Merry Christmas

For some reason this Christmas has seem to have flown by...I am not sure if it was my finals taking me all the way into the 19th of December or that time really is flying by as I get older, but I am going to miss Christmas when it is gone this year. I have really enjoyed preparing by purchasing gifts and attending church and spending time with my family. Typically I am not a winter holiday person because many people I know get to busy and try to do a lot. For some reason I feel like I have taken a step back to soak it all in, I have let a lot of things roll off my shoulder, even if it does not seem like it at the time. I also am enjoying and savoring the traditions that my parents and family have set forth for me and my siblings. We have so many holiday traditions that I hope to continue on with my kids. One tradition is Kris Kringle. My middle sister was born 12 days before Christmas so to do something special for us and my my sister's birth, my parents came up with Kris Kringle. Every night beginning on my sister's birthday up to Christmas Eve we receive tiny gifts from Santa. This could be anything from a chapstick to a small gift card. But there are specific things we also receive...the first night we always get our ornament. Mine is Mary's Angels by Hallmark and on Christmas Eve morning we receive pajamas that we wear that night to bed. After these small gifts Santa comes with the big gifts on Christmas.
The fourth tradition (ornaments are second, pj's are third) is Christmas morning breakfast. It used to be this huge feast my mom would start once all the presents were open. Now it is this delicious casserole that I absolutely cannot get enough of. It is so yummy and I love it with a big glass of orange juice! We also eat lasagna on Christmas instead of turkey or ham and I love that we incorporate our heritage into it. The fifth tradition is probably ever since 1995 (or when we got the CD) we have listened to Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas CD while opening presents. His CD always puts me in the holiday spirit and I love to listen to it year round because of how great of a CD it is.
The sixth tradition is probably how we decorate. As a family we love to decorate for the holidays and typically decorating takes us two days. It's not that we have that much stuff it is just that we are so particular about how things go and where they are placed. For instance the mistletoe must be hung in the door frame (unfortunately ours has seen its last days so we need a new one), We also put a ceramic Santa that my dad received at the end of our hallway.
The seventh tradition is my mom's Christmas cookies. She spends so much time and energy on making delicious Christmas cookies that everyone gets to enjoy. My favorite are her fruit cake cookies. The eighth and I think final one is the pickle ornament. We do not do it the traditional way that the Germans do but my dad does hide the pickle ornament in the tree and we search for it. Typically whichever child finds it receives an extra present, but I think we would fight to much if that happened.
After going through these traditions it makes me excited to think that I will be able to pass these on to my kids one day. :)

100 posts later!

I am so proud of myself for keeping up with my blogging...and when I mean keeping it up I mean more than one every three months. I was unsure of blogging when I first began it but now it is sort of a release for me. I love it and even though no one probably reads my blogs for some reason it makes me feel good to write one. So here is a blog "toast" to my first 100 posts and to many more to come!!! :)

Geesh!

I am pretty sure that I have not blogged in so long that I actually forgot my username (for like 5 seconds). So much has happened and I cannot believe how busy these past two months have been for me. They have been such a blur and I just want to slow down so I can take it all in. Before long I will no longer be a college student but hopefully working at a job or working on another degree (fingers crossed!). Thanksgiving was a great time this year, I spent it with my mom's side of the family which is unusual for us considering we always go to my dad's side but since my grandfather is sick we decided to take the load off of my grandmother and host it at our house. We had such a great time, I got to meet my brother's girlfriend (huge deal!) and got to talk with my cousin who could not be with us this holiday.
I also got to take a week's break from school so that I could jump head into finals week. I am so proud of myself and the work that I have accomplished this semester. I think academically this has been one of the best semesters for me (work accomplished wise) and I hope that when grades come out they reflect that.
So Thanksgiving came and went and it is now Christmas Eve. What have I been doing that I have not been able to blog in forever? Let's see....I went to ZooLights twice, I have been working a lot, celebrated my friends 22nd birthday in Columbus, had finals week, have been volunteering for 2 Occupational Therapists, teaching Sunday School, and tutoring. I also went to see New Moon (twice and loved it both times) and now I am really trying to get into the Christmas Spirit. Yes, even now on Christmas Eve, I am still struggling. I think it is because school let out so late for me and I know the next few weeks are going to be rough for me money wise...oh well, it will be taken care of!
One exciting thing that I did get to do was go to the town where my dad works and check our their Christmas celebration. It was sooooo cool. They have Santa drive around their downtown square and all the buildings light up. Then they light the tree and fireworks go off. I really enjoyed this because all of my family (except my brother) and my niece go to be with me. This was the first time for her to watch fireworks and she thought they were so cool. I hope this year she is not sick on the 4th of July so I can take her then too.
I also bought our Christmas tree this year, it is something I am very proud of. Ever since we added onto our house we have celebrated Christmas in this room and only one time out of the roughly four years we have had it we have only had one big Christmas tree (14 ft.) So this year I decided I wanted another big one and we went out the day after Thanksgiving and found one. It is absolutely perfect and no ornament was left behind this year!
Well, I think that is all for now and I promise to start blogging more and more!
Merry Christmas everyone :)

Observations

For my practicum my fall semester of 2009, I have been observing two Occupational Therapists and I have learned so much from this experience. It is very interesting to see the two sides to the job. The first OT I have been observing works in a school three days a week and she works with high schoolers, jr. high schoolers, middle schoolers, and elementary schoolers. We mainly work on handwriting and fine motor with these kids but it is a fun time to get to know them and see how they are progressing.
The second OT I observe works in a clinic and it is very exciting to also see this aspect. She gets more time with each child and both OT's have different teaching approaches. Since the school OT must follow the IEP or 504, they do not have as much free reign where as the clinical OT can adjust her goals or the day as things progress while still following the IEP. I also like doing both because most of the children in the school do not have autism where as almost all the kids in the clinic are on the spectrum.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!

My favorite holiday has come and gone but it is still not to late to write about it! Fall was a little short for mid-Ohio this year because of rain but it was still just as beautiful as last year and I made it to the pumpkin patch. I also got to carve my pumpkins this year :) The picture posted is of my two pumpkins, one is of a monster creeping through a window and the other is a Disney Princess glass slipper. This year I dressed up as two costumes instead of just one. The first was a black cat and the second was Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks, one of my roommates was Alvin and the other was Simon. On the Thursday before Halloween one of my roommates and I took the little girls I watch trick or treating and then we had a nice time with the family eating delicious pizza. The following day I had a Halloween party in my room and on Halloween we went and watched a band play at a local bar while hanging out with a ton of friends.

Columbus Walk Now for Autism

I cannot believe that I have not blogged in over a month but finally I am here doing it. :) The Columbus Walk Now for Autism was well over three weeks ago but it was an amazing time and it was so great to once again come together as a community and raise money for a great awareness. The attendance beat last years and we are almost to the goal of $600,000. How exciting? We also had an amazing and large team this year filled with not only family but also friends! The Ohio State Pep Band, Cheerleaders, and Harry Slatkin were there to kick start the event along with Columbus, Ohio's Jenny McCarthy- Jarod Smalley. It was amazing to see all the people and all the resources that are starting to come out and spread their help through the autism community.

Autism Video

Okay so I know I have not blogged in a long time, but I am a senior in college and trying to get through my first few weeks. I wanted to post this though so many people can see it. It is a video title I Am Autism and it is great. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDdcDlQVYtM

Walk Now for Autism Speaks Kick-Off

It is the second annual Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Columbus, Ohio and we are gearing up for another exciting year. I recently attended this amazing event and besides the great food and the fabulous decor put on by the Limited, the speakers were just as amazing this year.

A few things that I wanted to point out about this event still have stuck in my mind even though this event occurred 5 weeks ago. The first is about this high school boy who spoke. He talked about what it meant to be a hero and how being an athlete he was his brothers hero (his brother is on the spectrum). Little did his younger brother know, but he was this high schooler's hero. Out of all the NFL, NBA, and MLB players this high schooler's younger brother who has special needs was his hero. This really touched me because when you think of hero you think of those all stars when in the end it is really the one who has saved you and been with you through it all. It was exciting to see that even high school kids can understand what it means to be different and to stand out.

The second thing that was great about this night was the main speaker. Harry Slatkin is the President of Limited Brands Home Design and his 9 year old son is on the spectrum. Last year at this time Harry and his wife decided to place their son in a home due to his violence and his lack of improvement through all types of therapy. This year Harry was happy to report that ever since his son's move to this amazing home for children on the spectrum, he has improved significantly and is no longer violent.

The third and final thing I wanted to talk about from this event was the decor. There were kites hung all over the place and an e-mail was sent to our Kick-off chair person Michele Worthington from Matthew with Zen Genius who described the decor for the event and the e-mail goes like this:
"The kites above us with all the wonderful pictures of our kiddos are there to inspire and encourage action for people who have autism and to remind us how beautiful the results can be. Also worth noting Matthew said, is that the kite dances not always easy. Sometimes it takes a dramatic dip, tumbling to the ground with no warning or understanding, just like the struggles of those who live with autism."

The last note I want to leave is the reason why I walk: I walk to give back hope.

Autism Speaks: Making a Difference in OHIO

For many people, they are unaware of what certain organizations do for their state. Autism Speaks is one of them. There are many Ohioans who believe that Autism Speaks does not give back to the Ohio community and that is completely wrong. I recently attended the Walk Now for Autism Speaks Kick-Off event in Columbus and received this handout so that I could share information with others people. The information listed below is specific to Ohio, but if you would like to know what Autism Speaks does for your state visit their website at autismspeaks.org

The mission of Autism Speaks is dedicated to increase awareness, research, advocacy and family services for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.

Autism Speaks has committed over $98 million in grants to support 773 promising research projects and fellowships into the causes and treatments of autism. The investment in these research grants alone has been leveraged into nearly $153 million in NIH and other funding. In Ohio, 14 projects representing over $2.6 million in investments have been funded:

Case Western Reserve University- Cleveland, OH
CNS pattern Formulation and the Etiology of Autism
The Engrailed-2 Mutant as a Model of Neuropathology of Autism

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center/ Research Foundation- Cincinnati, OH
Genetic Control of Mammalian Amygdalar Development
Immune Phenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Does Immune System dysfunction play a role in autism?
Genome-wide Association Study of Autism Characterized by Developmental Regression
Participating in the Autism Treatment Network (ATN). The ATN is the nation's first network of hospitals and physicians dedicated to developing a model of comprehensive medical care for children and adolescents with autism.

Cleveland State University- Cleveland, OH
A play and Joint Attention Intervention fro Preschool Teachers and Young Children with Autism

Ohio State University/Ohio State University Medical Center- Columbus, OH
Risperidone and Behavior Therapy in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Long Term Follow-up
Neuronal Nicotonic Receptor Modulation in the Treatment of Autism: A Pilot Trial of Mecamylamine
Pharmacological Modulation of Functional Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Participating in the Clincal Trial Network (CTN) study on Fluoxetine in Autism (SOFIA). THe CTN focuses on translational research, the critical step necessary to transfer findings from the laboratory to clinical application.

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University- Columbus, OH
Autism Genome Project (AGP) Data Coordinating Center
The Autism Simplex Consortium (TASC) Data Coordinating Center

Wright State University- Dayton, OH
Neuro-Endocrine Peptide Hormones are Implicated in Social Behavior Development: Oxytocin involvement in Autism
Cellular mechanisms controlling central oxytocinergic activity: Role in the pathophysiology of autism.

Movie Review: The Ugly Truth

An ABSOLUTE must see movie!!! The Ugly Truth stars Katherine Heigel and Gerard Butler in a romantic comedy that will have to laughing and smiling through the whole show time. Katherine plays Abby that is a producer of a Morning show. Gerard plays Mike a new raunchy hire by Abby's boss. Mike tells it like it is when it comes to relationships and in order to "keep" his job he begins to help Abby catch her really hot neighbor doctor, Colin, played by Eric Winter.
While he is teaching her how to flirt and helping her catch the guy, he begins to fall for Abby but does not tell her this. Just like in any romantic comedy when it comes down to the end, Mike leaves and moves to another station while they both fight feelings for each other. In the end they come back together and live happily ever after :) Gets a 5 out of 5 from me!

AHA! A Hands-On Adventure

Located in Lancaster, OH this kids museum brings having fun and learning together. I was able to take two girls that I watch to this place and we had a blast and it was full of learning opportunities. They have a dress up station with a stage that not only has curtains, but lights and microphones that the kids themselves can operate. They also have a pizza making station where kids make fake pizzas and can bake them in an oven and either serve them on a plate or place them in a delivery box. They have a grocery store where kids can fill their cart and check out with play money. They also have a bank where kids can walk up and make deposits and withdrawal play money. There is a reading station, a honeycomb jungle gym, an arts and craft section and a small tumbling section for 3 year olds and under. They also have a veterinary station where kids can bandage up animals and look at real x-rays. In the bigger room there is a wood framed house where kids are allowed to put their own bricks up. A sand and lego table along with a face painting station. They also have a water feature where kids can make their own damns and make a cool water feature by using PVC piping. They have a boat that kids can stand on and fish. After they have caught a fish they can measure it and see how big it really is. They also have a gardening station where kids can pick a flower, place it in a pot and add dirt to it, water it, and let it grow.
This was a really fun time for the kids and even though sometimes it can get crowded there are plenty of things to do.
The kids I took could not stop talking about it and they really enjoyed themselves. It is not only worth the drive, but also the $5 ticket price.
The link is listed below if you would like to check this place out for yourself. While there they were getting ready to add on more activities for children which include a Fire Engine, question boxes, and a ball mountain.

http://www.aha4kids.org/Default.aspx

Book Review: Kite Runner

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about two boys growing up in Afghanistan. These two boys are friends even though one, Hassan, is a servant for the other, Amir. Throughout the beginning of the book, Amir cannot figure out why his father loves Hassan just as much as he is loved and gets jealous. Amir then lies and says that Hassan stole something from him and Hassan and his father have to leave. Amir's father is heartbroken but moves on. The war in Afghanistan begins and Amir and his father escape to American.
Fast forward to 2001 and Amir is a grown thirty year old man, now married and his father has died. He gets a phone call to head back to Afighanistan to do a final wish for a family friend and to make ammends. When he gets back to the Middle East he learns that the dear friend he betrayed was married and had a son, but was killed. Amir must now go back into the war torn country to find Hassan's son, whom he has now learned is his half nephew to take him to another safer orphanage. Amir does this and succeeds, but not without trials and turmoil. He then learns that there really was no safer orphanage and bring is nephew to America to live with his wife and him.
This story is truly surreal and it has such a compelling background. Throughout the book you hope for the best, even though it rarely happens and are happy at the end that after all they have been through they all are able to be together again.
I give this book a 5 out of 5 and encourage anyone and everyone to read it.

Columbus Symphony Orchastra: Popcorn Pops

This year I was able to take a little girl I baby-sit for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and was not sure what to expect. They have a special one-hour show on Friday nights during their season for children where many organizations come to help entertain the youngsters. The Ohio Wildlife Center came and brought a hawk, the Columbus Museum of Art came and allowed for crafts, many music companies came and brought instruments children could try out and play. Along with all the activities to keep you busy before the orchestra started, they also sold pizza, snow cones, and ice cream by Graeter's. The port-a-potties were very clean and they allowed you to leave to your car and come back in without any fuss. They also allowed strollers and wagons along with food and beverages. The Popcorn Pops is a younger rendition of their Picnic with the Pops that happens on Saturday nights.
The theme for this evening's events were Remarkable Farkle, which is based off a book, The Remarkable Farkle McBride by John Lithgow. Along with fun music that everyone (even the Children know) they tell the story. The two songs we sang this evening were Oh Susanna, and Michael Finnigan. At the end we all got up and did the hokey pokey and have a great time. I cannot wait to do this again and if you have young kids and are looking for something to on a Friday night this is it. It is only an hour long and it is enjoyable for all ages.

Broadway Review: Mama Mia!

Mama Mia is a fabulous Broadway Play that has won a numerous amount of Tony's as well as brought ABBA's music to life. In early July, the touring company for Broadway Across America stopped in Columbus, Oh and I went and saw it. We had great seats (even for being in the upper balcony) and the singing was awesome. The show is about a young girl who has grown up with only her mother as both parents on an island in Greece. Two days before she gets married three possible father's show up on the island and she has to figure out which one is her father without her mother and them knowing. Even her mother is not sure which one it was, but with the hilarious laughs and great music to them it does not matter. All three men decide to have a part in their daughter's life and her mother ends up falling for one of them all over again. This show was definitely a 5 out of 5. The casting director did a remarkable job placing all the right actors and actresses into their roles. If you have not seen this show live, then you must!

Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

When I watched the first Transformers, I did not pay a lot of attention to the movie, but I got the gist and understood what the point was (I think it also helped that Transformers were a huge toy when I was growing up and thanks to an older brother I got to know them very well). When I went to see the second movie I wanted to really watch it because all my friends loved it. I on the other hand, found myself looking at my cell phone to check the time a lot. It was a good movie and the special effects were beyond amazing (I wish I could watch it in 3D just to see how much better it would look), but I felt that the movie took way too long and dragged on and on. It took almost the two hours to explain what the last 30 minutes were all about. If I watched the very beginning and fast forwarded to the end I would have been a happy camper.
This movie is a continuation of the first Transformers which was released in 2007. It follows Sam Witwicky (Shia Lebeouf) and his girlfriend, Mikaela (Megan Fox) and the good guys as they battle Decepticon again. In the end, they save the day and everyone lives (even Optimus Prime). They also left the movie open for a third which I think is a good idea, but I hope that it is not longer than this one. I give this movie 3 1/2 out of 5 because they length was way too long.

Movie Review: The Proposal

The Proposal is a great movie for both sexes. It has enough romance for the females and enough comedy for the males. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds do an amazing job of portraying a "couple" who visit Ryan's family in Alaska for the weekend. Ryan's character, Andrew, is an assistant for Margaret, Sandra Bullocks character. They have to pretend they are a couple and get married so that Margaret can stay in the United States and keep her high profile job (her native country is Canada and her visa has run out.) While on their weekend getaway to Alaska, Margaret realizes that Andrew is not just some low class writer trying to make it in the writing world, but actually is wealthy and is writing and working for her because that is his dream in life. She also learns of family traditions and what it means to have a family (Margaret's parents died when she was little and she has no other family.) Of course like any romantic comedy there is always a twist at the end and after the two have really fallen in love (but neither will tell the other one) they end their engagement before the wedding can continue. Margaret heads home to New York to pack for Canada while Ryan stays back in Alaska trying to decide what to do. Again, in any romantic comedy the boy goes after the girl and they live happily ever after. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 because not only is it cute, but it is really funny too!

Softball Showdown For Autism!

The Softball Showdown for Autism is put on by Jerod Smalley, a local news anchor in the Columbus area, and NBC4. This is one of the biggest fundraisers for Autism Speak's Walk Now for Autism. This was a truly amazing event and I am so happy that I was able to be a part of it. The Showdown features 8 teams, 7 of the teams are represented by local news casts and radio stations and the 8th team was made up of OSU alumni athletes. Along with Softball games there is also a home run derby that anyone can enter into for $10. Besides all the sport action there is also free food by Graeter's Ice Cream and Rising Cane's Chicken. There was also an auction with amazing items and a snow cone station.
The teams consisted of NBC4, CBS10TV, ABC6, 107.5 The Power, 92.3 WCOL, 97.1 The Fan, QFM 96, and OSU alumni athletes (Marcus Freeman, Branden Joe, Andy Groom, and others).
They had such a great time and OSU took the trophy this year by being undefeated throughout the entire tournament.
The benefit raised a little over $8,000 and it was so great to see all these people helping out even then their lives may not have been touched by autism.

Red, White, Boom!

As a part of the 4th of July in Columbus, OH it is a must to go see Red, White, and Boom. It is the largest fireworks show in the Midwest and has been rated numerous time as being one of the top ten fireworks show in the United States. This year there was no disappointment again when they started. My family and I always joke by saying the show is any town's grand finale where as the finale is amazing! If you have never seen Red, White, and Boom and live in or around the Columbus, you should go one time. You can honestly see them from any place in downtown and they are so loud!!!! 

Movie Review: The Hangover

HILARIOUS! It is a must see, it is not a movie that you will waste your money on at all. It is so worth the price. You will laugh the entire time. The Hangover is about a group of friends that head out to Vegas two days before one of their buddy's wedding to have the best bachelor party ever. The only problem is that when they wake up, they cannot remember what happened and they lost the groom. The movie shows their adventures of trying to find their friend while hitting road blocks along the way. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 and cannot wait to buy it when it comes to DVD. If you have not seen it, you must.

Book Review: The 8th Confession

The 8th Installment of the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson, I thought this book could use some more to it. I got confused about one of the story lines and it did not make sense to have two murders that were not linked at all to each other, except for the main characters solving the case. I did like plot but I definitely thought it could have been better. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Zoombezi Bay

Located in Columbus, Ohio, Zoombezi Bay is affiliated with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and is in its second year of operation. It is a full fledged water park with so much to do that you never get bored. I proved this by showing up to the park around 11 and not leaving till 7:30. Not once did we sit at our towels,we were constantly running around going down slides, and taking a ride on the best lazy river ever. Tickets are 29.99 at the gate, but head to Kroger before hand and pay only 24.99. Parking is $5, unless you have a season pass to either the zoo or the water park. Also the best thing about the tickets is that they not only get you into the water park, but also the zoo. 

Washing Hand

I work in an office on campus over the summer and I sit about ten feet away from the unisex bathroom in this office. There are 8 females and 7 males that share this bathroom. The funny things is I have come to find out that almost all the males that use this restroom do not wash there hands. How do I know this you ask...well it's simple but the time they are at my desk, their flush is finishing and they barely make it out the door with flushing, you would think people would take the time to flush a toilet let alone wash their hands. I have always been a washing hands kind of person and when I am using a public restroom, I always make sure that my hand sanitizer is ready to use before I even enter the bathroom. So I guess the point of this post is to wonder why some many people do not wash their hands the bathroom. If you are one of those people, please wash your hands! It keeps the restroom clean so germs do not spread. Thanks

Broadway Review: A Chorus Line

Broadway Across America always stops in Columbus, OH where I live close too and this time A Chorus Line was being shown. The seats I had were not great but I cannot complain when I only paid $5 for them. The show however was really great and there were even some tearful times. It reminded me of how much I miss dancing (I danced for 17 years). It was also very funny at time and the music and lyrics were great. I give it 5 out of 5 :)

Movie Review: Up

Up is a Disney Pixar feature film that follows the journey of an older man named Carl and a young boy named Russell as they travel to South America to visit Paradise Falls. This movie has a running time of a little over an hour and a half and it was enjoyable. It did lack the adult humor that some children movies have but in the end it had it's heart warming point that every parent wants their child to learn. Don't hold on to the past and live in the present. Save nothing for tomorrow and do it today. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

For starters let me just say: AMAZING BOOK! I literally read it in less than three days, whenever I had free time. A Thousand Splendid Suns is written by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote The Kite Runner. Unlike The Kite Runner this book focuses on a female's perspective in Afghanistan from the 70's to the present. It was such a great book and even though there were a lot of hardships the two women main characters faced it was such a great book. It gets a 5 out of 5 and I will be recommending it to anyone who wants a good read. I suggest you also find a copy if you have not read it and enjoy!

Book Review: Me Talk Pretty One Day

Me Talk Pretty One Day is by David Sedaris who is a short essay writer and has also written acclaimed books like Naked. I have always wanted to read this book and once I got my hands on it I could not put it down. Each chapter is a short essay about his life and his travels of living in North Carolina, Chicago, New York, and Paris. He discusses how he hates computers and tried to learn french while having a speech impediment. His analogies are hysterical and this book is funny. He does an amazing job describing his life and things that he thinks and it is really cool to feel like you are in his mind. There were some blah parts but over all it was a good book. I give the book a 3 out of 5. 

Movie Review: Bride Wars

This movie starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway is a must see for all of you romantic comedy chicks. It was hilarious and fun all at the same time. It was released in January of 2009, and has just recently come out to DVD. If you have not seen it, I suggest it to you for a girls night. Get the popcorn and martinis ready you're in for laughs that will make your stomach hurt. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Book Review: 10-10-10

10-10-10: 10 Minutes, 10 Months, 10 Years is written by renowned columnist Suzy Welch. Her book allows you to place perspectives on decisions that you probably have never thought of. She explains that when making any type of decision either big or small you should 1. Place your values in the forefront and 2. See what your decision will make your life look like in 10 minutes, 10 months, and in 10 years. The 10 can actually be any number you choose but it allows you to think about decisions and how they will affect your future. Along with 10-10-10 and placing your values in the forefront she also has you consider the pros and cons of your decision. She focuses her main chapters on using 10-10-10 for marriage, job searching, college selection, divorce, and starting a family. It is a wonderful book full of examples and it is an easy concept to grasp. If you have trouble making decisions this is a great book for you and I really suggest you to read it. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Ignorance...I think

Sorry that I have not written in a really long time, however a lot has happened. One, I purchased a new car. A red Saturn Vue and I love it and am very excited to have a new one. Second, I officially became a senior in college by obviously having finals and all that fun end of the year jazz, thus why I have not blogged in so long. I also could not think of a good topic to blog about and there has been some recent events in my life that has made me want to kind of rant so here it is:

The first thing I wanted to discuss was judgement. I do not judge people or at least I try not to and recently with news popping up about reality TV stars and personal people in local newspapers there has been a lot of judgement around. It bothers me to be with people who judge constantly because 1. if they speak this to you you wonder what they are saying about you and 2. why do they think it is okay to judge. I have a friend here at college that I do not like to go out with because of how she talks about other people and how they dress. She does not even know these people but she stares at them like they have sinned so bad they bought themselves a ticket straight to hell. Half the time she is judging I am confused because she is typically dressed just as distastefully as they are. Then there are those people who judge a reality TV star for being in the public. My example is Kate Gosselin from Jon and Kate plus 8. I love this show and I feel sorry for what they are going through right now. A divorce is hard regardless of children or not and regardless of media or not. People are judging Kate for going on TV and to the magazines to make statements. They think she is a horrible wife and a horrible mother. How would they feel if the roles were reversed and people were saying this about them? And my final question: Who Cares? I hope the best outcome happens for Kate and her family whether that be divorce or not. I just wish people did not judge so quickly. Just remember people are also talking about you. NO ONE in the world is perfect except for the Great I Am. And aren't we suppose to wait for judgement day to be judge by the One that actually matters? 

"We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" 2 Corinthians 5:10.

The second thing I want to "rant" on is ignorance in school systems for children with special needs. Now many of you who know me understand that when I say special needs I refer to children with developmental disabilities. This time though my definition is extended to children who also have physical disabilities, for instance being deaf or blind. I was raised in a Catholic home and attended Catholic private school all my life. Unfortunately my Catholic grade school has gone down and many people are not only turning away from the school but also the church. One reason is that the Priest of the Church is trying to run things his way and many people are having a hard time with this. My example will explain to you why: 

A woman has three children, two already at this private Catholic School and her third will be attending kindergarten there this coming fall. To prepare for her kindergartner to attend school she had a meeting with the Priest to discuss daughter's disability. She is deaf and must have two hearing aids. To help with her schooling she will be receiving funding to allow for a tutor to come in daily and work with her one on one and a special electronic device that will help her hear her teachers better. The Priest told her that her kindergartner is not accepted into the school and should go the public school around the corner. The mother was flabbergasted. Her daughter was denied acceptance to a school because of a disability that she has no control over. So the mother tried for the other private Catholic school about ten minutes away from the other one. She spoke with the principal who was informed by the priest that she be denied admittance. The mother is now taking legal action and reported him to the Diocese.

This story is so upsetting to me considering that everyone should be accepting of EVERYONE regardless of whether or not they have a disability. How are we suppose to teach our children and everyone else to not be ignorant when he is flat out telling someone based on discrimination that they cannot do something. What is this world coming to?

Rear Ending

I was not going to blog about this but then after thinking about it almost all day I decided to. This morning, well more like this afternoon I was in a very minor car accident. No one was seriously injured and neither car was damaged (thank goodness), but I wanted to share the story with you and give you tips on how to be prepared for a minor accident or severe one of this kind. So here is the story:

It was rainy today while I was driving and a large truck that I could not see around was in front of me. The truck moved into the left hand turn lane and when he did that I realized the cars in front of him were 1. stopped 2. a lot closer than I had anticipated, so I slammed on my brakes. Well the brakes locked and I slid into the rear end of a PT Cruiser. I immediately put my flashers on and got out of the car to see if the other driver was okay and to see where there was damage to the cars. When I approached the car, a woman probably in her early thirties was there in panic on the phone already to the police. After making sure she was okay, I got back into my car and waited for the police to arrive. Needless to say since there was absolutely no damage to either us or the cars there was no report to be filed and we were able to go on our happy and safe ways.

The reason I was not going to share this story was because I did not think it was a big deal, but it has been with me all day and the reason is because this was the other woman's as well as my first accident ever. We both were inexperienced, I was able to stay calm but the other woman was not. Since she had never experienced this before she panicked and thought her car was totaled. When the officer had her get out and look at the lack of damage she became calm and realized the major accident she thought she was in was just a very minor one indeed. So again the reason I am posting this is because I have attached a link to ways to handle a fender bender of any kind. If you have never been in an accident please read this to know what to do if you are ever in an accident.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4456432_survive-fender-bender.html

Movie Review: The Soloist

This past Tuesday, I won early screening tickets to see The Soloist starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx and directed by Joe Wright (Atonement). It follows a journalist, Steve Lopez (Downey), for the L.A. Times on his journey of finding short pieces to write. He ends up meeting Nathanial Anthony Ayers Jr. (Foxx) as he is walking around one day in L.A. He listens to his music and learns that Mr. Ayers attended Juilliard. Lopez becomes fascinated with Mr. Ayers and starts writing pieces about him. He also starts learning about his past and how he fell in love with music. Mr. Lopez also starts to learn the Ayers sufferers from schizophrenia and that is why he was never able to graduate or perform his music. Ayers denies his schizophrenia and it only flares up when he is about to perform for an audience or is in an experience where his schizophrenia has heightened in his past. 

The movie portrays the friendship and bond between these two characters and it has a heart felt feeling throughout the movie. It shows the importance of never giving up on someone and always being there just to be a friend. I enjoyed this movie, however I felt that it did drag on a bit. The run time is two hours and the cast is excellent. My favorite scene is when Ayers and Lopez are sitting at a rehearsal for the L.A. Symphony and the movie shows you how Ayers sees the music. It is fascinating. I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Miss America

I assume you have been hearing the buzz on the radio, TV, or in the news about Miss California and the way she answered a question during the Miss America Pageant. If not here is a recap: 

Miss California was a contestant for the Miss America Pageant 2009 and was in the top 5 to be chosen. Once the top 5 are chosen they go through a series of questions where judges and the audience can hear their answers. The judges score the contestants based on a points system and the contestant with the highest points wins the crown. When listening to the answers, judges look for articulation and good speaking. When Miss California took the stage to answer questions for the 2009 Miss America Pageant, Perez Hilton, a contest judge, asked her whether or not every state should legalize gay marriage. Miss California, giving her opinion, disagreed and said no. She believed that marriage was a sacred thing between a man and a woman. Perez Hilton later called Miss California a "dumb b***h" and said that she was a disgrace to America and did not deserve the crown because she should not represent America. He also states that her answer cost her the crown.

This to me is interesting because don't we live in a country for the Land of the Free? Doesn't it state in our Constitution's First Amendment that we have a freedom of speech, expression, and religion? So why did her OPINION cost her the crown. Maybe the way she articulated her answer cost her the crown, but to take points away from someone based on her personal opinion is wrong. They took away her freedom of speech and dogged her for not being in the "current times." I think this debacle is a little ridiculous and yes, her answer does not agree with many others but would you have rather had her answer "yes" and then after possibly being crowned Miss America revoke her answer? More people would be outraged and say she is a liar. She was honest and still chose to speak out. Regardless of her answer, either a yes or a no, people would be upset...so take it as you wish but I think she did a great thing for standing up for her belief and being honest. Many girls can now look at her and say, I want to be able to do the same thing. 

Happy Easter

Easter is a holiday that my family and I celebrate every year and I look forward to it. No, it is not on my top list of holidays but it is on my top list of eating during the holiday. After attending sunrise service (which will be blogged about further down in this post) we always eat breakfast casserole. This consists of bread, sausage, a cream of something (I think it is cream of celery), eggs, and cheese. It is so good, I could eat the whole thing! Then our family comes of to our house (perk of having family over, you don't have to go anywhere) and we have a big meal. This year it consisted of ham, cheese potatoes, green beans and ham, chicken noodles, rolls and salad. And of course cannot forget about the deserts, but I don't like pie so I won't talk about them too much. 

Being a Catholic, we attend a Catholic Sunrise Service every year. We go where we are parishioners (sp?) and this year the service was a little blah. Of course the Gospel is always the same but there was no music nor excitement. This is suppose to be one of the most exciting times in our church and there was no excitement at all during the service. I was really disappointed in that. I do not attend mass weekly because I attend a Methodist church on Sunday's, so when the mass was not good, I was really surprised. They used to be glorious services with decorations and loud music but now they are not. I also love to hear the story so I have posted it below here.

The Empty Tomb

John 20:1-9

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead).

Hallmark

In high school, I worked for Hallmark Gold Crown Store and many of my family and friends know that was a perfect job for me. I loved meeting all the customers and talking to our regulars. I also loved helping people pick out gifts that were going to mean something to someone else. My first job at Hallmark ended my junior year when the store I was working for closed. I happened to be walking in another Hallmark store when I heard the owner talking to an employee about how they were hiring and needed to hire more people. I immediately popped up to the counter and asked for an application. I was interviewed and hired on the spot. I was so excited. 

Since going to college, I have not worked at Hallmark, however I still love to go to them. In my county there are not many Hallmark stores left so when I go to when, I spend hours. I love the smell of the Yankee Candles and the neatness of everything. I love looking at the cards and it reminds me of the holidays when people would rush in looking for the perfect-last-minute card. Valentine's day was my favorite. The Hallmark's I worked for typically closed at eight in the evening so on Valentine's Day from 7 pm to 8 pm men would be lined up looking for cards for their wife, daughter, girlfriend, or fiance. My favorite was when I would stand there and a customer would come to me saying "I need a V-day card for my wife, she is not into words and a funny one would be great." I would then grab a card and hand it to the man who would then proceed to check out without reading the card. It always amazed me.

Hallmark is such a great place and they truly have any card for you or occasion. Especially with their different lines and collections. I have even used words from cards to make scrapbook pages. Their gifts are unique and every Hallmark store is different. They always have the typical Willow Tree and Precious Moments, but each carry additional products by either hometown companies or nationwide companies that other stores don't carry.

The reason I am blogging about this, is because I recently was in a Hallmark store and realized how much I miss it. I miss the employees I worked with, the regular customers who grew to be your family, and the new customers that were looking for special gifts. 

Urban Dictionary

I have been meaning to write on here for the past few days, however every time I sit down at the computer I do not have time to delve into a recent event or fun story. With that said more than likely today I will be posting three posts (this being the first). I found this cool note on Facebook titled Urban Dictionary. Curious I looked to see what it contained and wrote one myself. Here is how it works:

Go to UrbanDictionary. com and type in your answer to each question in the search box, then write the FIRST definition it gives you.

1. Your name?
Amanda
- A women named Amanda is typically very beautiful with an incredible body and nice eyes. They are known to be very loveable. Amandas are envied by other women.

2. Your age?
21
-The age at which one is finally considered human.

3. One of your friends?
Maggie
-Commonly used dog's name. If your name is Maggie, chances are every person that ever meets you who happens to have a dog named Maggie (Which will be at least 25% of the people you meet in your life) will immediately reply with, "Oh. My dog's name is Maggie! How cute!" Because they think you A) Care and B) Also think this is "cute".

4. What should you be doing?
Reading
-rich white town in mass dominated by: 
-soccer mom's stopping in the middle of traffic to give you information about your own family 
-cops who have nothing better to do than find the best places to hide with their radar guns 
-the boy's hockey team and football team 
-teenagers who buy shitty overpriced pot using their parents money 
-golden retrievers

5. Favorite color?
Pink
-A colthing line by Victoria's Secret. It includes Panites, tank tops, shorts, bathing suits etc...

6. Hometown?
Pataskala
-Quite possibly the worse place on earth. It used to be quite a cute little country town, but it has been run to hell by a new breed we call Rich white trash. The pretend to be poor and ghetto, but mommy and daddy really pay for them to dress head to toe in Urban Styles. It's 20 miles away from columbus, and the high school is called Watkins Memorial. The only ones who love pataskala are the alumni of WMHS who dropped out of College and can't make any new friends outside of their little circle.

7. Month of your birthday?
July
-A month when mostly the hottest girls are born

8. Last person you talked to?
Mom
-The woman who loves you unconditionally from birth, the one who puts her kids before herself and the one who you can always count on above everyone else. 

Just telling her your problems makes you feel better because mom's always know how to make it all go away. 

9. Where are you right now?
Dorm
-a bedroom, living room, and kitchen in a space about the size of most walk-in closets. roommate included free of charge.

10. Your nickname?
Peanut
-A cute person, used as a nickname to show affection

**Some of the first entries were inappropriate so I went with the 2nd choice :)

Relay for Life

Today is the Relay for Life on Campus. It is going to be an exciting event and I love participating in the event. I have my own team this year and even though we did not get the numbers we thought we would we are small, but mighty. I only have two other team members, not including myself, but we are excited and we have almost reached our fundraising goal of $500.00.

The Relay for Life is an important event for me considering that I know many people who have survived or passed away from cancer. One person in particular that I relay for is my Uncle. I have been participating in Relay for Life since I was a sophomore in high school and it means a lot to see friends come together for a great cause of raising money and having a great time.

If you have never heard of Relay for Life, it American Cancer Society's biggest fundraising event. It takes place all over the United States and it brings communities together. The Relay for Life is typically 18-25 hours long (depending on the size) and has teams of typically ten raise money and walk around a track. One person from each team is constantly on the track for the total time of the relay. Great music, fun activities, and food are also apart of this event. Relay for Life also has some meaningful activities as well. The first lap at relay is started by survivors from the community so that we can honor them for their battle against cancer. Another meaningful event that takes place in the evening is the Luminaria ceremony. This is where luminaries with names of individuals who have survived or passed away from cancer are remembered. This lap is done in silence so those can be remembered or honored for what they have been through.

If you have not participated in a Relay for Life event, I really encourage you to find one around you community and become a part of it. Even the smallest amount helps. Take my team for example, we have three people and have raised almost $500.oo.

Check back here in a couple of weeks as well to learn about another event I take place in. April tends to be my service month for organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Autism Speaks.

World Autism Awareness Day

Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day. This day in many countries, including the United States, programs are being sponsored by companies to encourage everyone to learn about autism and to help raise money to find a cure. Autism is a neurological disorder that last's throughout a person's lifetime. As of today, 1 in 150 individuals will be diagnosed with autism, roughly 67 children are diagnosed daily. That is a really scary statistic and imagine this: more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes, and cancer combined! As of today there is no medical detection or cure for autism, so a lot of money from families goes toward therapy for their child. Any child could roughly experience anywhere from ten to forty hours a week of therapy. 

I am touched by this due to my niece. She is six years old and at the age of two and a half was diagnosed with autism. She has come a long way in the last three and a half years and we can not only thank that to the people who have helped in her recovery but to organizations like Autism Speaks who are raising funds to not only help families but to also find a cure.

To find out more information please visit the websites:

autismspeaks.org

worldautismawarenessday.org 

Book Review: The Abortionist's Daughter

Written by Elisabeth Hyde, this book was very interesting. It is about an abortionist that is murdered and the police who are trying to figure out who the killer is. There are many twists and turns in this novel and in the end everything makes sense. It was a very easy read and quite enjoyable. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys James Patterson mysteries. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Travel Report: Vero Beach. Florida

Vero Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean, two hours from Orlando and two hours from West Palm Beach. It is a medium size community and it is a lot of fun. It has a really nice outlet mall and great hotel service. It's beaches are beautiful and it is easy to get around everywhere. There is not a lot of museums for little kids but who needs that when there are beaches everywhere! It is also a great place to de-stress, there is not a lot of attractions so being able to just shop around and lay out at the beach is fun as well. I give this place a 4 out of 5.

Spring Break Madness

Spring Break is almost over, :( but it has been fun so far! My plans for Spring Break took so many twists and turns seven days before it started but I am on Spring Break in a fabulous location and even though it was not my original plans I am still having fun. So here is my SB09 madness story. A week prior to flying out with the athletic team I am working with this spring, I found out that there was a huge communication mishap. So in the end I was unable to travel with them to Tucson, Arizona. With that said I was able to make plans since my dad had an extra free ticket he got a year ago when something happened with his flight. I got on-line and was able to secure a ticket to Orlando, Florida. I decided to go to Florida to visit a really good friend of mine in high school. She moved before our senior year and we have kept in touch since then. She lives in Vero Beach, Florida and it is so much fun. Vero Beach is a lot like my town at home (small and everyone basically knows everyone else). It's enjoyable because the weather is gorgeous (mid 70's to low 80's) and the beach and shopping is a lot of fun. My flight was not bad and I am able to not stress about anything. So far we have gone to the beach twice and to the local fair. My typical self would be fried by this point but since I have started to become smarter, I am only burnt in a few places and they are not painful. I do find it funny though that my friend who lives here is more burnt than me. I am having a excellent time and I am going to be really sad when I fly out on Friday to go home. Another fun thing about Vero is that the lake that runs through the town is home to many manatees and dolphins! I got to see one of each yesterday and we named then Harry the Manatee and Larry the dolphin. Hopefully today we are going to look for some more :)

The Lenten Season

So for starters I just want you to know that you will be proud of me :) I went out and bought the Clinique's Redness Solutions Mineral Powder and so far I like it. I have not been red enough to try it yet (when I was, I was so busy I could not stop to go put some on) but so far so good.

The second thing I wanted to write about today was the season of Lent. With my faith, I believe that during the Lenten season it is important to either give up something or work hard at doing something. This reason is to remind us of the sacrifice that our God and his son made for us. So with that said, I had a hard time of thinking of something that I could either give up or do that would be a constant reminder to me of the Lenten season so I decided to the do the simple giving up of pop and candy. I did not think it would be hard and the forty days would go by in a flash. Well, reality hit me in the face last night when I was working for my parent's at the Bingo they run every Tuesday night. I was helping them and I saw this guy walk in to the room with a Dr. Pepper, my favorite type of pop. I thought 'mmm, I want a Dr. Pepper.' Halfway down the aisle, I stopped dead in my tracks realizing that I cannot have a pop or the candy in the candy jar that sits on my mom's desk until Easter. I also realize this is going to be harder than I thought.

Today is also the anniversary of the passing of my Uncle. He died in 1998 of brain cancer and was only 29 years old. I still think a lot about him since he passed and this is why: 

Before he passed away, he was talking to my grandma, his mom, and told her that whenever we were in need he would be there through the sign of a penny. 

There have been multiple occasions of me finding pennies throughout these past eleven years and I keep almost everyone of them in a jar dubbed the pennies from heaven jar. And to be honest with you, he also always come when I needed him or I would find a penny right before something would happen to me. I am not the superstitious fool that assumes every time I find a penny something bad is about to happen, but typically when I find one I pick it up and say thanks for being here and then I go about my day. 

I will also pick these pennies up anywhere an everywhere. For example, my hair is naturally curly so I straighten it often. When it rains outside if I get my hair wet, it does when hair does and curls so I am typically the girl sprinting from the store to the car or vice versa. However, if I see a penny on the ground I don't care how soaked I am, until I get the penny. 

Recently my sister and I were talking about my uncle and an interesting fact came up in our conversation. My sisters have sometimes forgotten the anniversary date until my mom reminded them of a way to remember it. My uncle passed away on the only day of the year that is a command. Do you see? If not here: March 4th= March forth. Being a catholic family and having a strong faith, isn't it interesting to say the least?

Book Review: The Shack

I actually finished this book a while ago, but I have been so busy that I have not posted the review yet. The Shack written by WM. Paul Young talks about a man's journey back to a shack and his experience with God there. This book was very interesting and very moving. The author begins the book by the man taking his three young children to the woods on a summer camping trip. While there, the youngest of the three kids is kidnapped and murdered. The only thing the police can find that belongs to the little girl is her sundress in the shack. The book then jumps ahead two years and 'the great sadness' is still with the family. One Friday, the father decides to go back to the shack, he is not sure what he is going to find there but decides to go anyways. Once there, the shack is transformed into a beautiful house and God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit spend an entire weekend with the father. They typically do not discuss the murder, but the life that the man has lead and the faith that he leads now. This book was very interesting and for me there were a lot of things that were left to think about. If you are looking for a Christian or inspirational book, I would definitely recommend this. I would also recommend this book if you do not have a strong faith. It is not going to convert you right away, but it will make you think about your life. I give this book a 4 out of 5.

All Done

So last night was the last game of this Basketball Season. It was definitely a sad game in the sense that it was the last time the two seniors would play and we lost by a decent amount. There is a bright side to the game, since we finished the season 8-18 (5-11) we were able to play in the conference tournament. Unfortunately when in 8th place you play the 1st place team, thus resulting in a loss for the final game. All the boys played well and I think so far this has been my favorite team to work with throughout my three years of school. 

*To go back to the Beauty Announcement post, I was unable to try the new Clinique powder and will be going this weekend (for sure, I promise) to test it out. 

Another thing that I wanted to touch on was that while I was reading a magazine yesterday on our way to the game, an article caught my eye, it was titled 45 Ways to Feel Sexy and Healthy. There were some interesting suggestions in this article and the two that I liked the most and thought I would post are:

 #6 Memorize something- a password, stats for a meeting- quickly by chewing gum while you are reading it. Gum chewing enhances blood flow to the brain and can improve recall by up to 40%. 

#37 Fight allergy-induced sneezing and sniffling by locking lips with your guy. Smooching for half an hour has a sedative effect on your immune system, which keeps it from reacting to hay-fever triggers in the air. 

(please take note that I do not know how accurate these two suggestions are but I wanted to share them anyway.)

Beauty Announcement: Nail Colors and Something Interesting

So as you know, I love nail polish and my favorite brand to purchase from is OPI. They have their spring/summer collections out (released date was February 4th) and I cannot wait to go get them and try them. The OPI collection that is now out is titled South Beach with 12 new colors to choose from. I have not tried them but I can already tell you that Overexposed in South Beach and Miami Beet will more than likely be my two favorite. I also want to try their Bronzed to Perfection. Below is a link to the OPI website to check out the latest colors. The something interesting was another ad that I found by Clinique. This is very interesting to me considering that ever since I was young, my cheeks become very red. This is due to my body temperature and my blood rising to my cheeks. I typically always have red cheeks because once I get hot my cheeks stay hot, I could be freezing at one point in the day, but if I was hot previously, my cheeks are the exact same bright red color. So a solution? Clinique came out with this new powder that is a Redness Relief. It is called Redness Solution Instant Relief Mineral Powder and it says that it can 'cool' the skin. I am interested in finding out if this works and will let you know once I try it (I will probably going to get it on Friday, so we'll see). I have also posted the link below to this if you are also interested.

http://www.opi.com/

http://www.clinique.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY22352&PRODUCT_ID=PROD14394

25 Random Things about me.....

So I have a facebook profile and the other day I was tagged in a note. This note was 25 random facts about my one friend. It was very interesting and my roommates and I started discussing what we would write and decided to do one as well. Listed below are my 25 random facts about me and I have added some others that I thought of afterwards.

1. I have naturally curly hair but most of my friends have never seen it that way. 

2. I am not spontaneous, hence why I don't typically act upon any opportunity. 

3. I save/collect pennies because their from my uncle in heaven. 

4. I have a busy schedule but if I have nothing planned or there's a snow day I can't find anything to do. 

5. I am a girly girl (love the color pink) that know how to use power tools (take that boy's scout leader). 

6. I read magazines backwards and twice (1st to look at pictures and 2nd to read the articles) 

7. My mom is above all my best friend and I can/do tell her anything/everything and she won't judge me. 

8. I have a security blanket that I call a pickle and to this day if I am sick, sad, or had a bad day I will grab it to comfort me. 

9. I sucked my thumb from infancy till I was in sixth grade. 

10. I sort things into any category (i.e. alphabetical, color, size, or shape) and I count (i.e. there are 808 metal washers in the green curtains in Mitchell Center) 

11. I am 100% terrified of heights. I even get nervous when someone else is on a ladder. 

12. To de-stress, I do crafts (bake, color, take pictures, scrapbook) 

13. When I wake up, I enjoy being quiet for at least an hour. 

14. I danced for 16 years and coached cheerleading and dance for at least six of those 16 years. 

15. I believe in God and try to go to church every Sunday. 

16. For my Barnes and Nobles job, I used to dress up as book characters (Winnie the Pooh, Clifford the Dog) 

17. I love to drive because I don't like sitting in the back seat. So if I drive I'm always up front. :) 

18. A child's laugh/giggle is one of my favorite sounds and a child's smiles is one of my favorite things. 

19. Don't give me a challenge you think I can't handle because I will do it and prolly 100% better than you thought. 

20. I love organizing and decorating. 

21. I love to fly and when around an airport, I get the itch to fly and want to hop on a plane right then. 

22. My occupation post grad school will be making a difference in children's lives. 

23. I apparently give good relationship advice (I wish I would just listen to it myself) 

24. I swear way too much and am trying to stop. 

25. If I were ever granted a free plastic surgery I wouldn't change my weight one bit, I would change the size of my calves ( I know you can't really do it but I'd try).

Some extras:

~ I own over 200 crayons, no joke.

~I have a mild obsession with OPI Nail Polish or any nail polish in general

~My favorite letter of the alphabet is A (not because it's the first letter of my name, but because I like how I can write it so many different ways).

~I have one fake tooth, you'll never guess which one 

Time Flies

Wow, I cannot believe that I have not written in over two weeks and so much has happened. Well not a lot, but enough :) So after our great snow day, the Basketball team that I am working with ended up winning two straight basketball games (before the snow day they also won so they were on a streak). The lost the next game, only to come back and win again so our record now is 7-14 and (4-8). Yes that is not a lot but in the past three years this is the most games won by the team so woohoo! :) The Super-bowl also occurred and I was neither a Steelers or Cardinals fan so I dressed in Steeler colors and friends of mine and I went over to one of our houses and watch the game and had a great time. Bad news about Ground Hog Day, he saw his shadow so another six weeks of winter...boo! I am so over the cold, the wet, and the snow. Ground Hog Day is also my sister's birthday and she turned 16. She has not gotten her license yet but it is coming soon and I am nervous to be on the road. Classes are good right now, I am taking kinesiology which requires math (I am so not good with math) so we'll see how that goes. I am also reading a new book titled The Shack, obviously once I am done, I will post a review (but I am encouraging you to read it too!) The best thing about this post is now we are 5 days away from another favorite holiday of mine! Valentine's Day! I cannot wait and I am going to start my crafts tonight for it :) Also read the post about my 25 things, it's interesting.

Snow Day

So I did not think it was possible, but it was. In my three years here at school we have cancelled classes two times due to snow. This is amazing considering that the first time they cancelled, my freshman year, they had not closed the school due to snow in twenty-two years. Now it is twice in three years!! The first time they cancelled it was Valentine's Day my freshman year and the ground crew at the school were not expecting the snow/ice to be that bad. It ended up being so horrific that the county it is located in was a level three and you could not walk without slipping. This year, the weather forecast said we were expecting 6-10 inches of snow and at least 5 inches of ice...well we got it :) and we also got the luxury of a snow day. Last snow day my friend and I trekked to my car to went somewhere, this time my roommates and I enjoyed our room by reading, watching movies, and playing wii. We also ventured off campus to grab some chinese food for a roomie dinner/movie night. Well we ordered our chinese and if you know any chinese place they always say 10-15 minutes...so we decided we should leave then cause the car was covered with ice and snow. When we got to my car we realized there was an 1 inch of snow completely covering the car. It took over 30 minutes to get into the car and chip away the ice so we could go pick up our food, but in the end it was so worth the delicious food and weird movie (we watcher Burn After Reading). 

Really?!?!

So today I took the boy that I help to Boy Scouts. They decided to work on their craftsmanship badge and in order to do this they had to build a shelf, by sawing a piece in half and screwing 9 screws into the holes. Well the boy that I worked with did not want to have any part of this, it could be due to the fact that he was last on the sawing and by that point he thought it was time to go and did not want to be there anymore. He also was afraid of the saw and did not want to be near it. After some coaxing he decided to watch the guy saw and actually had a good time helping measure and hold the wood. Next came the screwing of nails, well since there were 18 boys, and 18 shelves there was no room on the table for us to piece it together so we had to sit on the floor. Well after a good ten failed attempts to have him help me hold it together and screw in the screws, the assistant leader came up to me and asked if I the 'little lady' needed help. I said sure if he would like to hold the pieces together that would be great. He then proceeded to take the pieces from me move them to a table (he made room by having a kid move). He starts working on it (me standing there helpless) and has the boy I help come over and give the screwdriver a turn, the boy does but not with any strength so he tells him to try again, the boy I help is completely over screwing screws into wood, so I grab the screwdriver and start screwing in all the nails. The assistant looks at me with amaze at the fact that I can turn a screwdriver and according to him I apparently did it the right way, who knew? I could not believe that all the men in the room just decided that I was this helpless young adult who did not know how to use a screwdriver, they may have even been surprised that I knew what wood was! This infuriated  me to think that these men believed that I had no clue what it was. Just because I am a woman does not mean that I do not know how to do anything that a man should know how to do. I wonder what would happen if they found out that I knew how to use a hammer, a screwdriver, and a circular saw! Goodness! 

Inauguration

So today marks a huge day in history, granted it was already going to make the books considering we are receiving a new president, but today is even more historic. Unfortunately I will be unable to watch the first hour of the inauguration due to a class I have, but all in all it is still historic. Whether you wanted Barack Obama to win or lose, I hope we as a nation can stand behind him and support him through the decisions he and our government have to make. Regardless of who became president this election, they are going to have a rough start in our nation due to the recession and the fact that many people believe we should be out of Iraq (what 9 years later?) by now. Obama will however, understand and do his best at running our country like any other president has. 

Cookies!!

The other night, I baked some cookies and finished them up by decorating them last night. This was my first time working with these shapes and they were a baseball hat and a basketball jersey. I think they turned out pretty well and I cannot wait to perfect them in the future.

p.s. hope you like my new background color, the pink was kind of getting old on me.

Never Again

Today along with my classmates and my friend's family we buried my friend that passed away earlier in the week. After a very nice ceremony that was full of tears and laughter (just what he wanted), my classmates and I gathered at the opening of the church for a tunnel and a final farewell. In high school, when a team goes to the playoffs, all the students and teachers gather together in our long hallway and make a tunnel to cheer them on. Devin wanted just that for his funeral and that is what we gave him. My close friends and I have decided that we do not want to bury another classmate for a long time and who know what lies ahead of us, but we will get through it. 

Praying

So my friend and I were looking online the other day when I came across this interesting way to pray. I never thought of it and I like the way that it works. It is called the five finger prayer and this is how it works:

Starting with the thumb since it is closest to the body this should remind you to pray for those closest to you such as good friends and family. 

The pointer finger, coming next reminds you to pray for the teachers, instructors, and healers in your life. 

The tall finger reminds you to pray for the leaders of your country, church, and etc.

The ring finger is the weakest of all the fingers so this reminds you to pray for the weak, sick, and those in trouble.

The final finger, the pinky reminds you to pray for yourself. It is important to remember yourself when praying considering that you already prayed for the rest with the first four fingers. 

Another Angel

Today I found out that one of my classmates from High School passed away. He was diagnosed our senior year with a very rare childhood cancer and was whisked away to NYC and Sloan-Kettering Hospital where he underwent multiple chemo treatments. After 6 months in remission he found out that he had beaten the rare cancer, but that he had developed leukemia. Two to three months ago the doctors told him that there was not much more they could do and that he should go home and enjoy his time there. He did just that by doing everything that he loved and over the weekend was taken to the hospital due to an infection. He passed away today in the afternoon. If you could please keep his family in your prayers, I could not imagine the grief that comes with burying a child. 

Book Review: The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch was written to follow the lecture that Randy actually presented where he previously taught, Carnegie-Mellon. Randy was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and a bout with chemo and a very serious surgery he found out that his cancer had metastasized. He the decided to give a life/last lecture about childhood dreams and possibilities. The book has many great life quotes and it makes you realize a lot about your personal life and how you want to live. Some of the quotes that I enjoyed were:

~We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how you play the hand.

~Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

~The brick walls are not there to keep us out . The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.

This book was an amazing read and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I give it a  5 out of 5.

Travel Report: Salem, Massachusetts

Happy New Year! I hope yours was safe and happy :) So I recently got back from a 'business' trip to Salem, MA. I say 'business' because I am a first aider for my college and traveled with the team to a tournament there. The bus ride was a little hellish (13 hours) but once we got there it was quite enjoyable. The town is very nice and they many things to do for all ages. There is a port right there so if you are into sailing then you can sail, if you are into art and history then this is a spot for you as well since there is the PEM which is the art museum and the Salem Witch Trials took place here so there is a lot of history. The weather was delightful, however it was a little rough to find food. Almost all of the delis closed around 5 so you had to drive quite a ways to find fast food but there were restaurants and pubs galore. The people seemed friendly there were a few times I smiled at a passerby and they stared at me like I was a witch but whatever, I guess you will have that anywhere. This was not my favorite place to visit but I did like how quiet the town was. When I would wake up in the morning I would go for a walk to one of the millions of Dunkin Donuts in the town and just enjoy the quiet.