"Life is but a walking shadow..."

Looking back on 2008 I remember...

I remember life being good with so many wonderful memories tucked into each corner of every day. Memories of laughter, love, happiness, contentment, peace, excitement. I remember looking ahead to my future and seeing my dreams fulfilled. Life was something I faced with anticipation.

I also remember pain, anguish, hurt, confusion, hope, insecurity, the feeling of being lost and forgotten...and a perpetually wet pillow. My dreams seemed to fade with each passing day. Life was nothing but a distant memory.

As I reflect on the events of 2008 I smile, I cry and I thank the Lord I'm still alive to enjoy His many blessings. Through all of my past circumstances one thing is as clear as a cloudless day, and that is the fact that my God has always been there for me with open arms of comfort, the still small voice of peace, and love beyond my comprehension. As the only one to turn to He taught me many lessons; lessons that are worth every bit of the happiness and pain, laughter and sorrow, contentment and discomfort.

My understanding of Him has increased substantially, my faithfulness to Him has grown stronger, and my love for Him has become more passionate. Not to mention that He has blessed me with the gifts of friendship, healing, and the strength to endure.

I enter this New Year, 2009, refreshed and renewed with a bounce in my step and expectation of what the Lord has in store for me. I commit myself to serving Him with every fiber in my being. I praise Him for His goodness and mercies to me. I love Him because He first loved me.

My Childhood in Pictures

***I'd like to dedicate the title of this post to my good friend Sam McConkey.***

While browsing my photos to find the troll picture I came across a few others of me from my childhood. I thought I'd put them up too. Why not?


Me as a baby.


Two years old and practically bald!


Yes, after I started getting hair I was a blonde.


My SWEET Barbie Corvette car. I got this for my 3rd birthday. After watching me drive this thing my dad knew I'd be a good driver. :)


First day of second grade.


My 12th birthday.


This is one of my senior pics.


Just to be random, here's a picture of me a few days after I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I looked like a chipmunk for about a week!

I used to be a Troll!!!

Okay, not really.

I was probably 4 in this picture. I remember my dad holding me upside down by my ankles while my uncle combed out my hair and put TONS of mousse and hairspray in my hair. I wonder how long I hung upside down while my hair dried?

(I couldn't think of anything to blog about. Can't you tell?)

Facebook F.Y.I.

For all you Facebook users, newbies and prospectives let me fill you in on a little tip that may help you with your Facebooking skills.

Using the Inbox:
Did you know that you can send the same message to multiple people! It's great if you want to say "Merry Christmas!" "Have a nice break!" "See ya'll when school resumes," etc.

Let's say you want to reply to the person who sent you and ten other people a nice little message. Well...just know that it goes to ALL those other people. So make sure you don't say anything personal.

(....lesson learned the hard way)

The Countdown Begins

How many more days! How many more days!!! HOW MANY MORE DAYS TIL SCHOOL CONVENES?!?!?!

*gasp* Dustin would know! :)

An evening out

I'm back again with not a whole lot to say. (Now you see what I do when I don't have homework. I blog, and blog.....and blog.)

Melissa and I went out tonight around 8:30. She was restless so she came down to my room saying, "Let's go somewhere! *clap, clap*"

We ended up at Barnes and Noble for a bit and then Steak'n Shake.

It's almost 12:00 AM and I STILL have not started packing.

***Warning***
For those of you whose cars are in the parking lot - BEWARE!
Why pay $5.00 to go to a rink when you can skate for free in the GBS parking lot!
Yes, it is EXTREMELY icy in the spots where they haven't salted (....wow, now isn't that profound...)

Snowman Soup

Right now I am enjoying a cup of Snowman Soup (a.k.a. hot chocolate). My cool R.A. and awesome friend Leanna left some holiday cheer at my door the other day with the following ingredients and directions enclosed:

*Make your hot chocolate and throw in the Hershey Kiss and marshmallows and give it a stir with the candy cane.*

It is especially good to drink when you have some of Mrs. Profitt's homemade ginger snaps to dip into the cocoa. Yummm!

Waiting on my last load of laundry so I can start packing.

(I haven't gotten that far since last I blogged, but I HAVE finished cleaning.)

Fini!!!

Well, all my tests are taken and I am officially finished with another semester.

Right now I am working on cleaning my room and bathroom. You wouldn't think it to be too much work to clean a little room and a bathroom, but trust me it is. I thoroughly scrubbed the tub, dusted, cleaned the toilet and sink, and swept/mopped the floor.

Then I have to vacuum my room, dust, and tidy up any clutter. Oh, and then I must pack to go home!

I will be leaving tomorrow around 2:00 PM with Gumby. He is the only person I could think of who lives somewhat close to my mom (she lives north of Chicago).

Anyways, I must finish cleaning and start my packing.

Mmm, burgers!

Tonight I got to enjoy a little twist to my Sunday evening. I went over to Zach and Kristen's (Steinbrook) apartment for dinner! We had a lovely time with a few other friends just visiting and eating.

Zach, being the master chef of the household, made these delicious turkey burgers. They looked like something out of a gourmet cook book. They smelled heavenly and had such a mouth watering, savory flavor.

He first sauteed onions, cherry tomatos and minced garlic and packed it into the ground turkey. Then he took cubes of cheese and stuffed them into the center of the patty. After grilling the patties he topped the burger with more sauteed onions and tomatos and served it on a bun.

I can't emphasize enough how wonderful they were! Here are some pictures just to make you even more jealous. Hehehe!

Untitled Emotions

Can you guess which one is me?

The funny thing is, on my list of stressors classes, homework and tests are at the bottom.

...I need a break from reality - just long enough to make sure I still know how to smile. I feel like I'm living an emotional nightmare that I don't know how to wake up from. Go figure the things that would comfort me most right about now are things I don't or can't have.

But I still have my Jesus and His Word:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" -Psalm 91:1-2

Home Sweet Home!

Well, I'm back!! It was a long car ride - 7 1/2 hours on the road through snowstorms galore. But, arrivinging around 10:30 PM (well, 10:50 after waiting 20 minutes in the Taco Bell drive-thru, psh!) Joe, Maria and myself are all safe and sound.

The break was nice. The food was delicious, I had some of my grandmother's apple pie (Yum!), I have 7 new books to add to my collection, and I FINALLY got to see The Incredibles.

I got to see my adorable baby brother, Landon. (By the way, I spelled his name wrong in my last post.) And I got to see my other brother and sister who are growing up so fast. Since the last time I saw them in August their vocabulary has increased immensely! So after seeing them I'm all caught up on my hugs and kisses for awhile....and Veggietales.







I'll have to post more pictures later. I have to get to bed.