What Happens at Grandma's...

What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's... oh yeah, and this blog :)

This past week has been crazy. We have had lots of fun, several health scares, long car rides, laughed till we've cried, had some intense pool, ping pong, and Hand & Foot games, and just had an overall great week seeing lots of family.

To end the night, Leah and I had a dance party... (The song is Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never". Bieber is VERY popular along elementary and middle school girls, and his music is played at camp to dance to, therefore, I know almost every song... here you see us goofing off and hanging out one last time before we said our goodnights and our "see ya laters")

Are We There Yet?!

The phrase "Are We There Yet" has been forbidden in our car for as long as I can remember... Today there were NUMEROUS times that I really wished I could complain and whine about how long it was taking to get up north.

After 16 hours, we have finally stopped for the night right inside Indiana. We still have 5ish hours to go in the morning, but we were all needing a break and needed to get out of the van for a bit. I have a massive headache (probably from going glasses-less/contact-less for about an hour while texting Carley. WERE WE THERE YET?!

No. And we still aren't here yet. But it's good enough and for now I'm going to enjoy some relaxation and a good nights rest in this hotel bed that resembles a ROCK... joy!!

5 hours of driving tomorrow seperate me from my extended family. CAN'T WAIT!!

This is only like our 25th time to do this...

You would think after 18 years of making treks up north once or twice a year, we would have the packing down to a fine art which would require no communication, where everybody would automatically be on the same page, and nobody would be frustrated...

WRONG!

Maybe one time this will be a smooth packing experience... but it is definitely stressful this time around!

Tomorrow morning our family will begin to embark on one of our longest road trips in the shortest amount of time. Thankfully some new DVDs and reading material has been acquired this time around, and added with the fact that college has enabled me to master the art of sleeping in any position, any where, with any amount of noise -- I am banking on sleeping a majority of the way!

Can't wait to see all of my family up north!

Officially Done

Well guys, it's official. NO MORE POLITICAL SCIENCE 207 for me :))

I pulled off a B in the class and after my first semester of college I will have a 3.56 GPA (my other B is a sore subject currently. Grrrr.)

But-- absolutely no more polisci!! This evening definitely contained a moment of celebration. WHOOP!

Home Sweet Home

HOOOMMMEEE!!! I am so excited and glad to be back in Cypress and home. I've spent the 36 hours since I've been here doing absolutely nothing. Well, compared to studying it seems like I've been doing nothing! I've actually made a bunch of cookies, ran errands, found cornstarch in Kroger (that's a challenge!), watched a Disney movie, crafted, picked Kole up from school TWICE, seen some of my favorite teachers of high school, beat my dad at darts, Skyped my best friend, and have even fit in a nap! It has been great to relax in the comforts of home and surrounded by my crazy, weird but great family!

Tomorrow I am finishing up crafting Christmas presents. Tomorrow night I'm going to go watch my dad's basketball team beat Smith in basketball. On Friday I'm taking Kole to school for late arrival and then driving down to Clear Lake to spend the day with Carley. We are crafting, creating "Vintage Christmas" costumes, and catching up. On Saturday morning we are driving to Livingston for a Honduras Mission Trip meeting (EEK!) and then staying for the Cho-Yeh Christmas party (double EEK!). We'll stay in Livingston Saturday night and drive back to Clear Lake on Sunday. Sunday is the Brabant's Cookie Party which I'm helping out at, and then on Monday we are making calendars. I am SOO looking forward to spending time with Carley and her awesome family!

On Tuesday I'm working at Fiest and helping out with Christmas parties and packing and possibly baking! And then on Wednesday we begin our trek up to the frozen tundra of the north. It'll be great to spend time with both sides of my family since the last time I saw most of them was graduation. Once we get back from the north I will be pulling everything together in order to head off to Honduras!

Sounds like the best winter break ever, right? YES!

D-O-N-E DONESKIES!!!

I'M DOONNNEEE!!! For all of you wondering, I did survive my polisci final! AND IT'S OVER WITH FOREVERR!!!

Plan for tonight:
Laundry
Dinner with Kevin
Packing
Movie with Emily
Cleaning
SLEEP!!

Tomorrow:
Change out sheets
Double check that the room is ready for the fire marshall (UGH!)
HOUSTON BOUND!!

Tomorrow will begin my crafting/baking FEAST! Can't wait :)

Dear Polisci

Dear Polisci,

This has been a long time coming, and I'm sorry if you aren't expecting this. I just don't think we are going to work anymore. I have cried way too much over you. I have stayed up way later than necessary trying to figure out where I went wrong and why you hate me. I have tried to seek the counseling of my good friends Carley & Laura, and have sought the advice of my family, and although they have encouraged me to keep going all year, they have agreed that we just aren't meant to be. My roommate has seen the stress you have put me through, and she has decided that if I don't end this she will (and we both know that wouldn't be pretty). Tomorrow will be our last day together. I am going to come and take what is rightfully mine (passing this final), and then I am going to walk out with my head held high. You have put up a good fight, and although our good times were few and far between (or non-existant), I appreciate what you have taught me. Thanks to you I will never think about entering the government. Thanks to you I will never take a class with an average GPA of 1.4 out of 4. After our battle tomorrow we will be over, and I'm sorry if that hurts you. Please remember that there will be plenty of other naive freshman that will take your class next semester. Choose one of them to hate, because between you and me -- IT'S OVER after tomorrow!!

Here. We. Go

It's 10:10 and I'm already posted up in the library. In 31 hours I will be D-O-N-E with this semester, WHOOP!!! I cannot wait to turn in that stinkin' polisci final, to walk back to my dorm without a care in the world, to turn on music and dance like a free person, to throw laundry in the washer and not care that it takes 6 minutes longer than it should. I can't wait to collapse into my bed and NOT set an alarm, to sleep without waking up at all hours of the night thinking of things that I need to get done. I cannot stinking wait.

But. Until that glorious moment, I'm spending some good old time with polisci... There is a light at the end of the tunnel though! And I'm pretty sure it's not just a train!!

5/6

I am finished with FIVE out of six of my finals! WHOOP!! Only have one more left!! Unfortunately that will be the hardest one yet. Boo. But that's okay!

I'm so braindead it's ridiculous. I accomplished one thing this afternoon that I promised myself I never would do... I fell asleep in the library while studying. That's just more reason enough for why I shouldn't be studying anymore tonight! A) I'm exhausted. B) I can't think properly....

Lucky for me, my family is coming up tonight to go out to eat and then go through Santa's Wonderland (a huge Christmas thing up here in College Station). Afterwards I'll probably finish writing these postcards that I need to send back to camp to get sent out to my campers and watch a Disney movie :) Perfect Friday night!

And beginning tomorrow- it's me and polisci... IT'S GOING DOWN! Tomorrow night I have a Cho-Yeh Aggies Christmas Party, and then Sunday will be devoted mainly to polisci too. But come Monday night -- HELLLOOOO WINTER BREAK!!!

You Can Always Find Some Good....

After a VERY stressful day today dealing with advisors that didn't know what they were talking about, internet that didn't work, a roommate that was upset, there was a light at the end of the tunnel!

My LAST lecture of this semester is over with! WHOOP!
I got into the education class I needed to! WHOOP!
I will be taking 2 classes and a lab with one of my great friends up at A&M! WHOOP!
I don't have to take Aerobic Walking! WHOOP!
I made progress in polisci and geography studying today! WHOOP!
I went on a mini-shopping spree to spend Dining Dollars and got a bunch of gatorades! WHOOP!
I cleaned up my room today! WHOOP!
I got gloves today that you can text with! WHOOP!
I got an "Elf On The Shelf" from my family! WHOOP!
Genny hates the elf... muwahaha! WHOOP!
I bought a great new worship CD "Austin Stone Live"! WHOOP!
Breakaway is tonight & it's all P&W! WHOOP!!!

There is always good that can be pulled out of any bad day, you just have to look for it :)

Is it Really Only 10:40?

I feel like with the amount of crud that has happened today, it should be AT LEAST 1 or 2 in the afternoon...

12:15AM - Cops are back in the library and frantically walking around. One cop comes up to me (I'm obviously studying, I have headphones in, textbooks open, papers out....) and asks me how I'm doing and what I'm studying and if I've seen anything "suspicious"... Uhhh....
12:30 - Leave the library and walk back in the freezing cold to my dorm
1:00 - In bed
1:10 - My roommate is really upset, so I try talking to her and figuring out what is wrong
2:00 - Finally going back to bed
3:00 - Actually fall asleep
6:30 - Wake Up to Register For Classes
7:00 - Registration SUPPOSED to open
7:05 - Registration ACTUALLY opens (That 5 minutes is huge... promise!)
7:06 - Only 2/6 classes are available. Crud.
7:10 - Figured out why 3 of the classes I couldn't get into weren't working, now I have 5/6 I need.

My education class wouldn't go through, I tried several times, but NOPE! I finally went back and looked into the restrictions, and figured it out! My advisor told me I would be counted as a sophomore when it came to registering b/c I transferred in so much credit, and so I would be able to take this sophomore level education class. Well... she was wrong. It had to be sophomore credit taken at A&M. So, this class is no open for me. UMMM... Of course, today is the last day of registration for FRESHMEN, so most classes are completely taken. The only class I could figure out to take was a Kinesiology class (health kinda), and only ended up taking 14 hours (I was shooting for 16).

By this point it is 7:30 and I'm running on 3.5 hours of sleep. I shoot off an email to my advisor to try and figure this out, and also because I'm frustrated that the class she told me to take I can't get into which now has messed up my entire schedule. I was very polite in the email, but I let her know that I was aggravated. It's finals week, I really don't need anything else to worry about!

7:50 - Attempt to go back to bed, but so frustrated that I can't sleep
8:30 - Get up and attempt to pretend to look like I'm functioning and have my head on my shoulders.
9:00 - Decide that the only cure for this morning is hot chocolate. Pull out a gallon size bag of homemade hot chocolate mix only to have the bottom of the bag break and spill ALL over my floor. I scoop up enough of the mix that hasn't hit the ground, make my hot chocolate, and clean up as much of the hot chocolate as I can.

If I didn't have a final at 9:35 I probably would have just crawled back in bed and fallen asleep. But, I left my room, walked 12 minutes through the 28 degree weather and got to class. Lab final was actually not too horrible!

10:00 - Leaving lab final and talking with a friend who was able to register last week. I was telling her how I'm not going to be in the education class I'm supposed to, and how I'm stuck taking my Kines this semester. She asked which Kines it was, and I told her -- Aerobic Walking. She gave me a horrible look, and told me to look that class' ratings up when I got back. I quickly realized why that was the only kinesiology open... It's HORRIBLE!! Ugh. GREAT.
10:10 - I get an email back from my advisor and she says that I should be able to get into the education class that I need tomorrow when registration opens back up for everybody -- I just have to be ready at 6:00 AM. Joy!

I don't have class until 12:40, so I'm thinking an hour nap and a hot lunch are in order. Then probably coming back and sleeping some more until 4 when I have a study group. AH!!! Not. My. Day.

Hoax & Registration

So the bomb threat that had campus wired and freaking out for 5 hours yesterday was a hoax! We are all safe, all of our libraries and still standing, and classes/finals are still going on. Phew! (well, I wouldn't mind finals being cancelled...)

I'm up early to register for classes for my spring semester. Registration is a HUGE deal and involves multiple hours of making schedules, checking spots, realizing the class you wanted was full which causes your entire schedule not to work out, so you spend hours making a new one... it's a frustrating task!

Because I'm an education major, most of the classes that I need do not have huge amounts of room in them. For example, there are only 8 spots left in the lab that I need to get into, and 9 left in the English that I need. (Note that I said "need"... because all the classes I WANTED were taking a long time ago when seniors got to register!)

To register at A&M, you get assigned a day and a time. Freshman times began last Thursday, and today is the last day. Of course I would be assigned today at 7 AM... Hmph. Oh well, I gladly would have taken the 5 AM spots because that would've allowed me to register earlier!!

This is a really stressful process, and I cannot wait for it to be over. It literally will be done by 7:01 if everything goes according to plan. Key word, IF... If it doesn't, then it's going to be a long day because I don't think my schedule can work any other way... yuck! As soon as I lock in the classes that I need, it's back to bed for me! Then a lab final at 9:35, my LAST lecture at 12:45, and a much needed nap somewhere in there!!

...alright, going to register RIGHT NOW!!!....

It's 7:40 and I'm just now finished... yeah, that's a bad sign... but a blog post for later!

And I Thought I Didn't Deal With Stress Well...

I have always thought I was not somebody who handled stress well. I get all worked up over the littlest things that don't really matter, and tend to freak myself out and get way over stressed about things.

Well, after this past week, I have learned that I handle stress VERY well compared to some people!

On Friday some college-aged kid robbed a bank right off campus at gunpoint. Campus was covered with police all day, but the guy ended up getting away with it.

Today, there is a bomb threat on campus. Our two 6 floor libraries, the biggest computer lab, and another library I didn't know existed have all been evacuated. Cops are EVERYWHERE and they are awaiting on a bomb-dog-squad.

Geesh... I do get stressed, but even at worst all that happens is I get really rude and snap at somebody. Geeesh...

So 3 of the biggest areas for housing students (two libraries and the computer lab) are closed. That means campus is ENTIRELY too crowded and there is not enough room for people! This is the second day in a row that my library plans have been ruined... You know, if they just cancelled finals this wouldn't be an issue anymore! Campus sure would clear out really fast and it would be safer for everybody!!

I REALLY tried to study today... I promise!

After going to Renee's swim meet this morning and grabbing a quick bite for lunch, I met up with a friend and we hit the library together. We had reserved a room in the library (and quickly realized it was way too small for two people to be able to spread out stuff), and so ended up taking over a table in the library by the window so we could people-watch while we studied (it was shockingly cold and rainy out and it was funny to see people scrambling around outside wearing shorts b/c it hasn't been cold in so long). We disabled facebook and turned off our phones, and would study for an hour before allowing ourself a 5 minute break to respond to text messages. It was a REALLY good system, and we both kept each other focused. Then. All of a sudden.


ERRR ERRR ERRR!! "Please evacuate the building. There is a fire. Do not use the elevators. All fire-exits are able to be used. Please evacuate the building...."

WHAT?! Our 6 floor library was on fire? Great. We were on such a roll too! So we packed up all of our stuff and left Evans into the freezing cold and misty disgusting College Station weather. Gross. We waited around about an hour in another building, and when the fire-trucks still hadn't left and the alarms were still going off, we said screw it. We had gotten a lot done in the 2 hours we were there!

I came back to my dorm and decided that hot chocolate was in order, and maybe even a nap. Genny and I were talking, and I was flipping through my DVDs trying to find one to watch, when we realized Genny had never seen Elf. WHAT? Unacceptable. So we took an hour and a half and watched Elf together and laughed more than we have in a while. It was so nice to just spend time with her because we are both so busy we never get to just hang out.

After Elf, Genny left to go to a sorority meeting, and I buckled down on some polisci homework. And I actually got a bunch accomplished! I took a break to go get some dinner, and then came back to work some more. I had thrown my phone on my bed so that I wouldn't be distracted, and when I had gotten on facebook to check something I had 3 messages from my best friend "why is your phone off? Your phone never dies and you only turn it off when you are really upset at something... is everything ok?" and a message from Laura "way to ignore my phone call and our weekly phone date... love you too!" I was so confused. I went up and didn't have a missed call, missed text, facebook notification or email. Weird. I tried texting a friend, but NOPE! My phone had decided that it didn't want to be able to send/receive text messages, or emails, or phone calls, or get internet... perfect! Guess this is a way of making sure I don't get distracted... if I don't have a phone, what else am I supposed to do during my LAST polisci lecture tomorrow? Oh yeah.. pay attention!

Genny didn't have phone service for a few minutes tonight, so I'm thinking maybe it's the crazy wind or something? I dunno. I really don't care, after spending 10 weeks without a phone for the most part, it really doesn't bother me too much!

Random thought: maybe this is also God's way of showing me how much my generation depends on materialistic goods?

Anyways, here is the plan for tomorrow.
8 AM: class
9-11: laundry and write postcards to campers
11-12: go pick up labs from TA
12-12:30: lunch
12:40-1:30: LAST POLISCI LECTURE!!!!
2-4: Library with Emily
4:15: Coffee with my old youth minister (although I'll probably get hot chocolate instead...)
4:45: Walmart run to get a ruler for my final on Tuesday
5-7: Study
7-8: Geography SI
8-9: REC :) [to run and watch Supernanny at the same time]
9:30-11: Study
Then SLEEEEEEP :)
That's the plan anyways... we shall see what tomorrow brings though!

Go Away Football!!!

I have never been a huge football fan. I thought coming to A&M would change that -- NOPE! I do understand football now and can make it through an entire game without asking too many questions (until we get into overtimes). But the fact of me loving football hasn't changed.

And right now, frankly, I HATE hearing about college football. On Thursday A&M fired our head coach, and you would've thought that a hurricane was a few miles from hitting College Station. Literally, all of campus was in a messy state of panic/excitement. People were running through campus whooping and hollering, some people were visibly upset over the matter. Wherever you went, that is all anybody could talk about. It was so frustrating!

In the long run, my life won't be affected by whoever A&M's football coach is. I don't care if A&M wins a bunch of games or goes on another 4th quarter losing streak. It really doesn't matter to me, and it honestly won't personally affect 95% of this campus. The football players, yes, it will affect them. But... that's it! I promise the fans will still go to every game and cheer like it's the last one ever to be played. It's not like the student section will be empty because of this new coach. I just find it slightly ridiculous.

And it made me think -- what if everybody got all hyped up about Jesus Christ who will win EVERY game like they do over college football? WOW! What a different world we could live in!

Am I Done Yet?

I absolutely cannot wait to be done with this semester.

1. Yesterday was crazy on campus as we were under a Code Maroon alert ALL day after a nearby bank had been robbed. Campus was insane and such a mess. I was taking an online final in the library and 4 times during a 45 minute timespan cops were running through that floor checking to make sure whoever they were looking for wasn't there. Frustrating and annoying!

2. Everybody is majorly stressing out and normal conversations are impossible to be held without somebody snapping. I know that I'm stressed as well, but being around 50,000 other stressed out college students is just stressful itself!

3. Sleep is essentially non-existant. Wednesday night I got 4 hours of sleep, Thursday night I got 5, yesterday I got a 2 hour nap and then 4 hours of sleep. It's like I'm getting used to not getting much sleep or just being awake at awful hours so that I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted. Either that or I wake up every hour or so. FRUSTRATING!! I get done with my finals on Monday the 12th, and I'm staying in College Station on Tuesday to just sleep.

4. I have SO much to look forward to this winter break. Spending time with Carley, going to camp, hanging out with Kevin, going to Iowa and Michigan, and Honduras! With all of that in the near future, trying to concentrate on finals and studying when you have spent the last few days doing just that and nothing else just isn't too exciting!

Nine more days. I have to make it through this!!!

Cho-Yeh 2012.. It's happening!!

I am very excited to announce that I will be spending another 10 weeks at Camp Cho-Yeh next summer! I was officially asked to come back as a lifer, and I couldn't be more excited to see what God will do this summer! I was the 2nd one asked back, YIPPEE!!! I am now too excited and hyper to study, but that's okay! I had my mini-study break and made the excited phone calls, and will now go back to the wonderful world of history. BLECH.

I'm sure more excited blogs will come to follow. No worries :)

Precious Precious!!

Over the past few weeks, I have absolutely fallen in love with some of the kids that I work with once a week. Both of my children come from hard family situations, and I love that I get to sit with them and work with them one-on-one.

I was kinda dreading going into the elementary today because I didn't want to say goodbye to my children. Today we spent a little bit more time talking, I spent a few extra seconds listening and asked a few more questions about their break. PRECIOUS! I was working with my little first grader named Lane and we were reading a fairytale like book. He has progressed SO much this semester but can't move into the next level of books till next semester, and so he has read through all of the "boy" books in his level and has had to start on the "girl" books. So, we were reading a fairytale and once we finished it I was asking him about fairytales and movies that he liked with fairytales in them. We were talking about Disney movies, and he was surprised that I knew Disney movies and had a favorite. He was literally shocked. When I told him that I had been listening to Beauty and the Beast this morning, he said this to me --"Miss Kylie, you can't like Beauty and the Beast. That's a kids movie. You're old. You have to like grown up movies and things like that." He went on to tell me how I needed to like the news and Dateline. It was so cute!!

When it was time to leave, my little boy started crying. He was like "but Miss Kylie. You can't leave and never come back! Who else is going to read with me? If you leave I won't ever be able to go to second grade. Then I'll be 82 years old and still in first grade. You CAN'T leave!" I was so heartbroken. I felt horrible leaving him!! I told him I would have to get my schedule for next semester and try and figure something out. Such sweet kids!!! Gosh. They're so precious.

It makes me so mad because they tell me that nobody else reads with them, and their parents won't sit and read with them. I want to bring them home with me and just read with them all afternoon, because they LOVE when somebody will sit there and listen to them, and I love being able to. I love the progress that he made in one semester. I love the way that he gets a huge smile when he walks in. I love that he wants to learn and that he loves to read if somebody will sit with him. LOVE it!! Such precious kids!!! They made my morning!!

Radical -- convicting me again!

(This is from last Wednesday but some how never got actually published...)

This summer at camp, my Bible Study read a book entitled "Radical" by David Platt. If you haven't read it before, I HIGHLY suggest it. Warning: it will make you rethink the way you live your life down to the itty bitty details. One thing that has stuck with me since this summer from that book was about how we spend our money. This has come back to convict me several times, and today was no different!

Platt talked about how as Americans we waste money on many things that do not matter at all. We spend money on things that don't have any positive effect on our lives and that don't bring God glory. Ultimately, our money is a gift from God and He has entrusted us with that. He doesn't give us this money in order for us to buy things that will make us happy, He gives it to us to bring glory to Him.

I've mentioned a few times about wanting to get a nicer camera. My digital camera that I have right now is old and the screen is cracked. It's not in the best condition, but it serves the purpose that I need it for. Still though, I wanted a nicer camera. I tried to validate the reason I needed one by saying I could take better pictures when I went to Honduras, and that my photos would be nicer and higher quality. On Black Friday they are having HUGE sales on these cameras, and I decided that I would go look at cameras and think about getting one.

I walked into Best Buy today and was excited to look at them and play around with them. I had no idea what I was doing or even looking for. By the time I walked over to the cameras, I instantly began thinking about the book Radical. Yes, the cameras were going to be on a VERY good sale. What was originally a $900 camera was going to be marked down to $450. For these kind of cameras that is an insanely good price. But did I need a $450 camera? Would I get enough use out of that camera? Was it worth it? Ultimately, the answer was "no". I immediately began thinking about how I've been convicted about the education of children in 3rd world countries, and how recently my heart has been moved for them. I thought about how many books I could buy for those children, and what other things that I could use that money for. I could go on another mission trip, I could volunteer in an orphanage, I could do so many other things that would have a better use for that money than using it to buy a camera that I didn't have a real need for.

So, lesson learned -- I'm not getting a new camera. I had texted Carley when I decided not to get one with the simple words "I'm not getting a camera". She replied "thinking about the kids that could have a better use of that money?" She knows me so well. But ultimately, I can't buy something that nice for myself and know that there are kids who could get so much more out of it. I think I'll save the money for now, and use it next year to go on another mission trip!

Break Day 1

9:00 wake up
10:30 leave for errands. Go to James Avery, Lifeway, & Toys R Us.
12:45: lunch at Boston's Pizza
2:45: Sandlot for Kole's hitting lesson.
4:10: leave Sandlot and run up to Frazier's to shop some more
6:00: Get home and run up to the pool to see Coach Dennis and Coach Kris
7:45: Dinner.
8:15: NCIS Episode 1
9:00: NCIS Episode 2

GEESH!! Busy busy busy!!!

Tomorrow: BAKING all day, getting my hair cut and online Christmas shopping! Looks like tomorrow won't be any more relaxing than today...but that's okay -- busy is what I'm good at!

Such A Rebel

"You are such a rebel.. I'm so PROUD" --Coach Kris

Happy Thanksgiving to ME! After my one quiz that was supposed to be tomorrow got moved to December 1st, I decided that an early thanksgiving break sounded like a great idea. Even if my geography professor decided to give a pop quiz, I could take a 0 and only lose half a point for my entire semester grade. If my music prof gave a pop quiz my final grade would drop from a 112, to a 109... In other words, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ME!

I packed up my room and drove home around dinner time tonight. We had family movie night and watched "Water for Elephants", and it was actually pretty good! I've gotten on a minor movie kick lately (I know, shocking for me!).

Mom and Dad are already in bed, and Kole is playing x-box. I am finishing up some laundry (first time all semester I brought laundry home!) and will probably study a little bit tonight. That's my goal -- once everybody goes to bed, I have another 2-3 hours before I would even think about going to bed if I were at school, so I'm going to use that time to start preparing for finals which are in 2 weeks!

This is my schedule for when I go back to school

Mon-Wed = regular classes
Thursday = History final and last day in History!
Friday = Education final!
WEEKEND
Mon = regular classes
Tues = lab final
Wed-Thurs = NO CLASSES :)
Fri = Music and Geography finals
WEEKEND
Mon (DEC 12) = polisci final
WINTER BREAK!!!!

So, if I start studying for these finals now, hopefully I won't be so stressed when I get back to school :)

But for now, I'm enjoying being a REBEL... I feel like if this is the extent of my rebelious state, I'll be perfectly okay :)

Well, when you put it that way...

I have been complaining all weekend about how I'm not on Thanksgiving Break yet, and how A&M is making us have classes Monday-Wednesday of this week. I don't think it would've been as big of an issue if I didn't know that my family is at home relaxing right now while I'm supposed to be writing a paper and stressing about this quiz that I have tomorrow.

Last night I was talking to Carley about something that God had convicted her of at a concert last night. I've always been a big believer of God speaking to us through other people, and last night was no exception. By the end of our conversation, I was feeling quite convicted too (about something entirely different than what Carley was talking about).

Why am I complaining about 2 days of classes when there are kids in other countries that never have the opportunity to go to school? In some countries families can't afford to send their kids to even elementary school, and the kids have to stay home and work to provide for the family. In some places going to school is dangerous and unsafe. I know there are some areas and some villages/tribes (mainly in Africa) where they don't even have schools.

All these kids want is an education, and they are either being denied one, or it is too risky for them to have one. And here I am complaining about having to sit in 5 hours of classes at a nationally accredited university. These kids don't even have the opportunity to go to kindergarten, let alone graduate high school and go to college. Why am I complaining?!

I've been really convicted lately about what I am supposed to be doing with my education degree. Am I supposed to teach in the "ideal" school where my only problems will be over-concerned parents? Am I supposed to teach in schools full of low-income children where I may have behavior issues constantly but where I'll have the chance to really make a difference in the kids lives? Am I supposed to go teach English in a South American country? Am I supposed to go provide an education for children who otherwise would never have the opportunity to learn? Am I supposed to be in education at all?

I do know this, I am NOT complaining about having to go to classes anymore!

'Ohana

"'Ohana means family - no one gets left behind, and no one is ever forgotten." --Lilo and Stitch

One of the weird things I do, is I always think of a quote that describes a situation. Typically, they are Disney quotes, and today has been no different.

Tonight I was having some hard-core thinking time. I realized that this has been a real tough year for my family. Several things have happened this year that has directly affected my family. It's been rough. But one thing about our family is that we band together. We may not always get along the greatest, we definitely have had our issues, but my family -- my parents, Kole, my grandparents, my aunts, uncles and cousins, my FAMILY -- we are strong and we are ALWAYS there for each other.

That is one of the greatest blessings about my family. Nobody is ever left behind, and nobody is ever forgotten. We are a family and there is nothing that anybody can do about that. We have had our moments, that's for sure, but we stick together. Regardless of what trials are thrown our way, we stick together. The Suddendorf's, the Zieman's, regardless of the last name or which "side" of the family it is, we STICK together through thick and thin. It is the greatest blessing of all. I cannot wait for Christmas and to be wrapped in the arms of my family again.

Roommate Convo and Defensive Education Major!

Conversation that just took place between Genny and I:
Genny: UGHH!!! I don't understand this stupid chemistry!!
Kylie: Oh, it can't be that bad, you love chemistry!
G: Well it is. Do YOU know what the atomic radious something or another is?
K: Yep! The answers A.
G: It's not multiple choice...
K: Then the answer is infinity!
G: I hate you.
K: Pshhh... you could always be an education major and just deal with kids :)
G: I'd MUCH rather do chemistry!!!

Bahaha, Genny and I are SO similar, yet so entirely different at the same time. She can't stand kids. I absolutely adore kids. It's really funny when we get on topics that involve kids because we are both VERY passionate about how we feel about it!

But in reality, I'm actually frustrated with people here at A&M considering education majors dumb. Really fed up with it to be honest. A&M is FULL of engineering, biomedical science, business, and math majors. Yes, those are hard majors, but THEY choose to be in that! They want to spend their life doing math stuff and other stuff that those majors do for a living. But education majors AREN'T dumb! And we don't have it that much easier than everybody else. No, we may not have 23048 math problems per week, but we write just about that many lesson plans! We may not have a test every other week, but we have massive projects and presentations! We didn't chose education to major in because we weren't smart enough to do anything else. We chose to be teachers because we want to make a difference!!

There is a quote I found on Pinterest the other day that sums this up pretty well... "I teach to enable, enliven, and encourage. NOT because I can't do anything else!"

Disney Pandora

I found a Disney channel on Pandora and have been SUPER excited to be jamming out to music from Disney movies.

Genny is convinced I am a 5 year old trapped in a college kids body.

But in essence, she may be right! I love dipping french fries in milkshakes, I checked out children's books from the University library, my closet is color-coded, it takes me forever to figure out how to get our door to lock, I trip over anything and everything, I enjoy wandering around when I have no idea where I am (maybe that's my way of pretending I'm not lost), I find entertainment by finger painting, I have no problem going to bed at 10....

Just because I'm living 90 miles from my parents and 140 miles from my best friend, just because I'm taking college classes, just because I am legally an adult, just because I am going to another country without my family in January, and just because I can be self-sufficient and independent for the most part DOESN'T MEAN that I'm a grown up!! I'm still a kid at heart :)

Therefore, I will continue to listen to my Disney music and waste hours in the children's library on campus :)

Blogging!

I started blogging nearly 2 years ago as a way for me to get my thoughts out. I was a VERY quiet person (what happened?) and didn't really share thoughts with anybody. Blogging was my way to vent and to answer the simple question "how was your day?" every once in a while.

Now, I am SO glad that I began blogging. It is a way to permanently lock in certain emotions and feelings from times that I don't ever want to forget. For example, I went through and read through some of my blogs from my last week of competitive swimming and remembered the sadness of that chapter being over, and officially called myself crazy for surviving 5:30 AM practices for 3 years. I went through and read my posts from the week before and after my Gramma passed away, and cried. I remembered the emotions that filled that week, and even more memories about the amazing and loving Gramma who is waiting for me in Heaven and always watching me (it RAINED today! Rain always reminds me of my Gramma and makes me laugh and smile). I read posts from this summer at camp, and remembered the sheer joy and love that I have being at Cho-Yeh.

Blogging is a way to permanently document memories, I'm SO glad that I have these memories to look back on over the past 2 years, and look forward to adding many more years to come!!

Home

Just like I have many different "families", I have recently realized that I have many different homes too.

I have my home in Houston, which I never realized until this year how much I love it. I didn't realize how much I love and value being home. When this week has gone from icky, to worse, to down right horrible, I have longed for Houston.

I have my home in Iowa. I sometimes feel like I am who I am because of the many summer days I spent up north. Maybe it's the "small-town" feel that I love, or maybe it's just being up north and surrounded by family, but I definitely have a home in Iowa.

The pool has been my home for quite a few years, but I have moved on from that. I still spend quite a bit of time at the pool, but it doesn't have the same nostalgic feeling tied to it that my pool-home did for so many years.

Obviously, I have my camp home. I call it "Chome" (Cho-home) on a regular basis, and even get "chomesick" on multiple occasions.

College Station has become a home too. Even though I'm not in love with the city, I do enjoy being here for the most part, and have made my little 10'x15' room into a home that I love.

I have recently been thinking about the world as a home. For missionaries and people who have dedicated themselves to being the hands and feet of Jesus on a large-scale, the world is their home, and every country, every continent is just another room that they enter into. This is an awesome thing to think about, and I have SO much respect for those who do consider the Earth as a home.

But really, all of these Earthly homes are insignificant in comparison to the Heavenly home that our Father has created for us. So when our "homes" get rough, don't forget -- there is an absolutely PERFECT home waiting for you at Heaven's gates!

Target Mishaps

So, after a fairly crummy day of classes, I decided that I needed to go to Target and pick up some things. I was out of food, and snapped my FAVORITE headband this morning, and so a Target trip seemed to be in order.

I should've just taken a nap instead.

[Background Story: when I was at Carley's this weekend we ate SO much vanilla yogurt with M&Ms mixed in. They were delicious!]

So, on my target list was muffins, granola, headbands, yogurt, m&ms, and a few other little things. When I get to check out the total was something like $27. My debit card didn't work. Target wasn't taking bills over $20 that day (for some reason I only had a $50, $10 and a $5 because I NEVER carry cash), so I had to put things back in order to check out. Super embarrassing.

I get back to my room and make up a HUGE bowl of vanilla yogurt and pour in a bunch of M&Ms in. I take a big bite expecting deliciousness, and nearly gag. Guess who bought sour cream instead of yogurt? Yep. Disgusting. Don't EVER try it. NASTY.

I really should have just taken a nap instead.

Bipolar weather!!

My dorm room: anywhere from 55-75 degrees
Classes: somewhere around at least 80... miserably hot!
Last week mornings: 31 degrees
This afternoon: 84 degrees

I never know what to wear!!! It's FREEZING in my room, nice outside, blistering hot in my classes, then freezing the next day!

Dear Texas, it is FALL here in Texas. Please get down to the 60-70s and STAY THERE please :)

Thanks and gig'em :)

Dear 4th Floor...

Dear 4th Floor Residents,

Your floor is not a trampoline. It is in fact my ceiling. Please stop jumping NOW!! Seriously, I don't want to meet you by you falling through my ceiling.

Thanks and Gig'em!

One Very Irritated, Frustrated and Tired College Student

Nac-a-NOWHERE!!!

I now understand why Nacogdoches is nicknamed "Nacanowhere!"

On Friday once classes ended I ditched campus as fast as I could and headed off to Nac to visit my best friend Carley who attends SFA there. By 4:30 I was pulling into her school, and was shocked at the fact that they had FREE parking! That's an unheard of concept here at A&M!

Friday night consisted of dinner with Carley and Taryn (Car's friend who is applying for Cho-Yeh!) on campus. Then we went to their campus' movie theater where we saw a $1 showing of The Help (SO GOOD! And funny! Although I think Carley and I might have been the only girls not crying...). We then went back to Carley's dorm and had girl time talking about anything and everything under the sun. It was fantastic!

On Saturday we woke up and were lazy. We went to Hobby Lobby and got materials for craft projects. We each created a super cute canvas with the words "Seek Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly" on them (from the song "Courageous" by Casting Crowns). That evening we went and got dinner and went to the SFA/Southeastern LA football game. Football is SO lax there, it's GREAT! I got to see one of my supervisors from the summer, and enjoyed meeting everybody Carley talks about. That night after the game we played Ultimate Frisbee (on the football field... I definitely don't think that is legal here!), and then went back for a movie night.

This morning we went to church and then met another girl from Cho-Yeh for lunch at Quiznos. After that I headed off to Livingston and spent the afternoon helping Laura in her classroom and just chit-chatting. I made the drive back to cstat tonight, and walked into my room that had turned into a disaster zone. But, it's all been cleaned up, and I'm ready for another week!!!

Quick note... I only have 2 more full weeks of class!! :)

I have class November 14-18, Nov 21-22, Nov 28-Dec 2, Dec 5-6, then I have 2 finals on the 9th, a final on the 12th, and then I'll be DONEEEE for the semester! It's CRAZY! I'm so excited :) That is 32 classes! How crazy?!

"Is Your Hair Stuck That Way?", Academic Successes, and Weekend Plans

This weekend at Chovember, some of my 5th grade girls from my last week at camp ran up to me, and after hugs and more hugs this is the conversation that happened.

Katie: "Do you want to know how we knew that it was you from all the way across the field?"
Me: "Of course...?"
Kelly: "YOUR HAIR!" (My hair was in a french braid)
Me: "What?"
Catherine: "Your hair. It is always in a braid. It's like your hair is stuck that way"
Me: *laughter*
Anna: "They are right you know. The only time your hair wasn't in a braid was when somebody was re-braiding it for you!"

It was so funny! The girls did have a point, my hair was always in a french braid at camp. And because my hair is crazy, it would ALWAYS fall out, and so everytime I saw Laura, she would use the excuse of re-braiding my hair as a few minutes for us to talk about our days. You would be shocked at how much those 3 minute conversations meant everyday in the midst of a crazy camp schedule! I definitely miss those girls and the camp experience. Everytime I braid my hair (which is essentially daily), I will forever think of these four lovable 5th graders!!

This week has been pretty blaaah for me. It has taken so long and nothing exciting has happened. BUT, on the plus side... I didn't fail the polisci test that I thought I did (I got an 82!! 20 points higher than the class average! WHOOP!). I also got a 97 on my HUGE semester long education presentation/project (the 2nd highest grade was an 84). It was sooo rewarding! AND... I'm essentially DONE until finals! WHOOOOP!

I am SO looking forward to this weekend! Tomorrow after class I'm heading to SFA in Nac-a-nowhere (aka Nacogdoches) to spend the weekend with Carley. I'm excited to spend some time with her and have real conversations in person (as opposed to over skype). I'm also looking forward to getting to meet all of the people that I hear SO much about from her! On Sunday I am driving through Livingston and stopping at Laura's to spend time with her and talk with her. Even though I saw both of these girls on Sunday at Chovember, we were surrounded by a bunch of other staff and plenty of kids, so we didn't get to have "real talk". It is much needed and I'm excited to relax away from Cstat!!

Pure Joy

Pure (adj): Free from any contaminating substance
Joy (noun): a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something greatly valued or appreciated

Today I realized, that I am purely joyful when I am surrounded by kids and sharing Christ's love. I was looking through pictures from Chovember Fest and camp, and I realized that my smile is more genuine and of sheer happiness when I am surrounded by God's beautiful children and getting the privilege to teach them about their Heavenly Father and show them a Christ-centered love. The feeling that I get when pouring into these children is unmatched when compared to anything else I have ever experienced. It is then that I am at my true high and where I believe I am at my best.

This makes me excited for the road that I have ahead of me. I will be in Honduras in January sharing Christ's love to the orphaned children, the poor, and the homeless. Next summer I will hopefully be back at camp participating in a ministry that I have a love and deep passion for. I am pursuing an education degree where one day I will have my own classroom and will get to live out St. Francis of Assisi's saying "preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words." I will have the opportunity to love on kids and show them a caring that they may not get at home (this is where my passion for the poorer school districts comes into effect). If I ever have the chance to go into children's or camp ministry I will still more than likely jump on it, as I believe that is where my true passions lie and where I can fulfill what God has placed on my heart to the best capacity. Until then though, I am satisfied loving on kids every chance I get, and sharing Christs love wherever I go! Because it is these 2 things that bring me PURE JOY!

Polo and Camp... what a weekend!

This weekend was one of my favorites so far!! Maybe because it included water polo AND camp? haha :)

On Saturday we hosted a tournament at A&M. I was excited to play, but kind of skeptical about the entire thing because I didn't really know what to expect. We had been practicing for about 10 weeks, and so I knew the girls on the team pretty well. I don't hang out with many of them outside of the pool because how we spend our nights and weekends very CONSIDERABLY, but in the water they are great people to be around.

The tourney was a BLAST! I was thoroughly exhausted by the end of it, but I loved it! I had so much fun playing on the A&M team (not to mention that a girl I know from camp who graduated from A&M last year was coaching us). I never realized how much I missed getting to play. Definitely makes the time commitment worth it!

Then on Sunday I had a camp event all day in Houston! It is called Chovember Fest, and essentially it is just a huge fall-festival type camp reunion. I had 9 campers of mine show up, and it was a lot of fun! I got pied in the face 4 times by my girls (they would win tickets for playing games that we had set up, and then could use the tickets to pie us), and I think I still have whipped cream in my ears...

There was also a fundraiser for the Honduras mission trip there. People could buy tomatoes, flour, eggs, and water balloons to throw at us while we ran through an obstacle course. Somehow I made it through the obstacle course pretty clean... that's because all of my girls then chased me around the entire site throwing things at me. I was DISGUSTING by the end of it... but I think we made somewhere around $500 to put towards the mission trip! WHOOP!

I also got to see Carley and Laura while we were at Chovember Fest. I hadn't seen Carley in about a month, and hadn't seen Laura in about 6 weeks. Seeing them was also a major bonus. I miss those two like CRAZY!!

I got back to College Station (WITH MY CAR!!) around 7:30 last night and then studied for a while. But overall, it was a great weekend!!!

Endurance? Strength? Agility? Nerve?

I ran across this quote on ESPN earlier and LOVED it! It makes me laugh when people don't consider water polo a sport. :)

"Endurance? A water polo player swims 1.5 miles a game, with another player dragging and climbing all over him, pushing his head under the water and saying unkind things about his mamma when he comes up for air.
Strength? These guys egg-beater their legs for 32 minutes in nine feet of water, muscle each other for position and rise up into the air like they’re jumping off a trampoline to shoot and block shots.
Agility? They work back-cuts and spin-moves like Kobe and Marvin Harrison.
Nerve? They take 50-mph shots in the face and breathe in lungs-full of water. And they keep coming back for more."
-ESPN

I can't wait to play some real polo this weekend!!!

I need a weekend...

...and it's only MONDAY!

I feel like I didn't have a weekend this weekend. I spent ALL day Saturday studying (literally--Saturday from 11 AM - 10 PM). On Sunday we had Kyle Field Clean Up (where we have to go pick up a certain section of stands at Kyle Field the morning after a football game in order to receive funding for water polo) at 7:30 (AH, too early!). I didn't get back to my room till nearly 11 and by the time I had showered I was too late to go to church. Major bummer because I absolutely love the church that I'm going to here! I then studying until 4 (with a 30 minute phone date with one of my really good friends from camp, Laura). I played polo from 4-5:45, had tutoring/test prep from 6-7, and then studied until 9. I was then in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10.

Yeah, so no wonder I can't focus today when I try to study... I should go to the Rec and run or do something active in order to have a little change in routine, but I need to do well on these tests so that I'm not stressing when it's time for finals. AGH! I need a weekend!

This upcoming weekend is going to be crazy too, and I really need to study at some point for a polisci test I have next week. On Saturday I play polo all day in a tournament, and then on Sunday I have a camp "family reunion" where all of the campers have the opportunity to come back and see their counselors and just hang out.

I'm in desperate need of a lazy weekend! Or Thanksgiving... Actually, can it just be Christmastime? Yeah, that sounds pretty good right now!!

Alright--study break over... here we go again! Air masses, clouds and climates are calling my name! Then classical and romantic era music. Then secession of Texas... oh yippee yay yahooooo!

Halloween Hatred

I despise Halloween. Never been a huge fan, and this year, it's WORSE!

1. It's crazy expensive between costumes and candy and blah blah blah.
2. Nobody needs that much candy. Sorry, they just don't! (The average amount of candy that one American consumes in the month surrounding Halloween is 24.7 pounds)
3. The costumes are so skimpy (essentially they cover about 10% of your body and that's it. If you're lucky).
4. Most of the characters that people become are WAY innapropriate. (For example: the guy that I heard about who dressed up as a terrorist and crashed a party... really? Grow up).
5. All that candy makes you feel blah and lethargic. Who really wants to feel like that?
6. In college it's an excuse for everybody to get drunk... It's gross.
7. People get WAY more into character than they need to, especially walking around campus. Seriously, grow up. You're not 5 anymore...
8. It's not just October 31st that is celebrated, it's the entire week prior. So stinkin' dumb.

Halloween is SOOOO dumb!!!

Anyway

Anyway by Mother Theresa

"People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

Productive Friday Night!

Surprisingly, tonight has been REALLY productive! Weekends in College Station aren't exactly the most fun-filled experience of your life (especially considering I'm not a huge fan of going to football games, but that's a different story), so I have been kind of dreading this one because A) there's a lot of studying to be done, B) I don't have my car so can't run errands if I want to, C) I don't like having to rely on people for rides because I worry that I'll want to go back on campus earlier than they will and will be stuck, D) There's Kyle Field Clean Up on Sunday morning. So, granted, I wasn't too excited about tonight...

BUT: I've gotten this much accomplished!
I have gone through THREE chapters in Geography and taken notes over all of them (One chapter takes about 1.5 hours). Genny and I delofted and redid our rooms to make it a lot more functional. I was able to have a good 30 minute phone conversation with Renee. I sat and laughed with Genny, Ryan & Jeff (Ryan is Genny's boyfriend, and Jeff is a mutual friend). We got our heater fixed (WHOOOOOOP! Thank you engineering friends who are smart enough to break it apart and put it back together to get it to work!). It wasn't anything major of a Friday evening, but it was relaxing and I got A LOT accomplished!

Now, time to snuggle in my new un-lofted bed (YAY!) and read for a while! God is SO good :)

Dear Evans Library,

Dear Evans Library,

I hope that you are ready to become best friends! Because after this weekend we are just going to be the best of buddies. You see, I have a lot of studying to do this weekend because all of my exams tend to fall on the same day/week. I have a paper due Monday, three exams on Tuesday, a quiz on Thursday, and a paper due Friday of this week. Then on Saturday I have a polo tournament, and on Sunday I have a Cho-Yeh thing to go to. Then the next Monday I have 2 papers due and a polisci test. Then that Wednesday I have a HUGE presentation, a quiz on Thursday and a paper due Friday. Literally, SO MUCH TO DO! Therefore, this weekend I will be spending a vast majority of my time in the library. I've already been in here 3 hours, and it's only 4:15 on a Friday afternoon.

Evans, I really hope that you are nice to me. I mean, we have a chance to become REALLY good friends this weekend! Doesn't that sound just delightful? I would appreciate it if you would turn your heater up a little bit, and make fresh warm cookies. So far, that is my only complaint, so fix that soon and you'll be golden!

I might be leaving you for a few minutes to go charge my laptop and get my headphones while eating dinner, but then I'm sure we will meet again tonight! Don't worry, I'm not abandoning you, I promise I'll be back!

Much love (as long as your keep your end of this bargain...),

Me :)

[how's that for being positive about studying all weekend?!]

CHOCOLATE!!!

I am supposed to have a jacket being delivered sometime this week, and so have been anxiously checking my mailbox waiting for it to come! Today, I had TWO slips saying I had packages and so was slightly confused.

Oh. My. Goodness.

My family and the Krolczyk's had each sent me HUGE boxes of candy! Reeses, Starbursts, Skittles, those cookies with the really good icing, bubble gum, popcorn, chocolate covered pretzels, bakery cookies, and cute halloween accessories!

To say I've been on a sugar high is a slight under-exageration. (oh. understatement. that's the word I was looking for. whoops.) I had Chick-fil-a for lunch at like 3:30, and then have had a kit-kat (did I mention Genny got a bunch of candy yesterday?!), reeses, skittles, cookie, and $4 worth of frozen yogurt for dinner! I'm WIRED! Except my tummy hurts and I went 16 hours today without coming back to my room. Literally. Class, Library, Class, help Kristen, education meeting, heart to honduras profit share, and Breakaway. LONGEST day EVER!!!

Don't Leave out Paintbrushes... or else!

I was up late last night painting signs and posters for a profit share that I have tomorrow for Heart To Honduras (the group I'm going on my mission trip through). Genny was already asleep by the time I finished, so I rinsed out the brushes, left them by the sink, and crept into bed.

My class is at 8 on Monday mornings (GROSS!) and so I always get up and rarely turn on lights. This morning, I went to brush my teeth and got the toothpaste on the brush, before I realized it was a PAINTbrush, not my toothbrush... that coulda been interesting!

This morning when I went to eat my mini muffins in my education class, there were only TWO muffins instead of the 5 that are supposed to be in the package! WHAT?! Needless to say, I fired off an email and am hoping for a lifetime supply of free muffins when they respond!

Julie and I went through Sonic on our way to the elementary this morning, and when I opened my straw it looked like it had already been bit! The straw was wrapped in the paper wrap thingies, but there were BITE marks on the straw... After requesting a new straw we were on our way!

Goodness... All of this before 9AM! Geeesh.

Unapologetically Christian

This week has had a rough to start to say the least. I was really looking forward to this stress-free week with no tests, but that quickly changed on Monday morning. Monday was spent worrying and freaking out about the wreck, and Tuesday was spent pretty sore. Every Tuesday night A&M has a praise and worship session called Breakaway (Random Fact: A&M has the largest percentage of professing Christian students than any other campus in America--including private schools). It is held over in Reed Arena in West Campus and starts at 9. Reed is about a 20 minute walk on a good day from my dorm, and so most nights I have to leave my room by 8:20 to get over there and find a seat, and often times don't get home until 10:45 or 11. It's AWESOME, but does take up most of Tuesday nights.

So yesterday a friend from camp, Allie, texted me asking if I was planning on going. At the time I wasn't sure, I was exhausted and sore, but I promised her I would meet up with her and we could sit together. She called me telling me that she had saved us seats in a certain section, and so when I walked over to that section I saw somebody else sitting with her. It ended up being my supervisor from this summer who I absolutely love! She is super busy and heads up A&M's Christian Dance Company and so I haven't been able to see her much since classes started. She had heard about my wreck though and when she had run into Allie and Allie told her we were sitting together, Anne stuck around for a few minutes to surprise me! It was SUCH a lovely surprise getting to see her!

Breakaway was phenomenal as usual. One thing that the speaker said was that we should be "unapologetically Christian". It kinda blew my mind, but that statement is SO true! We should never hide our Christianity from people because we are afraid of what they will say. We shouldn't ever be sorry for being Christians, and we should never portray the "halfway Christian" attitude in order to try and not offend somebody. Christ should be in us 100% of the time, regardless who we are around. Unapologetically Christian! HOW AWESOME?!

Materialism & a Funny Story

I'm realizing just how prevalent materialism is in our society. I got in a wreck this morning (the other guy was perfectly fine and his truck was undamaged, and I am okay), and will be without my car for a while.

I don't think I realized how dependent I was on my car. I can't just run to Walmart, and I'm not able to just meet friends to get frozen yogurt. I'm not able to go where I want to go when I want to go, and it's frustrating. As a society we are SO dependent and reliant on these materialistic things that are of this Earth that really shouldn't have a huge significant fact in our life. Yes, cars are important to us and they are a convenience for sure.

When I was walking back to my dorm and had tried calling nearly everybody that I could think of that was on campus and that could come sit with me as I waited for my dad to come (EVERYBODY was in class. Literally! Kevin, Kristen, Cameron, Julie, Megan, Renée, Genny.... all in class!) I resorted to calling friends who weren't on campus but that I knew would talk to me until I calmed down. Luckily, Carley picked up. At one point she told me "Ky, your car is of this world. You are not." and I was totally shocked. (Actually the shock of the validity of her statement came hours later) There are SO many things that are "of this world" that we exalt to higher standards than what they are. Our phones, our computers, our books and creativeness, our sports, our music... you get the drift. They are all of this world, and they can be replaced. Some things belong to a world not of this one, things like Our God and our lives. We are not "of this world", we are of God's plan and His realms! Forget the materialistic things that we "need" to survive!

Funny little story though to end this. Not really on this same topic, but kinda.

So--hanging from my rearview mirror whenever I drive my car is my 5-year Cho-Yeh Cross that I got last summer marking my 5th year as a member of the "Cho-family". It is too bulky to actually wear on a daily basis, and so I have it hanging on my rearview mirror as a constant reminder of Cho-Yeh and that world every time I get in my car. Somehow when I slammed on my brakes trying to avoid the truck in front of me, that cross was jostled from the mirror and flew off, landing in my lap. I don't remember grabbing it, but I know that it was in my hand as I stepped out the car to see what had happened to my car. I didn't realize it at the time, but I definitely think that was God's way of getting the Cho-family involved. They have been awesome and have been so helpful. Kristen met me at my dorm and sat with me till my dad came. Carley called some of my closest friends to let them know what happened. Laura called me when she got off of work and listened to me, while joking around and making me laugh, then preceded to warn me that there would be a good chance that even though I wasn't sore tonight, I might wake up sore from the jerking of the car and the sudden stopping. Tiffany called me tonight to pray with me. Kasey sent me reassuring texts throughout the day. Cameron sent me notes from the classes I missed. Clare offered to bake with me one day after class this week if I wanted to get away from campus. So thankful for that family and the help that they are to me! It stinks not being home with my family when this is all going on, but it is reassuring knowing I have that camp family here to help out!

"My car may be in shambles, but I serve a God that holds me together!"

two hundred twelve

For our polisci tests (which I have in 2.5 hours) we are assigned seat numbers. I'm in seat 212.

I really like the number 212 because it is a palindrome, you can read it forwards and backwards and it says the same thing (Hannah, Racecar, Dad, Mom, etc). Those make me happy because they are so simple yet complex at the same time, I've always been fascinated with them and love when they randomly appear (especially in calculus, it would always make a daunting problem seem a smidgen less troubling if the number was a palindrome!).

So, the fact that my seat is a palindrome is exciting. I'm sure some of you (actually, I'm not sure....) have heard the whole spiel on 212 degrees. Essentially it is a motivation technique that was really popular a few years ago, maybe it still is? Essentially, it is based off a quote like this "At 212 degrees Fahrenheit, water will boil. But if you stop heating water at 211 degrees, you will not reach the goal of boiling. . . THAT is the difference a single degree more can make!"

So... not only is my seat number a palindrome, it is also a motivational tool! Now if only it had a way of automatically bubbling in the correct answers....

back to the study world! I'll be FREE in about 3 hours!

Being Sick is Stinky

I don't think I've ever been sick and not been at home. I honestly can't even remember the last time I was sick, which is such a major blessing. Whenever you are sick, you just want to be able to lay on the couch and watch TV and have somebody cater to whatever you want. That doesn't happen when you live on campus!

I really just want to lay on a comfy couch and watch a Disney movie and have my parents make me something yummy for dinner. Nope. I had to walk to find something that I could keep down (or thought I could) and then go back to studying for polisci. If you think studying for your hardest class that is taught by the worst professor on campus (he thinks there is a state called "New Iowa'...) is bad, you would be right. Now try studying for that when your stomach is like a hurricane, and you just feel crummy in general... ICK!!

This week better get better. On the bright side, the other girl who also got sick on Sunday is feeling better! So... if it's the same thing I should be getting over this SOON!