Midget Postage

Ok.. so blogger has something against me.. officially. it has taken me like 3 or 4 times to actually get to be able to post about thanksgiving.

It was fantastic. Stephen's family is amazing, I had the best time.
Noteworthy moments:

Realizing our moms would get along perfectly.
Beating up Thomas (youngest brother) as if I hadn't just met him 2 hours before.
Hugging a bear made out of a fake bush and other fun Opreyland pictures.
Watching home movies of stephen... nice blush kid.
Getting beaten in Spite and Malice for the first and LAST time by stephen.
Taking a Family Trivia game for David in his absence... he failed.. hehhehe
Giving a "talking to" to Stephen.
Electric blankets and ladybugs.
Mario Twins: www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/mario.php
Davids happy sad face and the nightmares to follow.
Hating life watching the Chronicles of Riddick.
Fabulous coffee EVERY MORNING... and my own personal Lucky Charms
Luke. Period. oh yah.. and cheesecake, and "I love you baby"
Getting Fazoli's with Greg.. sorry kid, I dont date people whose age is within four years of my own.

Summation: Stephen's family was awesome. I didnt feel like a stranger. and I assume I got a thumbs up.. even though I called them a flock instead of a herd.

WE MADE IT!!

Hey kids, thought I would leave y'all with an update on how things are going over/down/up here in nashville. We got here on tuesday pretty smoothly with some fun in the airport. We got to color with a lil four yr old named kelsey that was adorable, and sprint between terminals in Nashville. Drove around town some when we got there to see some of the city. Its a neat place so far. Stephen's family is fantastic, as expected. Wednesday we went to the opreyland hotel and chilled out for movies and such. Today we went to turkey dinner with the fam and had a blast. They kept telling me they arent that insane all the time but I dont believe them, and I am glad. If they arent as insane as they were today, I may not fit in when they calm down. Needless to say it was a blast. We are chillin with Stephen's bro David now, and the rest of the weekend will be spent chilling and hangin with buds n such. Thomas has become my funmusic pal. He's a slickshoes, mxpx, acetroubleshooter kinda kid and its awesome. He's funnnnny. More later, Im off to go find the boys and get made fun of more..
Enjoy your turkey days!!

I am perfectly calm

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matt 6:25 (Packing my stuff for tomorrow.. ehem.)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:34 (I hope I will sleep tonight)

Another verse that made my day was about not worrying how you will defend yourself. At this point Im worrying I will need to.. hhehe.. Im excited to go tomorrow. Im nervous, and Stephen if you tell your parents how nervous I am you will be dead by midight. Just thought Id let you know. hahah..

Right now I am passing time til class at 3:30. Then I am chillin for a couple hours tonight, Im skipping out on class to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. I would love to play frisbee tonight if anyone is interested.

God is so good.

What have I learned this weekend? God is so good. I have been stressing for weeks now over making sure this weekend goes well, that I would get my work done and have it be quality. I especially wanted to be able to enjoy this weekend with my dad cindy,stephen and the buds. Missions Accomplished. This weekend was fantastic. Lots and LOTS of great food, got some great time with my dad and Cindy. Got to watch Michigan get stomped (sadly..), made xmas cookies and made them well. Got to be "domestic" and cook a little as adam put it. I was proud of the skills, Cindy was a great teacher. Now all that is left is class tomorrow, I get my History grade tomorrow as well as get to finally turn in my Hindu paper. Then I get to pack and pack a little more. I want to get some stuff packed for over xmas break to go in storage for next semester. Bfast with Brookster tues including a built in "no worries" pep talk. And then we are off to Nashville. Man. Im nervous to meet the folks and fam but I am also very excited. God got me through this week with astounding food intake capacity of which I am still reeling. I trust that this week will go smoothly as well. ALthough any family that produces someone as fantastic as stephen must be fun, although slightly off kilter. But hey, in that case I should fit right in!

I decided tonight while pondering with stephen that one must be "silly" atleast once every five minutes or so. I mean, seriousness is fine 4 out of 5 minutes, but without a silly face, or a poke, or some witty banter... life would dwindle away to nothingness. I believe this wisdom is something to be coveted for all eternity. So... check your clocks and make sure you've smiled in the last five minutes, if not.. snort, pinch, tickle, even fart your way back to the safety zone of sillidom. do it. or else.

shmorrrgusbored.....

Green koolaid makes me smile...
so does 8 dollar jeans at old navy and a fuzzy fleece to pass away the chilly blues..

No tests or homework til Finals. Now thats a smile and a sigh...phew. ITS OVER!!!

My passport came today. Makes me nervous and makes me excited. I cant wait to send postcards and forget the 3 hour difference and see a new set of stars including the southern cross!!

Erin is gone today checking out Baylor and seeing friends. I will miss her. We got along so well this semester. Honesty is refreshing. I hope she finds someone she can laugh with at baylor.

I have a 22 lb turkey in my freezer.

I miss my mom. She always knows how to encourage me, what I need to hear, and doesn't hesitate to tell it straight. I can't wait to see you, hug you, and cry when I leave.

We have fire ants in our room. My toe is the size of kentucky. Well it was yesterday, its about like new hampshire now. I like that I sat and thought about which state best described my swelling toe. Yuck.

Im already packing up some of my stuff for the semester, paring down, and figuring out where the stink my couch is gonna go. My beautiful couch. ahhh.

Im bringing my dad to the Feminine Epitome tomorrow so he can see my possible future residence. I felt really bad and presumptuous when I asked the girls if that was cool. I wish Julie was still gonna live there. I hate that I am inserting myself in there. I hope the transition is ok and that julie comes over alllllllll the time cuz I want to partake of her wackiness and will need a fellow non nursing major. I love you girls.

My Baby's All Growed Up..

Last night is was an exciting but sad night... I got a glimpse of the bittersweetness of babies growing up. Our beautiful little Brileigh has started walking. She is one of our girls in the nursery. She is a chunk of a girl, always with her chubby cheeks and sprout of hair jetting her massive cabeza. She has dimples the size of milwaulkee and has the best laugh. She has been one of the more energetic of our kids, and her mom is a favorite of mine. Its so amazing to be able to make connections with parents through helping nurture their children. Well, Brileigh took her first few steps this week and has graduated into cruiserdom. I am so proud of her and she is adorable in her teetering and plopping. She still lets me give her belly raspberries, and swing her upside down, but I fear that soon my arms will break under the pressure of her weight. She is already a big girl.. now she's walking. Its happy and sad. The saddest part is that by the time I get back next year most of our kids will be out of the nursery and I won't see them much. It has been such a blessing getting new kids, and getting to know their likes and dislikes. Kelton likes kissing other babies whether they like it or not. Chloe the conquerer is like king kong on a good day. Caleb has the cutest cry, and will be a knock out someday with his baby blues. Lily is so sweet, and a brick wall for anyone who dares to try to make her laugh. Charlie is growing up and beginning to actually have fun. I know noone but me and my roommate really care, but it has been such a great experience.

Testing OVER!!

Had an Astronomy test and a History test today. Last tests til Finals. Man that feels good.

Got an 86 on my Astronomy test which means all I need is to manage a D on my Final and Ill still have an A in the class. that feels FANTASTIC. Im hoping the rest of my classes turn out as well. Im worried about History. The test I took today is definitive in my semester grade. The test I am getting back for English this afternoon will be integral in my final grade for that as well. Luckily I know Ill have an A in Gymnastics, Comms and Astronomy now. All that leaves is History and Anthropology. Im workin hard to bring up my Anthro grade. If I can pull off all A's and one B i might make a 3.75 gpa. That would be a nice ending to a long semester of hard work. Im really trying to earn this Uruguay semester. Its gonna be a blast but its gonna be a lot of work. I hope I earned it this semester. I feel like I never stopped studying for more than a few minutes here and there.

I am ready for Thxgiving break, ready to go home for xmas. Not ready to start a new semester over, especially internationally, but I know it will be the time of my life. I have already met a few of the people going, and its a great group. I just hope I can fit everything in my suitcases!

Profound apologies..

Wow, I hate computers. The last three times I have tried to post my computer froze and my words were erased. ARG. I am normally relatively computer savvy. I am often the one to help with formatting or computer issues for roommates and friends etc. Today I am just a frustrated computer. Problem with networking at schools: bugs, viruses, spam, spyware, and STUPID SLOW INTERNET. It is normally an awesome network but the past few weeks my computer has upchucked a lot and crashed. Thank God for Microsoft and its revovery programs or all my papers wouldve been wiped multiple times.

Anyway... Homework update: Hindu Paper.. DONE. Comms case study... DONE. Anthro case study...DONE. Comms Presentation... DONE. phew! All I have left are my two exams tomorrow morning, and a few reflection papers. Well technically I still have to revise my Hindu paper, but having the first draft looking as good as it does is VERY encouraging. So needless to say I am scarfing down some Bluebell Mint chocolate chip ice cream and brownies. Needless to say.. but said anyway.

This weekend my Dad and Cindy are coming into town. I am excited for their arrival but nervous for the weekend to go smoothly. Not regarding social aspects, but because I fear taking over Stephen's house all day Saturday. I only slightly asked if it was alright before really knowing how time consuming this event might become. They are coming in on Friday night, and stephen and I are racking our brains for fun places to eat. the options so far include:
Jo Allens: good texan culture
Los Arcos/Farolitos/other mexican restaurant: COMIDA!!!
ZooKimi's: soup/salad/potato bars. Their soups are SO GOOD! and its a neat lil restaurant.

any suggestions guys? I dont really want to go to AnnThai's, Buns over texas, texas roadhouse, or any food chain. Id like to find something fun and unique to Abilene. Im tryin hard.

Anyway.. Saturday We (dad,cindy and I, I think stephen is helping too, he doesnt have to though, he's already allowing us to use his house) are cooking thanksgiving dinner for the four of us plus some of stephens roommates. It will be a huge meal, with lots of leftovers.

So far Im interested to see how it goes. We have a lot of tradtions that go along with Thanksgiving. Including Football (Michigan plays Ohio State Sat.! Go Wolverines!), which Im not even sure if we'll have on cable, since we're in texas. and lots of chilling out. It would be one thing if stephen came home to join our traditions, but its hard to bring traditions somewhere else and expect the same thing to happen. The hardest part is that most of the roommates will probably be studying around the house all day, and I really don't want to be a royal pain and be intrusive into their house too much. I mean we may be cooking them food, but that doesn't mean we live there yet. Anyway. Dad, or stephen, if you read this no worries. We'll work it out this weekend. BUT please be understanding about this. I dont want to ruin anyones holiday.

Enough of that. Tonight is devoted to Astronomy and History, and a break for Gilmore Girls.
Lots of prayer will be needed for this weekend. So get started. I have.

Unable

hmm... what to say today. Its been an interesting week. Its only tuesday. Yet I remain speechless.

Today I was looking up ACappella gospel chorale music. I miss my high school choir dearly. Our Chamber Choir is and was the best in the state. Last year they sang in Carnegie Hall, the year before that we were state champs, and Outstanding Choir for MSVMA and Youth Arts. I mostly miss the hours and hours of work we put into a single song, and most of all our very best performances when you know you just blew the socks off of everyone in the audience. I miss standing ovations, I miss nitpicking to pieces a song, knowing you have things to improve, and that it will happen. I miss feeling the reward of a personal best performance, of finally hitting that note, and hitting it well. Man I miss singing in general. I wish ACU's choir was better. I wish I had enough initiative to look for a choir to try out for. I get too nervous in auditions. Like dance, holy cow I would love to find a dance class in the area. I still plan on trying out for Shades next year, but I hate that it is a year away. Well my performance art filled heart will have to be patient, and have enough guts to start getting more involved.

otra de esa....

En mi clase de communicaciones interculturales, tengo una presentacion en dos semanas. Tengo hablar sobre Americanos y como ellos no saben muchos idiomas, solo ingles. estoy pensando que debo empezar mi presentacion en espanol por sobre dos o tres minutos. Pues, erin penso que esta una buena idea. No se, No creo que mi profesora se gustare la idea. eh pues...

Goodbye Corpus!

Wow, what an amazing weekend! Despite feeling like I had a car stuck to my butt ALL WEEKEND.. it was such a fantastic trip. Pictures will be on webshots soon but the rundown for unattenders is as follows:

Thursday:
Near death experience count: 3
Hours of driving: well we left at 5, had some technical issues, dinner, and arrived about 1:30. about 8 hours?
Number of cars in caravan: 2

Highlights:
EC's High Curb Diet
Hard Eights B B Q
Intercar 20 questions
Slaughtering Curtis and RM in our word game.


Friday:
Near death count: about 5, though that is debatable
hours of driving: 2-3 (to and from Corpus)
Cars in Caravan: 6

Highlights:
Beach: burying EC, Jelly fish, clams, sandcastles, dance party, seagulls, waves of death, getting mooned by the random guys passing by, I officially hate saltwater.. yuck. I am way too spoiled with freshwater lakes.. i mean wow.
Hannah's house for dinner: Elk, Boar, Deer, and lots and lots of fooooood, Paint the Moon and other fun games
Back at the Family Living Center: Lots of ball throwing, frisbee tossing, and light breaking.
Got to talk to stephen.. wow long weekend.

Saturday:
Near Death count: 4
Hours driving: 3ish
number of cars in caravan: 2 to the aquarium, 8 to Pizza Parlor

Highlights:
Aquarium: what a blast, blue lobsters, little kids, dolphin show, dive show, stingrays, baby palm trees, christmas light jellyfish, crabs, cabbage patch fishies.
Dinner at Pizza Parlor: sharing beverages, great pizza, telling jokes, Joanna's presence in general,
FLC: Volleyball, Volleyball, Volleyball, Ultimate, Volleyball.
Whataburger trip: WOW 35 people dressed in rediculous clothing attacking a Whataburger full force. Wow. We didnt even get kicked out!

Sunday:
Near Death Experiences: Fat Rain Scariness, but other than that none. Well besides EC's offroad excursion.
Hours driving: 8
Cars in Caravan: avg of 4

Highlights:
Church: Lauren and I went to an awesome spanish class that Hannahs dad was teaching. It was amazing to sit and talk and listen. Mostly just listen. The service was good too.
Potluck: Oooooooooohhhh Fried Chicken! Lots o food! Lots of great people!
Drive home: Lots o Rain, little sleep.
Getting home: great to see stephen.

Im sure that was a riveting summary of our trip. It was a blast, long, tiring, way fun, and generally dramaless. Thanks to Curtis, Lauren and RM fror being great car pals. Thanks to Robin, Hannah and everyone else organizing for putting together a great trip. Kudos to drivers, leaders, and all sacrificial lambs for making this trip possible.
Pics will be on webshots soon!