Well, I successfully managed to complete my last first week of undergraduate classes. All in all my 3 classes seem to be great. Self-defense is going to be an absolute blast. Yesterday we learned how to break noses! [Ya, you better watch out!] Therapeutic Principles is going to be a challenge. The course is set up to represent a Professional School level class. I am glad I will be getting exposure to this kind of format, rather than jumping blindly into Physical Therapy school. Biomechanics will probably be the worst of the 3. It's a combination of Anatomy [which I like] and Physics [which I despise].
As with every new semester I start out focused and on top of things. My goal for this semester is to not allow myself to become boggled down with school and stress. This will be my last semester at TAMU and even though school is important I am making it mandatory that once a week I do something outrageous and fun. Things such as name carvings at the Chicken, picnics at the lake and a trip to Austin are already in the works.
I am also continuing on with my reading plan. The reading plan is set in 2 week increments focusing on various "topics" throughout the Bible. Things such as "The Life and Teachings of Jesus", "The Old Testament" [current section...always a struggle for me!], "Prayer", "Women of the Bible", etc. My prayer for this semester is that reading the Bible wouldn't just be something I pencil into my schedule but rather something that I crave every day. I don't want spending time in the Word to just become a routine. I desire for this time to be refreshing and needed every day. I often think that we find ourselves "finding time for God" around the other commitments in our life, rather than the other way around. God doesn't want to be just a part of our 15 minutes every morning and prayers at night. God desires to have an intimate relationship with us that changes our mindset and thus the path of our lives. We should be "obsessed" [to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic] with God. I was strongly convicted on my continual plan to "set aside time for God". It became more a checklist: 1]Do laundry 2]Clean bathroom 3]Read the Bible 4]Cook dinner 5]Study for class 6]If time allows, pray...My desire is that my life would be radically changed every day but the Scripture I study and the openness I have with God during prayer.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51: 10 - 12
God has already introduced me to some amazing girls that a truly living a life with their eyes focused on Him. I am so blessed to know that 2 of these girls will be joining me at UT-Southwestern for Physical Therapy school. What a joy to know that even during our struggle through school we will have sisters in Christ around us to provide support and love.
"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6: 2
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Whirlwind
That title pretty much sums up my weekend.
It was one of those weekends that was completely unplanned except for the fact that my parents would be out of town for their 31st wedding anniversary. Yeah, you read that right they have been married for over 30 years and are probably the happiest I've ever seem them.
Things started out pretty normal for a weekend spent at home with just me and my younger brother, David. [I can't really say little brother anymore because he, at the age of 12, is practically the same height as I am.] I pick him up Friday from school with a large Ocean Water from Sonic. Not sure why, but for awhile now David and I have had this unwritten rule that we stop at Sonic whenever possible, especially between the hours of 2-4pm for happy hour. [I always wished I had a cool older sibling around that could drive when I was in elementary school, so they could pick me up and I could avoid the bus, haha!] Came back home and settled in on the couch excited to watch the Aggies play in the Cotton Bowl. Sadly, the Aggie defense decided to stay home for the game so we kind of got our butts handed to us. David and I felt like the loss was going to put a damper on the weekend, but it didn't.
That evening I decided to start reading, "I Would Die For You", which is an adaptation of journal entries, both physical and online, from a 15 year-old boy, BJ Higgins. BJ had a radical and blunt way of spreading the story of Christ and I found myself unable to put the book down. Once I reached the halfway point, at 1am, I decided it was time to call it a night, but just couldn't sleep. I ended up reading chapter 5 of Ephesians and just openly talking with God, something I had been halfheartedly doing over the break.
Saturday, we went to watch Gulliver's Travels, which was really cute. [It's kind of a thing David and I always do, going to the movies that is.] After the movie, I, Kathleen Elise Sullivan, coughed up the big bucks and bought an iPod touch4. Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely hate dropping large amounts of cash on anything, but I had been saving for a new mp3 player for awhile. Anyway, we picked up the iPod and headed home to get it all set up. For the first time ever, David showed me what was up! Showing me how to navigate through this new touch screen business and everything, haha! It was pretty awesome. We order Panjo's to go, since I had been craving their pizza for about a year and then got cozy at home and watched another movie. We finished the evening with a hilarious game of Chubby Bunny, in which we both had marshmallows coming out of our nose and ears. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a really really long time. I decided to read more of the before mentioned book and before I knew it, it was 2am and I was finished. My face stained with tears and more continuing to run down, I turned on my new iPod to just make a quick update on Facebook and Twitter.
A status caught my attention and I messaged the writer. The status was questioning what God meant by the commandments and what was sin. I made somewhat of a overview of God's love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, told the writer I would be praying for them, and told them to not be afraid of asking any questions. For the next hour and a half, I [terribly] typed on this new gadget, afraid to switch to a computer and miss another question or opportunity to talk about God and Christ. Not since Uganda had I felt God so close to me. I prayed and prayed that God would speak through me and that I would not turn this conversation to be anything about me. The writer had so many great questions that I myself had asked and these questions provided me with an opportunity to dig through old notes from sermons, bible studies and personal study times. I found myself reading over an old journal and reading bent up note cards shoved into the spine of my Bible. The entire time I kept thinking to myself, "Don't stop asking questions!" When I finally signed off, I was completely restless. I turned on some worship music and just sat in bed talking to God. I don't think I had been that open with Him in quite some time. At the end of it all I just felt this peace. And I realized that this was again a refreshing moment for my faith. Another time that I would look back on and say "You see what He did there? Yeah, He made me even stronger and He showed AGAIN how much He loves me and desires a close relationship with me." I realized at the end of it all that God is never far from me, He is always that intimate. It is I who focus my attention on other things. It is I who find distractions and time consumers more important than my time spent with my Father. Again, God reawakened my heart and reassured my soul.
Today, was another simple day. After a restless night between God rocking my spiritual world and a crazy storm threatening to rock my physical world, I was pretty exhausted. I knew my parents were coming home in the evening so I decided to cook. I had been lovingly pampered all break, but my parents deserved to come home from a restful weekend and not have it completely collapse on them. Sadly, my sweet angel, Snickers, would take her last breath at 7:55pm. She was such an amazing cat and even as she passed she was purring. It was comforting to know that she wasn't hurting and that she knew we were all there with her. It's crazy to me how attached you can become to an animal. Snickers was my companion for 17 years. She consistently licked my hands/face, especially when I was crying. Snickers found us, in a way, right after we had taken in another cat, Cowboy. Cowboy, after fighting with kidney failure for years, passed away over Thanksgiving break. Since then Snickers had slowly begun to decline. To say that animals do not love is an obvious lie to me now. Without Cowboy, Snickers just slipped away. So heartbreaking to be without her, but she was truly a companion to me and that is how I will remember her.
After a very emotional good-bye, we sat for a re-heated via microwave meal. Not as delicious as I intended but still good.
As I headed into my room to begin typing this post, David walked in. He stated that he had really enjoyed this weekend, and then started to cry. I thought at first that it was about Snicks, but then he said, "It's just the last one." Well, I fell apart all over again. You see, he knows that this is the last break I will have at home for some time. Physical therapy school starts in May, so unlike most years I won't have a summer vacation to spend at home with him. It was in that moment that I realized just how much I loved my little brother and how much he has grown. That kid seriously blows my mind. He's so funny, it's absolutely ridiculous. He has this manor about him and his personality is uniquely him. It's not often that a girl, at least for me, sees her brother cry but those glimpses of the little boy inside are really beautiful.
This weekend began unplanned and ended with unexpected events. It's these sorts of days that remind me that God has a rehearsed plan for my life. He's in control. It's my job to be open to talk, but also to be still and listen.
It was one of those weekends that was completely unplanned except for the fact that my parents would be out of town for their 31st wedding anniversary. Yeah, you read that right they have been married for over 30 years and are probably the happiest I've ever seem them.
Things started out pretty normal for a weekend spent at home with just me and my younger brother, David. [I can't really say little brother anymore because he, at the age of 12, is practically the same height as I am.] I pick him up Friday from school with a large Ocean Water from Sonic. Not sure why, but for awhile now David and I have had this unwritten rule that we stop at Sonic whenever possible, especially between the hours of 2-4pm for happy hour. [I always wished I had a cool older sibling around that could drive when I was in elementary school, so they could pick me up and I could avoid the bus, haha!] Came back home and settled in on the couch excited to watch the Aggies play in the Cotton Bowl. Sadly, the Aggie defense decided to stay home for the game so we kind of got our butts handed to us. David and I felt like the loss was going to put a damper on the weekend, but it didn't.
That evening I decided to start reading, "I Would Die For You", which is an adaptation of journal entries, both physical and online, from a 15 year-old boy, BJ Higgins. BJ had a radical and blunt way of spreading the story of Christ and I found myself unable to put the book down. Once I reached the halfway point, at 1am, I decided it was time to call it a night, but just couldn't sleep. I ended up reading chapter 5 of Ephesians and just openly talking with God, something I had been halfheartedly doing over the break.
Saturday, we went to watch Gulliver's Travels, which was really cute. [It's kind of a thing David and I always do, going to the movies that is.] After the movie, I, Kathleen Elise Sullivan, coughed up the big bucks and bought an iPod touch4. Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely hate dropping large amounts of cash on anything, but I had been saving for a new mp3 player for awhile. Anyway, we picked up the iPod and headed home to get it all set up. For the first time ever, David showed me what was up! Showing me how to navigate through this new touch screen business and everything, haha! It was pretty awesome. We order Panjo's to go, since I had been craving their pizza for about a year and then got cozy at home and watched another movie. We finished the evening with a hilarious game of Chubby Bunny, in which we both had marshmallows coming out of our nose and ears. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a really really long time. I decided to read more of the before mentioned book and before I knew it, it was 2am and I was finished. My face stained with tears and more continuing to run down, I turned on my new iPod to just make a quick update on Facebook and Twitter.
A status caught my attention and I messaged the writer. The status was questioning what God meant by the commandments and what was sin. I made somewhat of a overview of God's love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, told the writer I would be praying for them, and told them to not be afraid of asking any questions. For the next hour and a half, I [terribly] typed on this new gadget, afraid to switch to a computer and miss another question or opportunity to talk about God and Christ. Not since Uganda had I felt God so close to me. I prayed and prayed that God would speak through me and that I would not turn this conversation to be anything about me. The writer had so many great questions that I myself had asked and these questions provided me with an opportunity to dig through old notes from sermons, bible studies and personal study times. I found myself reading over an old journal and reading bent up note cards shoved into the spine of my Bible. The entire time I kept thinking to myself, "Don't stop asking questions!" When I finally signed off, I was completely restless. I turned on some worship music and just sat in bed talking to God. I don't think I had been that open with Him in quite some time. At the end of it all I just felt this peace. And I realized that this was again a refreshing moment for my faith. Another time that I would look back on and say "You see what He did there? Yeah, He made me even stronger and He showed AGAIN how much He loves me and desires a close relationship with me." I realized at the end of it all that God is never far from me, He is always that intimate. It is I who focus my attention on other things. It is I who find distractions and time consumers more important than my time spent with my Father. Again, God reawakened my heart and reassured my soul.
Today, was another simple day. After a restless night between God rocking my spiritual world and a crazy storm threatening to rock my physical world, I was pretty exhausted. I knew my parents were coming home in the evening so I decided to cook. I had been lovingly pampered all break, but my parents deserved to come home from a restful weekend and not have it completely collapse on them. Sadly, my sweet angel, Snickers, would take her last breath at 7:55pm. She was such an amazing cat and even as she passed she was purring. It was comforting to know that she wasn't hurting and that she knew we were all there with her. It's crazy to me how attached you can become to an animal. Snickers was my companion for 17 years. She consistently licked my hands/face, especially when I was crying. Snickers found us, in a way, right after we had taken in another cat, Cowboy. Cowboy, after fighting with kidney failure for years, passed away over Thanksgiving break. Since then Snickers had slowly begun to decline. To say that animals do not love is an obvious lie to me now. Without Cowboy, Snickers just slipped away. So heartbreaking to be without her, but she was truly a companion to me and that is how I will remember her.
After a very emotional good-bye, we sat for a re-heated via microwave meal. Not as delicious as I intended but still good.
As I headed into my room to begin typing this post, David walked in. He stated that he had really enjoyed this weekend, and then started to cry. I thought at first that it was about Snicks, but then he said, "It's just the last one." Well, I fell apart all over again. You see, he knows that this is the last break I will have at home for some time. Physical therapy school starts in May, so unlike most years I won't have a summer vacation to spend at home with him. It was in that moment that I realized just how much I loved my little brother and how much he has grown. That kid seriously blows my mind. He's so funny, it's absolutely ridiculous. He has this manor about him and his personality is uniquely him. It's not often that a girl, at least for me, sees her brother cry but those glimpses of the little boy inside are really beautiful.
This weekend began unplanned and ended with unexpected events. It's these sorts of days that remind me that God has a rehearsed plan for my life. He's in control. It's my job to be open to talk, but also to be still and listen.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Top 10 of 2010
*I saw this idea on another blog and thought that it was a really wonderful way to reminisce about the past year and to remind oneself of the multitude of blessings the year provided!*
2010 has been another year of completely unforgettable and wonderful moments. Much like past years at Texas A&M, I can say that 2010 was full of surprises. Every New Year I imagine what I will be feeling this time next year and I'm never even close to the real emotion. 2010 marked some big moments for me, including but not limited too, becoming a sister-in-law, going out of the country alone, starting my senior year of college, and trying to make grown-up decisions about my future. Through it all I have learned to see God's hand in every aspect of my life. He has shown me that through faith we have been given great freedom and have become surrounded and involved in a love greater than anything else on the planet.
When I imagined my life at 22, as a young girl, I can promise you that it looked very different than the life I am living. For this, I am eternally thankful. While many of my friends have taken huge steps such as getting engaged or married, and even having babies, I myself still feel too young for such great commitments. Living as a young, single, but wildly independent lady has taught me a lot about myself and the things I cherish the most.
Enough about all of that, it's time to write down some memories.
DISCLAIMER: The following memories are listed in no particular order, except for number one. If one of your favorite memories with me is not including please remember these are only the first 10 I could think of. :]
10) MY OLDEST BROTHER GETS MARRIED!!!!! March 13, 2010
My oldest brother, Michael, met his match and married her. :] I became a sister-in-law but most importantly finally had a sister!! April fit so perfectly in our family from the start. I love the way Michael and April interact with each other. I can say that I'm pretty excited to watch as they spend the rest of their lives together. The wedding itself was truly beautiful. It was one huge celebration and for the first time in years most of my family was there.
9)SNOW DAY
IN COLLEGE STATION! February 2010
It has snowed twice in College Station since I've lived here and it's always so beautiful. There's just something special about the way the snow just covers all imperfections. It doesn't seem to matter what goes on in class or at work that day, because when you step outside, everything is perfect. This year it started snowing on a Tuesday, during the semester. I remember this because I volunteered at the hospital on Tuesdays. The patients we saw that day were so joyful and thankful. The snow seemed to remind them that even though things are hard now they do get better. It was by far one of my favorite days at the hospital.
8)The Fightin' T
exas Aggies (18) BTHO Nebraska (8) at Kyle Field! November 20, 2010
If you know anything about me at all, you know I love college football, but I absolutely adore Fightin' Texas Aggie football! There is truly something awe-inspiring about being a part of the 12th man that you really cannot explain to anyone who hasn't been a part of it. The roar of the crowd during a sack, the anticipatory silence before a big play, and the rumble that echoes throughout the stadium during the War Hymn, gives me goosebumps every dang time! This game is particularly special to me not only because we beat a fantastic Nebraska team, but because it would be the last time I would stand with the 12th man as a student. I remember
being able to feel my heart beating in my chest during the entire game, and I'll never forget the emotions everyone felt when we realized we were going to win this thing! "There's no formation, like the victory formation!!" I'll never be able to erase the way the 12th man towels looked as a record number of devoted Aggie fans waved them proudly for four innings. I wanted to cry at the end and not because of the win, but because I realized that this was it. This was the game that I would always remember. This was the game I'd be telling my grand kids about, because yes, it was a great game, but even more importantly it marked the beginning of the end of my time as a current student. Gig 'Em Aggies!
7) Megan and I MOVE to THE TRAILS! August 2010
After living
with a boy for almost a year, I can tell you that I dread moving in with another one later down the road of my life. It's not that I don't love Phillip like a brother, but they have a different mentality about cleanliness. haha! :] It didn't help that the apartment that we lived in was probably part of one of the crappiest complexes in College Station, but man was that place cheap. Needless to say, Megan and I had had enough and were ready for a change. We found a cute 2bedroom/1bath apartment near Wolf Pen Creek and decided this would be our new home. Megan and I have lived together since first semester of freshmen year. We were randomly placed together, by the housing gods of Texas A&M University and more importantly by our own Heavenly Father, who knew that without each other our experience at Texas A&M would not be all it could be. Megan has been there for me 
through everything. She is my dearest and closest friend, and 2010 was no different. As for the new apartment, we still love it. We finally have a cute-sie decorated pad! :] Very girly, sometimes messy, but definitely us.
*First photo is one of our first games at Texas A&M some time in 2007, and the second photo is from our last game, November 2010.*
6) Hallowee
n! October 31, 2010
I will be the first to say that Halloween of 2009 was a complete and total disaster for me. It is one of the few days from the past years at Texas A&M that I look back on and think "Really self?" BUT this year was a complete BLAST! Megan and I both had tests the following week and so we decided to have a low-key but still awesome Halloween. I'm pretty sure we started buying the stuff for our costumes some time in September, but whatevs. We originally were going to try and be the 90's band "Ridiculous", a group we created, but after finding some fabulous steals at Goodwill, we became "Punk/Pop". I portrayed a 90's punk kid and Megan portrayed a peppy, 90's pop star. All-in-all the looks were fabulous and a TON of fun to put together and wear. We spent the night with the lovely ladies of 2302 and assorted other guests. It was great night with wonderful people!
5) KARAOKE TUESDAYS!! Summer 2010 - Present
For some reason, Karaoke Tuesdays became a staple in my schedule starting some time in late spring/early summer. Karaoke Tuesdays is exactly what it claims to be. It is a Tuesday evening that consists of getting dressed up all cute, going to O'Bannon's and singing your heart out to classics and not so classics. It's always a good time and you are guaranteed to meet interesting people. I have proudly sang Karaoke myself a few times. My repertoire consists of "Spice Up Your Life" by The Spice Girls (DUH!), "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, and a multitude of other crowd pleasing favorites. One of my favorite parts about being in College Station during the summer is the lack of crowds. You can go out with your friends and pretty much see the same people. You don't fight for tables or wait in lines, and you can actually drive on Texas and University. But my all time favorite part of CS in the summer is that even if you are taking summer classes, you always seem to find a way to squeeze in some fun!
4) MY VERY OWN AGGIE RING DAY! September 17, 2010
I understand that most universities do in fact have a "college ring", but I have yet to hear of any school that makes it quite the CELEBRATION like we do here at Texas A&M. The Aggie Ring symbolizes many things but to me it symbolizes 4 years of hard work and serves as a reminder of all the memories you made at this great University. I still remember being given my Aggie Ring Day Countdown Calendar my freshmen year. I pro
udly pulled off hours at the end of each semester and when the day finally came to order my ring I couldn't have been more excited. I come from a long line of Aggies and I had been wanting my Aggie ring since I was a little girl. Going to the Former Students Association building to order my ring was exciting but not nearly as exciting as going back there to pick the little gold piece up! I woke up super early and snagged the first ring day pick up slot, which was at 
2:45pm (i think?). Of course classes dragged on that day and by the time I finally could go home, I just couldn't wait anymore. I changed into a cute outfit and called up my girls, 
Megan and Emily. We got in line and waited in anticipation. I'll never forget how exciting the whole process was, from signing off for my ring to finally having Megan place it on my finger to taking tons of pictures with friends! It was a great day! And yes, I did dunk my ring. No, it wasn't enjoyable, but I'll never have to do it again. :]
3) My Bestie's 21st Birthday! August 31, 2010
Megan was such a trooper. I turned 21 almost a year before she did and between my birthday and hers practically everyone we knew turned 21 as well. But finally her day came and we made the best of it! Her birthday was during the week and on top of that took place during the first week of classes. We still took her out for margaritas at Ninfa's, which sadly turned out to be a major flop because of a nasty fake strawberry mix in. Then later that night, which was luckily a Tuesday, we took her out to North Gate to our
old reliable O'Bannon's for some singing. We ended the night at Mad Hatter's where Megan could get her dance on. :] It was a really fun time, even with a small group!
2) ROAD TRIP TO AUSTIN! June 26, 2010
Megan and I created a "List of Things to Do Before We Graduate" and on that list was "Finally make the drive to Austin." We had been saying since freshmen year that we would make the 1 1/2 drive to Austin to visit some of our Longhorn (hissss) friends, but had never actually done it. So during the summer, we picked a weekend and made the drive. We had some awesome mix CD's for the drive and definitely got some strange looks from people in other vehicles as we danced and drove our way to Austin. We spent some time with some of Megan's friends from high school and then some time with my lovely friend Alley. Alley showed me the ropes on 6th street, which was quite the
ummm...experience? That place is definitely crazy and far from my comfort zone but it was fun with Alley and Buddy showing me the way. We ended up running into Tiffany and her boyfriend, Chris, which was just crazy and so we also got to spend time with them! All-in-all it was a great trip and as usual it was nice to get out of College Station for a little while and get the taste of different air, so to speak. I think my absolute favorite thing about Austin was the food. We went to lots of "hole in the wall" places and they were all delicious!
1) Uganda!!!
May 2010
The absolute best experience of my year was my trip to Uganda, Africa. I had never been out of the country, besides a vacation to the Bahamas, which I don't count because we were at a very "Americanized" resort. It was my first time to fly by myself. It was my first mission trip. It was wonderful. You can read all about my adventures on this blog, which actually was started because of that trip. I could go on and on and on about Uganda, but if you're interested just go back a few blog posts. The trip opened my eyes to many things, but mostly things about myself. I fell in love with the people of Uganda and even now my heart yearns to go back. Sometimes when I look back at pictures I still feel like I'm there, sleeping under the mosquito net as Jen complains about how "dodgy" hers is. :] I met fantastic and strong followers of Christ on the trip, who each shaped me into the woman I am today. I can only thank God for the blessings this trip provided. My heart will never be the same, and because of that neither will my life.
2010 has been another year of completely unforgettable and wonderful moments. Much like past years at Texas A&M, I can say that 2010 was full of surprises. Every New Year I imagine what I will be feeling this time next year and I'm never even close to the real emotion. 2010 marked some big moments for me, including but not limited too, becoming a sister-in-law, going out of the country alone, starting my senior year of college, and trying to make grown-up decisions about my future. Through it all I have learned to see God's hand in every aspect of my life. He has shown me that through faith we have been given great freedom and have become surrounded and involved in a love greater than anything else on the planet.
When I imagined my life at 22, as a young girl, I can promise you that it looked very different than the life I am living. For this, I am eternally thankful. While many of my friends have taken huge steps such as getting engaged or married, and even having babies, I myself still feel too young for such great commitments. Living as a young, single, but wildly independent lady has taught me a lot about myself and the things I cherish the most.
Enough about all of that, it's time to write down some memories.
DISCLAIMER: The following memories are listed in no particular order, except for number one. If one of your favorite memories with me is not including please remember these are only the first 10 I could think of. :]
10) MY OLDEST BROTHER GETS MARRIED!!!!! March 13, 2010My oldest brother, Michael, met his match and married her. :] I became a sister-in-law but most importantly finally had a sister!! April fit so perfectly in our family from the start. I love the way Michael and April interact with each other. I can say that I'm pretty excited to watch as they spend the rest of their lives together. The wedding itself was truly beautiful. It was one huge celebration and for the first time in years most of my family was there.
9)SNOW DAY
IN COLLEGE STATION! February 2010
It has snowed twice in College Station since I've lived here and it's always so beautiful. There's just something special about the way the snow just covers all imperfections. It doesn't seem to matter what goes on in class or at work that day, because when you step outside, everything is perfect. This year it started snowing on a Tuesday, during the semester. I remember this because I volunteered at the hospital on Tuesdays. The patients we saw that day were so joyful and thankful. The snow seemed to remind them that even though things are hard now they do get better. It was by far one of my favorite days at the hospital.
8)The Fightin' T
exas Aggies (18) BTHO Nebraska (8) at Kyle Field! November 20, 2010If you know anything about me at all, you know I love college football, but I absolutely adore Fightin' Texas Aggie football! There is truly something awe-inspiring about being a part of the 12th man that you really cannot explain to anyone who hasn't been a part of it. The roar of the crowd during a sack, the anticipatory silence before a big play, and the rumble that echoes throughout the stadium during the War Hymn, gives me goosebumps every dang time! This game is particularly special to me not only because we beat a fantastic Nebraska team, but because it would be the last time I would stand with the 12th man as a student. I remember
being able to feel my heart beating in my chest during the entire game, and I'll never forget the emotions everyone felt when we realized we were going to win this thing! "There's no formation, like the victory formation!!" I'll never be able to erase the way the 12th man towels looked as a record number of devoted Aggie fans waved them proudly for four innings. I wanted to cry at the end and not because of the win, but because I realized that this was it. This was the game that I would always remember. This was the game I'd be telling my grand kids about, because yes, it was a great game, but even more importantly it marked the beginning of the end of my time as a current student. Gig 'Em Aggies!7) Megan and I MOVE to THE TRAILS! August 2010
After living
with a boy for almost a year, I can tell you that I dread moving in with another one later down the road of my life. It's not that I don't love Phillip like a brother, but they have a different mentality about cleanliness. haha! :] It didn't help that the apartment that we lived in was probably part of one of the crappiest complexes in College Station, but man was that place cheap. Needless to say, Megan and I had had enough and were ready for a change. We found a cute 2bedroom/1bath apartment near Wolf Pen Creek and decided this would be our new home. Megan and I have lived together since first semester of freshmen year. We were randomly placed together, by the housing gods of Texas A&M University and more importantly by our own Heavenly Father, who knew that without each other our experience at Texas A&M would not be all it could be. Megan has been there for me 
through everything. She is my dearest and closest friend, and 2010 was no different. As for the new apartment, we still love it. We finally have a cute-sie decorated pad! :] Very girly, sometimes messy, but definitely us.*First photo is one of our first games at Texas A&M some time in 2007, and the second photo is from our last game, November 2010.*
6) Hallowee
n! October 31, 2010I will be the first to say that Halloween of 2009 was a complete and total disaster for me. It is one of the few days from the past years at Texas A&M that I look back on and think "Really self?" BUT this year was a complete BLAST! Megan and I both had tests the following week and so we decided to have a low-key but still awesome Halloween. I'm pretty sure we started buying the stuff for our costumes some time in September, but whatevs. We originally were going to try and be the 90's band "Ridiculous", a group we created, but after finding some fabulous steals at Goodwill, we became "Punk/Pop". I portrayed a 90's punk kid and Megan portrayed a peppy, 90's pop star. All-in-all the looks were fabulous and a TON of fun to put together and wear. We spent the night with the lovely ladies of 2302 and assorted other guests. It was great night with wonderful people!
5) KARAOKE TUESDAYS!! Summer 2010 - PresentFor some reason, Karaoke Tuesdays became a staple in my schedule starting some time in late spring/early summer. Karaoke Tuesdays is exactly what it claims to be. It is a Tuesday evening that consists of getting dressed up all cute, going to O'Bannon's and singing your heart out to classics and not so classics. It's always a good time and you are guaranteed to meet interesting people. I have proudly sang Karaoke myself a few times. My repertoire consists of "Spice Up Your Life" by The Spice Girls (DUH!), "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, and a multitude of other crowd pleasing favorites. One of my favorite parts about being in College Station during the summer is the lack of crowds. You can go out with your friends and pretty much see the same people. You don't fight for tables or wait in lines, and you can actually drive on Texas and University. But my all time favorite part of CS in the summer is that even if you are taking summer classes, you always seem to find a way to squeeze in some fun!
4) MY VERY OWN AGGIE RING DAY! September 17, 2010
I understand that most universities do in fact have a "college ring", but I have yet to hear of any school that makes it quite the CELEBRATION like we do here at Texas A&M. The Aggie Ring symbolizes many things but to me it symbolizes 4 years of hard work and serves as a reminder of all the memories you made at this great University. I still remember being given my Aggie Ring Day Countdown Calendar my freshmen year. I pro
udly pulled off hours at the end of each semester and when the day finally came to order my ring I couldn't have been more excited. I come from a long line of Aggies and I had been wanting my Aggie ring since I was a little girl. Going to the Former Students Association building to order my ring was exciting but not nearly as exciting as going back there to pick the little gold piece up! I woke up super early and snagged the first ring day pick up slot, which was at 
2:45pm (i think?). Of course classes dragged on that day and by the time I finally could go home, I just couldn't wait anymore. I changed into a cute outfit and called up my girls, 
Megan and Emily. We got in line and waited in anticipation. I'll never forget how exciting the whole process was, from signing off for my ring to finally having Megan place it on my finger to taking tons of pictures with friends! It was a great day! And yes, I did dunk my ring. No, it wasn't enjoyable, but I'll never have to do it again. :]
3) My Bestie's 21st Birthday! August 31, 2010Megan was such a trooper. I turned 21 almost a year before she did and between my birthday and hers practically everyone we knew turned 21 as well. But finally her day came and we made the best of it! Her birthday was during the week and on top of that took place during the first week of classes. We still took her out for margaritas at Ninfa's, which sadly turned out to be a major flop because of a nasty fake strawberry mix in. Then later that night, which was luckily a Tuesday, we took her out to North Gate to our
old reliable O'Bannon's for some singing. We ended the night at Mad Hatter's where Megan could get her dance on. :] It was a really fun time, even with a small group!
2) ROAD TRIP TO AUSTIN! June 26, 2010Megan and I created a "List of Things to Do Before We Graduate" and on that list was "Finally make the drive to Austin." We had been saying since freshmen year that we would make the 1 1/2 drive to Austin to visit some of our Longhorn (hissss) friends, but had never actually done it. So during the summer, we picked a weekend and made the drive. We had some awesome mix CD's for the drive and definitely got some strange looks from people in other vehicles as we danced and drove our way to Austin. We spent some time with some of Megan's friends from high school and then some time with my lovely friend Alley. Alley showed me the ropes on 6th street, which was quite the
ummm...experience? That place is definitely crazy and far from my comfort zone but it was fun with Alley and Buddy showing me the way. We ended up running into Tiffany and her boyfriend, Chris, which was just crazy and so we also got to spend time with them! All-in-all it was a great trip and as usual it was nice to get out of College Station for a little while and get the taste of different air, so to speak. I think my absolute favorite thing about Austin was the food. We went to lots of "hole in the wall" places and they were all delicious!1) Uganda!!!
May 2010The absolute best experience of my year was my trip to Uganda, Africa. I had never been out of the country, besides a vacation to the Bahamas, which I don't count because we were at a very "Americanized" resort. It was my first time to fly by myself. It was my first mission trip. It was wonderful. You can read all about my adventures on this blog, which actually was started because of that trip. I could go on and on and on about Uganda, but if you're interested just go back a few blog posts. The trip opened my eyes to many things, but mostly things about myself. I fell in love with the people of Uganda and even now my heart yearns to go back. Sometimes when I look back at pictures I still feel like I'm there, sleeping under the mosquito net as Jen complains about how "dodgy" hers is. :] I met fantastic and strong followers of Christ on the trip, who each shaped me into the woman I am today. I can only thank God for the blessings this trip provided. My heart will never be the same, and because of that neither will my life.
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