12 days of Christmas...

So as i said, i would include pics of my floor when everyone finished decorating their door... so it begins with these banners to announce our theme... On the first day of Christmas, Marantha gave to me, a dorm sup in a fir tree...
On the second day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 2 concrete mixers...ok these are really from Culvers...
On the third day of Christmas Maranatha gave to me, 3 pairs of nylons....
On the fourth day fo Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 4 paper passes...
On the fifth day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 5 days of finalsOn the sixth day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 6 blow dryers running

On the seventh day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 7 girls a-shoppingOn the eighth day of Christmas Maranatha gave to me 8 couples skatingOn the nineth day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me, 9 cups a-brewin'On the tenth day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 10 nurses studying

On the elevnth day of Christmas, Maranatha gave to me 11 guards a lurkingOn the twelveth day of Christmas, Maranata gave to me 12 trains a chuggin'

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Everywhere i turn, Christmas is jumping out at me....and i love it! We decorated our floor with the theme, The Twelve Days of Christmas Maranatha style...pictures will follow when everyone gets their doors decorated. In chapel we sing Christmas songs everyday, half of which i have never heard in my life, and at times leave me longing for something familiar, but its nice to hear the Christmas cheer. Christmas trees are EVERYWHERE, and they are so beautiful. I just love Christmas; it puts everyone in a good mood, its a great time to be able to go home, and it reminds us of the miracle of Christ birth. Honestly, what more could you ask for in a season?

Speaking of Christmas, i was a little nervous this year about gift money. My family has never been big on gifts, but i just really wanted to get everyone something this year. On Thursday night, Rachel and i were decorating the bathroom door with our amazing construction paper fire place (ok, since ur BEGGING me to put pics up of the amazing door my roommates and i decorated, i guess i can put those up early, so check out below) when a girl that lives across the hall from us asked us if we wanted to make money...after serious consideration that lasted about .352 seconds, we said yes, and she told us about a cleaning job that needed done. So, this morning Rachel and i got up...(yep, thats right we can get up on Saturdays if we try) and we were off to clean. We had no idea what or where we were cleaning, we just knew to meet in front of the welcome center at 8. Well, we learned we were cleaning a museum...you know like one of those houses that gets converted into a museum. At first i thought it was a museum for dust sculptures, but once we started cleaning, i saw that they had some pretty cool stuff. So we cleaned all morning, and then the owner of the cleaning business took all of us out to lunch and let us order whatever we wanted...i got some amazing fajitas...mmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about them... So, now i have money for Christmas presents and to go see NT II over break...can i do all that for fifty bucks?? I can if im thrifty ;-)

On a completely different topic, pray for all the students and faculty at BJ. They are having a small outbreak of whooping cough, and as a result they are ending the semester a week early. I called a friend of mine there to make sure he was still alive and healthy, which thankfully he was, and he filled me in on all of it. Pretty crazy stuff...Anyhow, it was really great talking to him...i really haven't kept in touch with people this semester like i should...sorry about that...its been busy. Well...miss everyone at home, and can't wait to see you over break...12 more sleeps!

Look its my amazing roommates in our first room pic of the semester...with our amazing door!And here's the bathroom door that Rachel and i decorated...Yay! for construction paper fireplaces

Time for Change

As the days of the semester dwindle and going home seems like an actual possibility, we begin to be restless. Homework is no longer a satisfying way to spend our time...not that it ever was..., so we begin to look for other things to do. That is just what happened last night when two of my roommates and i decided to rearrange our room. For 25 minutes we shoved furniture and discussed the best place for that alarm clock, or this chair to go. We climbed over beds, squeezed through tight spots made by the desk that had taken temporary residence in the middle of the room, and gawked at all the things that our bunk beds had been concealing. Through the whole process, we were kinda wondering what our missing roommate would think of the change. We tried to be as courteous as possible by keeping all her things in relative proximity to her bed, and just crossed our fingers and hoped she liked that we turned our room on end while she was out. Well, when she got back, she opened the door and i heard...o...wow...i couldn't tell if it was a good wow or not, so i just waited...about three seconds later, after she had taken it all in she threw her arms in the air and yelled I LOVE IT! I guess its a good thing we were all ready for a change...

Thanksgiving BREAK!

So here i am at Erica's house, and I'm enjoying my Thanksgiving break. It really has been a break. There hasn't been any crazy running around, just time to sit back and relax. AND most importantly, time to catch up on some much needed Facebook. We had an amazingly delicious Thanksgiving dinner. I've also gotten to do my laundry (without scrounging for quarters). The only sad part of this weekend is that we came to the conclusion that our Tennesee trip just isn't going to work out this semester. It's sad...i really wanted to go and i was looking forward to seeing friends and meeting new ppl.

But the most important thing is: I'LL BE HOME THREE WEEKS FROM TONIGHT!!!! ok so im just a little excited about it. Anyway, we're about to go eat dinner in a little bit and i have to attack erica for trying to whip me with her hair. :-D

Coffee

Whoever thought of grinding up beans off of a tree, running hot water through them, and then adding milk and sugar is the winner of today's most important innovation of all time award. Tomorrow starts the beginning of our Thanksgiving break and this past weekend i went to Chicago. That leaves a lot of work to do with little (actually no) time to do it. So, i have become accustomed to...okay slightly dependent....alright already, i've become addicted to a cup of coffee on mornings that i wake up before 7:30am. Along with those "early morning" cups of coffee, i have recently been forced to stay up utill all hours of the night to finish assignments that have been piling up and refuse to be delayed any longer. Last night...or was it this morning, i was up until 4:30...yeah thats a.m, but i finished my paper, and i plan on enjoying a massive afternoon nap. I should have just hooked up a caffeine iv to keep me going. I am about to go to psychology...and try to sit through the whole class and stay awake. I need another cup of coffee...




On a subject that has nothing to do with (well except maybe to explain th reason as to why my paper wasn't done) my sleep depravation, Chicago was amazing. We left on Friday afternoon and arrived at Rachel's grandparent's house to a yummy dinner that her grandma "threw together" (it was amazing....i'd like to see a meal that she actually plans out). Then we went to her aunts house, after arriving, we went to Kohl's at 1030 at night and proceeded to shop until midnight. The next day we got up, and i went to David's Bridal with two of her aunt's friends while Rachel went to the airport to pick up her other aunt and uncle. Then we hit downtown! Chicago was amazing....i just loved being downtown anywhere. Overall it was an amazing weekend.

This is the Hershey's store in downtown Chicago.

Here we were just a little bored at Gap

Look!!!! It's Erie Street!!! I was so excited...and yeah it is in reference to Lake Erie!!! Can you tell i miss home???

Late Lights and Lost Causes

So here i sit on the extremely comfortable floor of my dorm, and i've been working on homework all day. For those of you that know me, you know that isn't normal. Actually, some people reading this are probably doubting that i have even cracked a book today, but i really have. I have three papers due in the next few days, and i haven't really typed a single word yet. My day has been filled with the glorious activities of research and reading...o and we did short sheet my roommate's bed,but that was only a five minute break. Not only am i studying, but I'm staying up late in order to accomplish something...remember, i don't sacrifice sleep for anything, and here i am planning to get less than 6 hrs of sleep just to get up and do it all again tomorrow. However, i do get an hour nap on the way to Beloit for church tomorrow night...now that its dark and i can't do homework in the car.

So im reading my book for Gen. Psych..How to get to know your Teenager...which is great since i have teenagers and everything. And guess what, I get to write a book report on it. For being a Christian Psychology book it seems very self-centered. Then i have a pile of books for my 6-8 page Heritage paper...yep...and i have to read 300 pages. Ok, im done venting now...no really i am.

YAY!! I'm going to Chicago this weekend...woo woo for a needed break from school. THEN, Thanksgiving break is only a week away, and i get to go stay with my good friend Erica. I'm excited although i really wish i was going to see my family. Then, not even a week later, I'm going to TN!! So pray for this crazy week...

And finally let me leave you with this incredible prayer verse i got this week: (1Ti 2:8) I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.~ how amazing would it be if this verse was accomplished?

Lookin' like an idiot what's new?

Take two thin strips of metal...attach them to two very uncomfortable boots, then put them on your feet and try to stay upright while being thrust out onto an ice covered surface. To me, that makes about as much sense as jumping off the roof with cardboard wings and expecting to fly, but on Saturday, for the first time in my life, i went iceskating. Now for those of you that don't know, not only do i not iceskate, but i don't roller blade, roller skate, skateboard, or ski either. I just have this thing about attaching anything abnormal to my feet. By the time i got on the ice the only things i was thinking is how do i stay vertical, and what am i doing here? My answer to the first question was move as slowly as possible even when getting passed by small children...however that didn't seem to completely remedy the problem and i ended up on the ice three times. To answer the second question, my brain rehearsed the scenario that occurred after ali asked me what i was doing saturday night, and i responded that i had no idea. She proceeded to point her toothbrush at me and say, "you're going iceskating with us!!!!" The "us" happened to be about 20 ppl from school...It sounded fun...i must have had a mental lapse. When we got there i tried to convince everyone that i could just sit on the sidelines and watch...that didn't happen. The night did end with us all having a ton of fun at Texas Roadhouse....some pics are included for your enjoyment...luckily none of them include me actually skating.

This is one of the rachels on my floor and I

Here i am with part of the group...And my table at Roadhouse...we walked in with a party of 18...it was interesting

and finally, charlotte, katie, and i after we got done skating