YIPPEE!!!

So...grrreeaattt news! It is FINALLY spring here! Yay!! Annnddd....I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH MY 12 WEEK CLASSES!!!! That is the most exciting news of all... :) And, I figured out last night, that I don't have to sit in a class until the fall! How cool is that?? (I have an online class for the 3 week and the summer and I'm doing a field experience in May.)

Since I am done with my 12 week classes, that means I had finals, right? Yep. All 5 of 'em. I had one Tuesday morning at 8am, one Tuesday afternoon at 1:15pm, one Wednesday morning at 10:30am, one Wednesday afternoon at 1:15pm, and one Thursday morning at 8am. Whew! But they went well...the one Wednesday morning was for my night class. Since the school doesn't schedule finals for night classes and our class consisted of only 3 people, our prof just let us choose when we wanted to take it. She actually works down at the elementary school in town, so she told us that whenever we were ready, we could just come on down to the school to her room and take the test (she works in special education). So Angie and I went down at 10:30am (actually a little after), and I think we were back by 10:50am. It seriously took us 5 minutes to take the test...no joke. It was like maybe 15-20 multiple choice questions and 5 true/false questions. It was super easy...but that was nice because the rest of our finals weren't like that. But, like I said, they weren't bad, either. I feel confident about all of them. :)

Last night we had our formal dance for Sigma Kappa. It was amazing! I wore my maid-of-honor dress from my sister's wedding. The dance was actually held outside which was amazing because the weather had been pretty nasty up til yesterday. The place that it was at overlooked the Mississippi River, so the view was gorgeous! I will post pictures later...I didn't take any with my camera, so I have to wait for other people to get the pictures to me :).

Well, that's about it for now...oh except to say that today is Coleton's 2nd birthday!! Yay! (he's the boy I babysit) Happy Birthday Coleton!!

LOVE IT!!

I just heard the CUTEST sound in the world!!! A little boy, who is not quite 2, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star all by himself! Sooo adorable! I recorded it on my phone, but I can't transfer it to here unfortunately...I wish you all could hear it!

Where does God fit?

Since when does it violate a person's consitutional rights to say marriage should only be between a man and a woman? ... Well, I guess since this country stopped following God's law and made our own.

It discourages me to think that people are still so desparately trying to get whatever they want whenever they want it. This country was founded on the basis of freedom, yes, but all too often we take that idea and stretch it to fit our own needs. Our founders wanted religious freedom, so no one is allowed to say anything about religion in any public place. Except doesn't that go against our freedom of speech?? Life in this country was supposed to be good and free and happy--and it is. People give up everything, even their lives, just for a chance to be in our country. But this country was also founded because the pilgrims did not like the government of England dictating their lives. Yet, our country is doing exactly that. Maybe not to the same extent as England, but times have changed. Nevertheless, our government believes it has a right, no a duty, to tell us what we can and cannot do. I'm not talking about laws such as the ones against murder and stealing and other various crimes. I'm not talking about traffic lights and stop signs and speed limits. Those laws are in place to protect us as citizens and I respect that. What I am talking about is our government saying kids can't pray in school, this school can have money but that one can't, etc.

Yet our government still doesn't even follow that. It seems to me our government can't decide whether it wants us to be free and do what we want or rule our lives. No one is allowed to murder anyone under any circumstance, oh, unless it is an unborn child. Then the mother has a right to murder her child. Say WHAT?? A mother has a RIGHT to murder her child? No religion is to be brought into the schools or workplace at all. However, if a company has people who practice anything other than Christianity, then they can take any days off that are for their religion. BUT, if those same people want to work on Christmas Day, then by all means, those who actually celebrate Christmas must work as well. Does that make any sense to anyone, really??

I realize running a government is a very difficult job to have. I'm not wanting to run for any office. However, I think it is high time that our government decide whether it wants us to be our own people or be puppets of the government. Honestly, I don't think it should be either. Those are the extremes. There should be laws and rules in place; they are necessary to protect us. I don't want everyone doing whatever they want; that's not the answer. Our world would be chaotic like that. But what happened to following God's law? When did it become okay to murder your own child if you felt it would cause problems?? When did it become okay to be intimate with someone of the same sex?? When did our world decide it had a better chance of happiness and success without God??

I am by no means saying that I know the right way or always do the right thing. Far from it. I mess up just as much as the next person and am constantly fighting my self. But I know and believe wholeheartedly that God does know the right way and God does know what is best for me and for you. I may not like where He takes me or how he gets me there, but in the end, it doesn't matter. God wants me, all of me. He created me. He knew who I was, what I was going to be like, how many hairs I would have on my head, before I even existed. What right have I to go against Him? What right have I to decide what should happen in my life, when my life wouldn't even exist without Him?

God is the Creator of this world and everything in it and the entire universe. You know, sometimes I think we forget that. We say, oh yeah, God created this world and everything in it. We may even say, yes, God created the stars and the moon and sun and planets. But it stops there. It stops with what we know and can see around us. But God didn't stop there. God created an entire universe full of things we can't ever hope to comprehend. Why must we always limit Him and His power? Why must we always think we can understand and comprehend God? We can't. Our minds are far too small and narrow to ever comprehend the smallest part of God. Yet, He wants to be a part of our lives. He wants to reveal Himself to us. So, where does God fit? God doesn't fit anywhere; you can't fit God into a box. But He can be a part of our lives, if we let Him. I want Him to be a part of my life...scratch that. I want Him to be my life. Do you?

Busy, busy, busy

Hey all! Sorry it's been a bit since I've posted. I actually have free time today...the first time since Saturday! So here's what's been going on lately... :)

For those of you who received letters from me regarding St. Jude's and Up 'Til Dawn, the final party was last Friday night. We found out how much money Culver-Stockton raised...over $41,000!!! Pretty sweet, huh? And all of that was just from people at Culver sending out letters...we only have like 800 students total and not everyone participated! Everyone was very excited!! :)

Sunday, I did homework all day...go figure. Sunday night we had a meeting, and then an event after that, which lasted until about 11:30pm. Monday was my craziest day. Ready for this?? I had an 8am class, then I had to pick up 3 packages, then a class at 10:20, then lunch. Then I came back to my room, organized the hoodies that were in two of the packages I received, then headed off to a 12:45 class and a 1:55 class. Then I went back to my room, finished up with the hoodies, figured out what my part was for the event that night, then headed off to band. After band, I went to supper, after which, I headed straight to my 6pm class. Class got over at 7pm, at which time I came back to the house, showered, changed, and headed downstairs to prepare for the event (in which I had to have stuff memorized that I hadn't looked at yet). So I worked on memorizing my stuff and figuring out who was supposed to do what when, and then we conducted the event, which went great, by the way. Then I went to the CP and got food (good thing, right?) and then came back to my room and worked on stuff until 11:30pm. And then I crashed...like literally. I was in the middle of working on something that didn't have to be done the next day, but I was afraid I would forget about it. It got to the point where I couldn't concentrate and I was getting frustrated with every single little thing (like if my computer didn't do exactly what I wanted it to do exactly when I wanted it to do it). Soo...I made a smart choice and went to bed. Whew. It was the longest day of my life, I think, with very few breaks.

Okay, so then Tuesday (yesterday) wasn't quite as crazy as Monday, but still pretty busy. I babysat, then went to a Greek-sponsored Chapel, then tutored. Then...I went downstairs and helped set up for Initiation and worked on memorizing the parts I needed to for that night. Then I rushed back upstairs, showered, changed, and then headed back downstairs for Initiation itself. It went well, and didn't take long. But, after it was over, I was completely exhausted. And it was only like 8pm. I watched a movie, and then went to bed at 10:30pm...which is early for a college kid, but I couldn't function anymore.

Today has been pretty laid back...except I almost forgot about a meeting over lunch. Thankfully, Angie reminded me about it...yay!! :) But anyways, I don't have band tomorrow, and no class on Friday, which means the rest of the week is going to be pretty laid back and easy! I am looking forward to it :)

Can you believe March is almost over??? It boggles my mind...I mean, wasn't it just February like 2 days ago?? Only two weeks of classes left, then finals, and this part of the semester is over! So weird!!

Oh, and another thing that happened in the midst of my crazy week! I got nominated to be a Junior Marshal at graduation this year!! Woohoo! :D And, of course, I accepted. :) I had to be there anyways for band...so it works out perfectly!

Well, that is all for now...I think. More to come later...

Spring is a coming...

I am sure you all will agree with me when I say Spring is most definitely welcome! Just a few more days til Spring is "technically" here...and I know we could still get snow and cold weather since we are in the Midwest...however, I won't let that dampen my spirits!! I am feeling good! :)

Yesterday was my first day back to school with classes and all. It was a very good day. :) I just got back from babysitting Coleton. According to his mom, Sara, he talked about me the entire spring break...how sweet! Apparently he somehow knows when it is Tuesday and Thursday (the days I watch him) because on Tuesday and Thursday of last week, he kept asking his mom where "Miss Kendra" was. She explained to him that I was in Iowa and then Texas. He didn't believe her because his response was, "No, Miss Kendra (is) up the hill." (they live in the part of Canton that is down the hill from the college, so I live "on the hill".) Pretty cute, huh? I can't believe how big he is getting already! In only a month, he will be 2. I started babysitting him when he was 5 months old...crazy!!

Anyways, about the rest of my break. I flew to Dallas early Wednesday morning (arriving at 8ish). Heath, Kristen, and Ainsley were all there to greet me. :) We took Heath to work then Kristen, Ainsley and I drove home. I played with Ainsley for a little bit, then she went down for a nap...and I did, too. I ended up sleeping for like 3 hours...wow. But, remember, I had woken up that morning at 4:15am so I was pretty beat. The rest of the day I just hung out with Ainsley and Kristen, until Heath got home. The rest of my time there was much the same...minus the 3 hour nap...but I did take some cat naps, I think at least 2 a day. (I got spoiled ;) ) We had some AMAZING food made by my sister. Did I ever tell you how AWESOME of a cook she is?? Well, I am telling you now. I don't remember the name of the dish she made Wednesday night, but it had chicken and rice and it was good! Thursday night we had pork...with some type of glaze on it...don't remember exactly? But also with cooked apples, and it was really tasty! Friday night was pizza night! Woo hoo! Again...amazing. Then Saturday night they took me out to eat at Olive Garden...yummy! It was definitely hard to come back to school food yesterday...

All in all a good break! And now I am back at school and suddenly the weather has turned amazing! Even though I have been waiting for spring for like FOREVER, it is still hard for me to believe that it is finally, actually here! Yay!!!

BREAK!

So I know it's been a little while since I've posted anything...so here you go! ;)

I am currently on spring break...yay! I came home Friday afternoon...ended up working Friday night and Saturday night. Then Sunday night, my dad, brother, and I went to a concert in Davenport...with Third Day, Brandon Heath, and Revive. It was AMAZING!!! I know we all had a great time!

Then yesterday (Monday) I got my haircut...woohoo! It's short again! I love having my hair short :). Then I worked again...yippee...not. It wasn't too bad of a night...I guess... Because of how many people called in sick, we originally would have only had 6 people the entire night, with 3 closers. Not cool. The minimum amount of people we like to have there is 9...and that's on a slow night. Which Monday night is a slow night...so that's good. But 6 people was pushing it a bit. So the Cedar Rapids store sent 3 of their people over to help us out for the night...so that put us with 9 people and 6 closers...much better! Oh and I was the only manager there from like 4:30pm til close. So I was in charge the whole night...which was fine...but definitely different. I have been in charge before but not for that amount of time...usually there is another manager there until 8pm. But it was okay...because we were slow, we got a lot of things done early so we were done closing by 10:30pm (the store closes at 10pm) . The night went without a hitch...well, sort of... I had a young kid (probably 4) get sick and not quite make it to the toilet in time, so I had to clean up that mess. Then I had a lady yell at me for a good 5 minutes because her flavor of the day (strawberry shortcake) didn't have enough strawberries in it for her. She told me she wanted to be compensated...and then proceeded to tell me that she means she wants her money back. And I'm thinking...yes I know what compensated means...do I look that young? Anyways, then she somehow brought the bad economy into it all...I don't remember exactly what she said, but she was extremely irate. Anyways, I gave her her money back and gave her a new pint of custard, making sure that every inch of it had strawberries in it...seriously.

So that was my night last night...kind of a weird night. Today I haven't been doing much...laundry and packing mainly. Tomorrow morning (bright and early) I leave to go to Dallas to see Kristen, Heath, and Ainsley...woohoo!!...I am spending til Sunday with them :). Then Sunday I go back to school because classes start again on Monday. Fun fun. :)

"I don't know how to make good people!"

This is what I said to Jessi as we were walking back to the house tonight after our Greek Life Task Force meeting. In our meetings, we have been working on a strategic plan for Greek Life based on 6 areas we felt were the most important: Recruitment, Public Relations, Scholarship, Inter-Greek Relations, Leadership Development, and Community Standards. Tonight we were focusing on the last one: Community Standards, how we hold each other accountable. Bob (the Director of Greek Life) at one point asked us all how our respective sorority/fraternity was founded. We all answered similarly: a handful of people (3-8) got together and decided they wanted to start something new, something that bound all of them together and meant something. Bob's point was that we get so bogged down in the rules, regulations, and policies that we forget the reason we are in our sorority/fraternity. We forget what this is supposed to mean to us, what it meant to our founders.

He then asked us how that is connected to Community Standards. We didn't really know what to say. One guy piped up and said we need to make sure our members know our standards and live them. Bob's next question to us was: how do you live that out? How do you get your members to live it and not just know it?

This really convicted me for a few reasons: 1) Am I living out our standards? Do I know our standards well enough to live them out? 2) What is our house doing to educate our members on our standards and how to live them out? and lastly...as he was talking about this, I felt like he was asking us to make good people, to make our members good people who uphold our standards. Through talking to Jessi about this, I exclaimed, "I don't know HOW to make good people!" While that wasn't really Bob's point, it got me thinking. How ARE good people "made"?

The first thought that went through my head was God. Living for God changes a person, changes how they act and who they are. Yet there are many people in this world that are considered "good" people, not good according to God's standards, but to man's. So how do those people become good? The next thought that went through my head: parents. The way a person is raised has a lot to do with how they act and who they become. Growing up, I heard several people comment to my parents on how good we (the kids) were, how well-behaved we were, etc. I know a lot of this has to do with their relationships with God and the love for God that they instilled in each of us. However, I believe there is more to it than that as well. My parents were AMAZING parents...still are. No, they don't do everything right, they aren't perfect, no one is. But my parents brought up four kids in such a way that has been admired by many. They made good people out of us, with God's help. I can only hope and pray to be the same kind of parent someday. So, here's to you, Mom and Dad, and to all you have done for me and my brothers and sister. Thank you for making me who I am today. I LOVE YOU!

Update

Okay, so here is the promised update! Things have been pretty busy around here (obviously :) ). So here's what's been going on with me lately...

Last Thursday, I went to Springfield, Illinois, for a class trip. It was Lincoln's 200th birthday, so we went to the Lincoln Library and Museum, along with Lincoln's Tomb. We attended a session that started at 9 (I think), so we had to leave at 6am. Then we had a busy day going through the museum. The governor of Illinois was there, along with a Lincoln impersonator and his wife. After the museum we made a stop at the tomb, and then we drove back home. It was a long and exhausting day, even though we got back around 6pm. Here are some pictures from the trip...

Friday morning, the same class went on another field trip to St. Louis, and we left at 7am. We went first to the History Museum, where we sat in on some science sessions that were being presented to 9th grade students. After lunch, we had a tour on westward expansion. After that, we went to the Art Institute and had another tour. By this time, we were all EXHAUSTED. Actually by the time we got to the westward expansion tour, we were all exhausted. So the Art Institute was the longest hour of our lives, I think. After the Art Institute, we went to a pub (Drezzel's, I think?). We were all hungry and tired, but we still had a good time and the food was great. Then we went to our hotel for the night and basically all crashed, I think. Well, Angie and I watched one movie, and then we crashed at like 9:30pm I think it was.

Saturday morning...oh wait, I should back up a little bit. Friday night, our professor forgot to tell us when we were supposed to be ready to leave Saturday morning. So Saturday morning, our room of 4 girls decided to just be ready around 9:30ish. We guessed right. But we didn't leave until about 10:20 or so because our professor decided to lecture us in the lobby of the hotel. Anyways, we finally got on the road to the Science Center, where we spent the day. It was an awesome place, but we were all pretty tired, and it was a Saturday, so it was busy. Around 1pm we left to come back home. We got home around 5:15pm. Here are some pictures from this trip...

The model arch that Angie, Dr. Sherer and

I made

The model arch that Marc, Arif, and Kyle made

Saturday night, Angie and I babysat for one of our advisors, Tammy. She and her husband went to a party with the college president, so we watched their 3 boys and 1 girl. The oldest boy is in 2nd grade I think, then the next boy is 4 I think, then 2-3, and the girl is about 3 months old. It was a great ending to a long and exhausting day.

Sorority life is going well, busy, but well. Babysitting is also going well; Coleton always greets me when I arrive with a smile and a "Hi, Miss Kendra." It is the cutest thing! I don't have any recent pictures of him, but here are some old ones...

He loves Thomas the Train Engine!!!

Showing off his train table...

Also on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am tutoring a 2nd grade boy in reading, for one of my classes. His name is Douglas and he is a sweetheart! Things are going well with him...here is a picture of us together today...

Well, that is all for now!

Coming soon!

Hey all I know it has been awhile since I've updated you on everything! Just wanted to let you know an update will be coming soon! As soon as I get unbusy...haha. :)

So....

...just a random (really random) comment... :)

My window is currently open...like really really open!! Oh and for the first time in like 4 months, I had to open my window in my car today to get it to be at a comfortable temperature! I didn't have to turn the heat on, no air conditioning...I LOVE this weather!!!!!

Anyways, that's it, just wanted to share my excitement on the amazing weather! :)

Coleton

So as many of you know, I babysit here at school. I babysit for the chaplain and his wife. They have two boys, ages 4 and almost 2. The 4 year old is Charlie Banks (no, I don't know why they call him Charlie Banks, his name is Charles...no clue) and the almost 2 year old is Coleton. I have babysat these two boys since freshman year, so for a little over two years now. I love them! They are soo much fun to play with and interact with. This semester, I have only been watching Coleton because Charlie Banks goes to daycare.

Every time I am with Coleton, I am amazed. He is about 22 months old and is growing up so fast! He has quite the charming personality and is such a sweetheart. :) This morning I went to their house and watched Sara (mom) interact with him for one of my classes. He amazes me constantly! An example of how much of a sweetheart he is...he ran up to me to give me a hug when I got there, so I picked him up (of course :) ). He talked to me a little bit about how he and mommy (Sara) were playing outside in the wagon, etc. Then he said something and I didn't quite catch what it was, but Sara interpreted for me. He said, "Bubba's sad." For those of you who don't know, Bubba is Charlie Banks. Apparently, Charlie Banks went through a phase where he would cry every time they dropped him off at daycare, and Coleton would always say, "Bubba's sad." Lately, he has just been saying it randomly, even when Charlie Banks isn't sad. But isn't that so sweet? And he says it in such a heartbreaking, sad voice, my heart melts! Sigh...

Well, anyways, I just wanted to share with everyone the adorable little boy that I am blessed to know and be able to watch from time to time. I will post some pictures later, but I have to go to class now. :)

Been awhile...

I know it has been awhile since I have posted anything...sorry for that! I've been pretty busy, and then my computer decided to be crazy and not work...but, that is all taken care of now and I have my computer back! Yay! I was only without it for about two days...much better than the last time I had to get my computer fixed and went without a computer for about a month and a half and ended up getting a new computer because of everything that happened. Anyways, that's a whole different story, and a long one at that, and I am glad to have my computer back!

So, what have I been up to? Mainly just school and sorority and work stuff. I worked last weekend, except Sunday because our meeting for my sorority got moved up because of the Super Bowl. So that was my weekend, not all that exciting. This week has just been kind of a blur. My roommate and I have been having this weird phenomenon for two weeks in a row now. Our Tuesdays always feel like Thursdays. In other words, the beginning of our weeks seem to go really really slow. However, for me anyways, by the time I reach Thursday or Friday I am always wondering where the week went.

This weekend is fairly busy weekend for me. One of my sorority's national officers is coming to conduct officer training all day on Saturday. She is spending the night Saturday and then doing individual meetings with specific officers on Sunday (myself included). Then Sunday night, as usual, we have a meeting. I also have about 4 things due in my classes on Monday.

Well, that is all for now. I need to work on some stuff.

It's official...

...it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep our room at a comfortable temperature for more than a few hours. I don't know about anyone else, but I always wake up a little bit chilled. Not necessarily while I'm still in bed, but as soon as I get out of bed, I'm freezing. It doesn't matter where I am sleeping at, I am always cold when I wake up. Is there something scientific about this phenomenon? I mean I always figured something along the lines of my body didn't need to produce as much heat when I was sleeping so when I wake up it can't keep up with how warm I want to be. I guess??

Anyways, back to the room...when I wake up in the morning and am invariably cold, I turn the heater on. Makes sense, right? Well, the problem is, by the time I get back from my first class or babysitting (no more than an hour and a half later), our room is BURNING UP. So, I do the sensible thing and turn the heater off. However, by the next time I come back to our room, straight from outside where it's in the single digits, our room feels cool again and I can't get warm. So, once again, I turn the heater on. But then...I think you get the point. ;)

In our last room, it was ALWAYS hot. We turned the heater on maybe twice?? Half of the rest of the time, we had the window open...yes, in the winter, our window was open. Never for very long, but it was that hot in our room. So, needless to say, I am not used to being chilled in my room and I am definitely not used to having to mess with our heater. Oh, the other thing, we have a thermostat in our room to set the temperature, right? Well, it doesn't matter what temperature the thermostat is on; if the heater is on, it stays on til you turn it off, which is why it gets so hot in our room.

Ah, the wonders of college campuses...

My new room :)

Well, I am officially moved and settled into my new room. It is a bit bigger than my last room, which is nice, and it is also on second floor, so when I come in the front door I don't even have to go up any steps to get to my room. It's great. ;)


Here is a video showing the room. My bed is the one with the multicolored bedspread; my desk is at the end of my bed. My dresser is next to the door, with my closet right next to it. Enjoy!!

MOVING!!!

I AM MOVING TODAY!!! Yay! So, the whole moving process in our house is happening this weekend!! Woohoo! My roomie and I will be moving into our new room today/tonight along with some other girls and the rest of the moves are happening this weekend.

Aaannnnddd....I haven't packed up. hehe...oops! Okay, well, I did pack up my books off of my bookshelf...but that's about it...and I might actually put them back on the shelf and just carry it down as is so that I can have my boxes for the rest of my stuf...we'll see.

It's colder again today :(...yesterday it was like 45 degrees. AmAzInG!! I kept having to remind myself yesterday that it was still January...sigh, oh well.

Well, I have to go to class now, just wanted to update you all on the moving situation! :)

My schedule for the week

Today we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As such, we did not have classes today, which was a nice little break. However, I did still have to attend three lectures for one of my classes (one at 10, one at 11, one at 1). But they weren't too bad, considering I'm not much of a fan for lectures (who is??). Afterwards, Angie and I went to the CP and got some food and I had this amazing sandwich. Want to know what was in it?? It was turkey, ham, and american cheese...yeah, I know nothing too exciting, right? But it was AMAZING!! I don't know, maybe I was just that hungry. Anyways, then we came back to the house and I worked on my room some.

For those of you who don't know, I am still in the same room I was in last semester, for now anyways. The whole room switching thing was supposed to happen last semester but we had some issues and we've been working on figuring it all out. I think everything is finally figured out, as in all of our girls finally have a room lined up (I hope). So, sometime this week we should be moving around and stuff. I am currently on third floor, and I will be moving with my roomie (Jessi) down to second floor. So anyways I came back and cleaned my room a little bit and packed up my books in boxes so it would be easier to move them. My room is clean once again :) yay.

Tonight was our first sorority meeting of the semester, with me as president. Since it was a formal meeting, I was in charge of it. Let me tell you...I was scared to death before it started. But it turned out my fear was unnecessary because I did just fine! :) It's still a little weird for me to think that I am the president, but running that meeting makes it feel a little more real.

Tomorrow, I also do not have classes (I normally don't have class on Tuesdays). So, if you think about it I have a four day weekend from Saturday to Tuesday. Pretty cool, huh? I just realized that today...I was excited! Granted, I still have to babysit tomorrow morning and then go to work and I need to meet with someone, but I still consider it a kind of day off. Oh, and then Wednesday, my 8am class was cancelled, so I get to sleep in then too! Yay!! Should be a pretty good week...

Wednesday night I have a meeting, Thursday we are having our pictures taken for our composite as a sorority, and Saturday I have a couple of meetings, but other than that a pretty easy week! Oh, one of the boys I babysit, Charlie Banks, turns 4 on Friday!! Woohoo!

Well, I think that is it...I hope! I just bought a new planner this weekend so I can keep track of everything I have going on...good idea, huh? Yeah, I thought so, too. ;)

First Day

Today was a day of firsts for me. It may not seem like a lot to anyone else, but today was a busy day for me. Here they are:

1. first day back at school...5 classes today
2. first day i actually did anything as the president of my sorority
3. first time eating the school food after 3 weeks...
4. first time i've had to miss band because of another class (don't worry, it was the last, too)
5. first time i've come back to school and didn't unpack everything (actually this was last night, and i will be moving soon so thats why i didn't unpack)

You can see what a crazy day it was...and that is only half of it. I got an important call during one of my classes that of course I couldn't take, but then after class, I had an hour before my next one. My friend and I spent the entire hour going back and forth between Johnson and Johann, meeting with a couple of different women in the administration on an issue, that I hope is soon to be completely resolved.

So, it was really crazy today, but tomorrow will be more relaxed (I hope!). I do not have any classes tomorrow, but I do have to work, and I also agreed to babysit Tuesday mornings now. But that is all I have tomorrow, which will seem really light compared to my 5 (supposed to be 6 with band) classes today and all the running around I did. But all in all, I think it was a good day and I feel good about where things are heading. Although it was crazy today and a little stressful, after accomplishing so much, I always feel good at the end of the day.

2009...

Anther year has passed us by and I am still trying to catch up. Where on earth did 2008 go?? I am still surprised that 2009 is already here. In sunday school class this morning, the leader asked us all to share what we were anticipating in 2009. Most people couldn't really come up with anything. I came up with something, but afterwards I was kind of like...um, is that really all I look forward to in this coming year? I said that what I was looking forward to was that at the end of this year, I will only have a semester of college left. While that is exciting for me, I realize now how anxious that makes me sound. How much it makes me sound like I am not looking forward to this year, only to it being done and over with. That is not exactly true. While I do not have any huge plans for this year yet, I should still be looking forward to it right? It is a brand new year with countless new opportunities and experiences.

One lady in class this morning made a good point--what if this year Christ returned for us? What if this is the year of the Lord's return? While we can't know for sure, it puts a whole different perspective on this year, does it not? Suddenly, all these thoughts pop into my head about changing the way I am living to be ready for the Lord's coming. Yet these thoughts only pop into my head at the beginning of a new year because a lady said something about it in sunday school class?? That's not right.

I should be living every day as if today was the day of the Lord's return. Yet all too often I find myself thinking that I can do that later, that I have plenty of time. But I have no clue when Jesus will come back; no one except God knows the day or hour or year. And it is meant to be that way. And because of that, I should--we all should--be living each and every day as if it were our last on this earth, should we not? I feel very convicted.