What a Way to Start the Year!

So my first two weeks of my second semester of college are pretty much over. So far it's been fantastic to be back! Of course, the day I returned to school, my hometown got a BUNCH of snow and my brother got 2 snow days...grr...it just finally iced/snowed a bit last night...but it's like nothing. There was just enough ice on the first day back to have me slip on the way to my very first class however. My foot slipped out from under me, I flew into the air, and landed right on the tip of my elbow :( Took a minute or two to stand back up and luckily my laptop (which I was carrying) hadn't been harmed. To make a long story short, my elbow was swollen, was (and still is) bruised, and I chipped it. Sure makes working out interesting! Jumping jacks turn into looking like a person drowning in mid air...anyway.

So far I've been pretty good with my New Year's resolutions. I've spent a lot more time studying and sleeping, and I've still been able to hang out with my friends quite a bit. Had some fun taking a lot of photos and then Spring Sing has started recently. WOW! It is so much fun :) We have a pretty big group this year, awesome directors, fantastic choreographers, and I've already made some new friends! The homework here hasn't built up just incredibly yet, although I did only get 3 hours of sleep the other day from all the stuff I had going on. But that was remedied today :) Classes were canceled until 1!! :D And my orchestra class was pretty much canceled, so I got a day to sleep, and get caught up on some homework.

All in all, it's good to be back with my graceful *haha* and adorable roommate and all my friends, pretty much my second family :) God is good!

Home

Well this week has been so much fun! A lot of sleeping in, doing absolutely nothing, and being together with my family. I'm supposed to go back to college on Sunday, but there's a problem....a horrific ice/snow storm is supposed to blow through. :/ As much as I love snow, I hate the fact that it might be robbing me of one more day at home. I just love seeing all my old friends and being at my home congregation. Also, my family has some pretty fun times :) I mean, tonight my sister and I made dinner with my mom's help. We had meatloaf (which is not very pretty to look at while you're mixing it all up before cooking), mashed potatoes, green beans, and this apple caramel cream cheese dip with graham crackers. That was an experience. Last night we went and saw Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and since I was the one who had seen it before...guess who got to get popcorn refills. I love that movie so much! Especially when you put the religious symbology behind it of Aslan representing Jesus, it just puts the whole thing into a life perspective.

Anyway, you never realize how much you miss home until you come back after being gone. I've missed it all. From things like family, friends, and pets down to the way the stairs creak (and knowing which spots on each step creak), having to cuddle with lots of pillows and stuffed animals under multiple blankets because my room is so cold, that annoying spring that sticks up right under my shoulder blade, the front door constantly blowing open, and even my neighbor's yippy dog. Yes I love college, and it's a whole new experience with new people, but there's just something about home that puts me at ease and makes me content. I don't know...maybe I'm just being a sentimental sap...maybe not. But I do know that  only at home can things like having a marshmallow war, watching old Disney classics and old home videos make a great time. (Such feelings of home-ie-ness can be seen in this poem my Grandma Lavon always used to recite: Heap O' Livin')

If I feel this way about my Earthly home, I simply cannot WAIT to see my Heavenly home :) Maybe there Liam Neeson (the voice of Aslan) can narrate everything I do. Maybe that is God's real voice!...I doubt it, but it was worth a shot :) Since we're talking about animals and Heaven...I always used to wonder when I was little. Will my cat be in Heaven with me?? The answer is probably not...but a kid can dream :) (wow...I obviously have nothing to say since this post is so random so far...ah...oh well...you're the one taking the time to read it, not me. I just thought it...ugh...my thoughts must not be all that interesting after all...)

Well I suppose that's enough for one post. Mine tend to get just a bit wordy...I apologize :) Next time I blog I will know more spanish than I currently do! Yay for second semester of college! :D Till next time!

And remember kids, God made you special and He loves you very much! Bye!

New Years and Resolutions

2011. A new year.

2010 was full of so many exciting experiences for me! I went to Chicago on a choir/orchestra tour with some of my best friends, got a 1 rating on orchestra and choir contest songs, performed on stage with my brother, was accepted to Oklahoma Christian University and also to their Honor's program, won our school's Greek Week for choir for the second time, graduated high school 12th in my class of 400+,  planted a successful lily garden, went to the Bahamas, started my first semester of college, performed in the school musical, dressed up for my first ever midnight premier, got my first curfew violation for attending said midnight premier, survived finals, grew closer to God, and grew even closer to my family while making new life-long friends. God truly blessed my year and I'm excited to see what he has planned for me this year.

For the new year I have a few resolutions. Instead of trailing off throughout the year and forgetting to keep my resolutions, I ask each of you reading this to help keep me in check. 

Resolution 1: I will manage my time better and be more homework efficient. This semester of college was interesting. I tried to plan all my time between the musical, choir and orchestra, homework, sleep, and friends. You can guess what 2 things were usually put off till the last minute...judging by the title of my blog :) But I know I can do better and I'll still be able to balance these.

Resolution 2: I want to be wiser. Not just wiser as in knowing more, but wiser in God. The first step to achieving this is cutting the phrase "that's what she said" from my vocabulary. It's almost become an instinct to say it and I don't like that I do that. I didn't realize that this was keeping me from growing in wisdom until I read Proverbs 12-....well all of it actually :) But specific verses such as, "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly comes to ruin" (13:3); "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly" (15:2); "The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him" (15:26); "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble" (17:20); "Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse" (19:1); and "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity" (21:23) helped me to realize that I should probably monitor what I say a little more closely. 

As I said, please let me know if you see me start to forget my resolutions so I can get back on track :) Anyway, for me the new year has started out pretty good. I was at a church game night till around 1 a.m.  then got to sleep and woke up today to pack and peel potatoes. As I write this I'm currently heading to celebrate Christmas/New Years with my extended family. :) We always have a great time when we're together and I'm really looking forward to it. We get to spend two days with them and then all of the girls are going shopping on the Plaza!! :) A great start to a new year :)

I hope God blesses you this year and it's full of joy and laughter! 

p.s. Just a little side note to save me from another post. I randomly wrote this poem today.

A Bright Breakfast

I tasted a piece of the sun this morning.

That’s right, I drank it, in all its golden glory.

At first it scalded, but after letting it cool,

It settled down into a deeply glowing pool.

The first sip was pure warmth with a richness I can’t describe

And after a second it changed to a butterscotch-honey and my eyes opened wide.

I smelled something wonderful…like brown sugar? What could it be?

Meanwhile that cup of ecstatic joy began to brew inside of me.

My face became radiant and my step was lithe,

I hadn’t a care in the world. No worries, no strife.

As time flew by throughout the day,

I could feel the brightness fading away.

And as you sit there, listen to what I’ve said,

But the sun has now gone, the moon is rising, and I am going to bed.