All right, I updated the music and the youtube video at the bottom. If you guys want to know how to do that, just ask me on facebook or something. I added some awesome oldies songs including "Raspberry Beret" and "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra. ELO made me also think of "Electric Feel" by MGMT. :D I also added our favorite Hall and Oates songs. :) Yes. Music is lovely. Next time I add music I'm probably going to have to add some Selena Gomez, just to warn you guys. Ha ha!
Also, random update: for some reason, the song "The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry makes me super sad and introspective. I've listened to a clean version of it about 20 times in the past two days. It's weird. Ooooooooohhhhhhh, I just realized: I have two minor crushes (aka "crinkles") AND it's that time of month. Put those two together with a king size bar of chocolate and you have the perfect touchy feely mood to help you find deeper meaning in a Katy Perry song. :) Enjoy!
Love,
Cass
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Zombified, But Coming Back to Life
Cassi - basically from your post I was overwhelmed with excitedness and funness :) I am happy that you are doing so many wonderful and neat things :) Your apartment and your friends sound like such a blessing. I am happy for you :) Your prank war sounds totally rockin', but that dude is pretty lame for being a party pooper, just sayin'. I'd love to do a prank war with peoples for sure!
Jenny - wow I am sorry that things are so stressful for you. That is a handful most definitely. I'll be praying for school that it would lighten up. And I'll be praying for your patience with your relationship with Sam. I understand that frustration and I pray that you'll find comfort in your dating :) You know, the beginning of this year I was overwhelmed with all these people getting engaged and married and it seemed everything was throwing this idea of marriage on me. It was one day when Zach snuggled me during a movie that I looked at him and realized, I love dating him. And the thought came to me, we get to spend "all" our lives married, but we only have this time of dating once. You can never go back to it. So, maybe as some comfort to you, think of that. Enjoy each moment and cherish it. And maybe try to think of it from that perspective - I think it really helped for me :) As for the situation with your roomie, goodness what a toughie. I pray that you'll have patience with her and also encouragement despite your stress. I know that it's especially hard to want to come to her and talk but to find that you end up helping her instead. But Jenny, I know that by you being there and listening to her (even if it's the same thing over and over and by her own choices) you're being a great encouragement. She'll look back and be so appreciative I am sure. :) Hang in there. Congrats on being "regular" baha! But really, that is so good!
Now as for me....goodness where do I begin? This year has been the toughest yet. I think the best way to sum up how I've felt is - weak and zombified. 4-5 hours of sleep every night, severe nausea and stomach pain, 8 hour work shifts, and full class load. Those are the tough parts. I've considered possibly quitting Tim Horton's simply because I want to focus more on school. But I need to pay rent as well and I like paying off my loan early :) I do enjoy working there though most of the time. School has been rather rough. Honestly, I'm behind in my work and it's eating me alive. (maybe literally, Zach thinks I have an ulcer, hence my nausea and pain and difficulty eating much food). I'm slowly getting back on track what with having an extra day off work every week (I definitely think that was a God thing because my boss gave me a day off work every week without me saying anything). Aside from my personal "choice" stress, Zach has had an extremely rough year as well. His "friends" have not been great comforts and have actually been saying really not cool things to him. He's literally just been broken this year, so that's been really tough seeing him hurting and not being able to fix it. I, too, understand what Jenny was saying about your friends really just not understanding you. All the friends I had prior to this year have kind of gone to the backburner. I still love and care for them of course, but we don't really connect as much. My one friend (who is Zach's ex) is back to ignoring me and has starting glaring at him....not sure what sparked that. It's spread to her dormmates. Which is really sad honestly. I was having kind of a rough time not having any girlfriends I can go to on campus. There wasn't a single one I felt I could call up and just say hey and ask them to pray for me. Not even having to talk or give details, just a simple, hey could you be thinking of me. That was hard. But you know...God is good. :) I recently met two girls here who have added a spark to my life. They are literally in the exact same boat as me when it comes to relationships - down almost to the nitty gritty. They also have different "flavors" that really encourage me to be more adventurous again. I've been missing that. They got me to go to Zumba and let me tell you ladies - it kicked my butt. Two nights later and my thighs are SORE. Squats did me in. But I love love love it. I think we should start our own personal POG class on breaks :) My goal is to whip my body in shape big time. I've been slacking. haha. Also, I recently learned some really really tough news. I don't feel at liberty to share, but just be thinking/praying for me that I'd look past the circumstance and always see the good. That I wouldn't ever see the people involved in any less of a light and to love them still the same. And to also not be haunted by this news as the days progress that instead I could come to forget about it and move on. It's going to be tough at times, it already has been to not let it come into my mind, but slowly but surely I know it's working. The good things in my life have been the small details that just really comfort me. Like taking care of Cindy, the woman who let me live in her home. She had surgery and to be able to care for such a tough, not liking to rest, but still such loving woman is such a blessing to me. I also got to play hide n seek with Hannah, one of the daughters and her friend. And Zach....gosh. I'm learning so much still about his heart. I was in class all day Friday after Cindy had her surgery and so Zach came right on over and sat on the couch with her. I come home to find them both fast asleep on the couch. His heart is so giving (sometimes to a fault haha). And he's so tender about things. He really does have the sweetest heart. I really hope that I can always come to appreciate it and never take it for granted. Okay, I'll stop the mushy gushy ;) Well I'm just gonna head into more.
I love you all. I hope to hear from those who haven't written yet. I'm so thankful for each of you and the wonderful blessing you have brought in my life. :) You each have a certain spark in my heart. Haha...I thought of a car and spark plugs and stuff. haha Weird. I appreciate that we still are friends and sharing life together. It's truly amazing. Know that I love you and think of you each day. (I'm always telling fun stories about all of you haha). With Love.
Jenny - wow I am sorry that things are so stressful for you. That is a handful most definitely. I'll be praying for school that it would lighten up. And I'll be praying for your patience with your relationship with Sam. I understand that frustration and I pray that you'll find comfort in your dating :) You know, the beginning of this year I was overwhelmed with all these people getting engaged and married and it seemed everything was throwing this idea of marriage on me. It was one day when Zach snuggled me during a movie that I looked at him and realized, I love dating him. And the thought came to me, we get to spend "all" our lives married, but we only have this time of dating once. You can never go back to it. So, maybe as some comfort to you, think of that. Enjoy each moment and cherish it. And maybe try to think of it from that perspective - I think it really helped for me :) As for the situation with your roomie, goodness what a toughie. I pray that you'll have patience with her and also encouragement despite your stress. I know that it's especially hard to want to come to her and talk but to find that you end up helping her instead. But Jenny, I know that by you being there and listening to her (even if it's the same thing over and over and by her own choices) you're being a great encouragement. She'll look back and be so appreciative I am sure. :) Hang in there. Congrats on being "regular" baha! But really, that is so good!
Now as for me....goodness where do I begin? This year has been the toughest yet. I think the best way to sum up how I've felt is - weak and zombified. 4-5 hours of sleep every night, severe nausea and stomach pain, 8 hour work shifts, and full class load. Those are the tough parts. I've considered possibly quitting Tim Horton's simply because I want to focus more on school. But I need to pay rent as well and I like paying off my loan early :) I do enjoy working there though most of the time. School has been rather rough. Honestly, I'm behind in my work and it's eating me alive. (maybe literally, Zach thinks I have an ulcer, hence my nausea and pain and difficulty eating much food). I'm slowly getting back on track what with having an extra day off work every week (I definitely think that was a God thing because my boss gave me a day off work every week without me saying anything). Aside from my personal "choice" stress, Zach has had an extremely rough year as well. His "friends" have not been great comforts and have actually been saying really not cool things to him. He's literally just been broken this year, so that's been really tough seeing him hurting and not being able to fix it. I, too, understand what Jenny was saying about your friends really just not understanding you. All the friends I had prior to this year have kind of gone to the backburner. I still love and care for them of course, but we don't really connect as much. My one friend (who is Zach's ex) is back to ignoring me and has starting glaring at him....not sure what sparked that. It's spread to her dormmates. Which is really sad honestly. I was having kind of a rough time not having any girlfriends I can go to on campus. There wasn't a single one I felt I could call up and just say hey and ask them to pray for me. Not even having to talk or give details, just a simple, hey could you be thinking of me. That was hard. But you know...God is good. :) I recently met two girls here who have added a spark to my life. They are literally in the exact same boat as me when it comes to relationships - down almost to the nitty gritty. They also have different "flavors" that really encourage me to be more adventurous again. I've been missing that. They got me to go to Zumba and let me tell you ladies - it kicked my butt. Two nights later and my thighs are SORE. Squats did me in. But I love love love it. I think we should start our own personal POG class on breaks :) My goal is to whip my body in shape big time. I've been slacking. haha. Also, I recently learned some really really tough news. I don't feel at liberty to share, but just be thinking/praying for me that I'd look past the circumstance and always see the good. That I wouldn't ever see the people involved in any less of a light and to love them still the same. And to also not be haunted by this news as the days progress that instead I could come to forget about it and move on. It's going to be tough at times, it already has been to not let it come into my mind, but slowly but surely I know it's working. The good things in my life have been the small details that just really comfort me. Like taking care of Cindy, the woman who let me live in her home. She had surgery and to be able to care for such a tough, not liking to rest, but still such loving woman is such a blessing to me. I also got to play hide n seek with Hannah, one of the daughters and her friend. And Zach....gosh. I'm learning so much still about his heart. I was in class all day Friday after Cindy had her surgery and so Zach came right on over and sat on the couch with her. I come home to find them both fast asleep on the couch. His heart is so giving (sometimes to a fault haha). And he's so tender about things. He really does have the sweetest heart. I really hope that I can always come to appreciate it and never take it for granted. Okay, I'll stop the mushy gushy ;) Well I'm just gonna head into more.
I love you all. I hope to hear from those who haven't written yet. I'm so thankful for each of you and the wonderful blessing you have brought in my life. :) You each have a certain spark in my heart. Haha...I thought of a car and spark plugs and stuff. haha Weird. I appreciate that we still are friends and sharing life together. It's truly amazing. Know that I love you and think of you each day. (I'm always telling fun stories about all of you haha). With Love.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Replies, Updates, and Venting, bc i can ;P
okie dokie, so when i tried to reply to Kera about lunch, it wouldn't let me comment, idky. so my dear Karot: If you have access and time to microwave a lunch, I highly reccommend Smart Ones Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken and Broccoli, tis quite yummy and takes about 5 minutes to prep.
If you do not have time or access to a micro, as i do 3 times a week, i pack my lunch the night before and just toss it in my lunchboxbag (its box shaped but not a sturdy box really, so its a boxbag. lol) in the morning. :)
so yes, cassi: 1) sounds like your apartments are AWESOME!!! 2) i like the xkcd stuffs and 3) i think i can speak for us all when i say we miss you too!!!!
okie dokie. replies out of the way, i can now update you all on my life. First off, ONU switched to semesters, and i dont really like it overall. I was a Psych minor, but in order to complete it, i have to take more classes per term than i did under quarters, and its causing me to stress overly much, in turn causing my grades to suffer a bit. Hence, I am dropping the minor. but dont be sad about it, bc i believe its part of this new thing for me called focusing. God is teaching me what my limits really are, and to focus. Focus on only certain things so that i can do those few things better and focus on Him so that i am better equiped to handle life in general. lol. so yes, that's the big thing for me academically.
lets see . . . Sam and I are doing well. ups and downs for sure, but that's mostly fixed as I learn to focus on God more. tho i do have to be patient with sam in terms of the rate of our relationship. its hard for me to be surrounded by all these girls getting engaged and married (aka my roomie and a bunch of girls in Kappa Phi) and knowing that i really dont want anyone else but not getting the same idea from him. idk if that made sense, but basically, he and i have talked about it and if we graduate from college and remain a couple, it will still be at least a year before i see a ring . . . so yes, i have to learn some patience. lol.
Speaking of my roommate, i love her but she is super stressed and therefore difficult to deal with. sometimes it feels like she thinks no one else is stressed but her. but its difficult to empathize because pretty much all her stress is a direct result of choices she made. She wanted to get married ASAP, but didn't want to be married while still in school. so she's graduating a semester early. to do that, she has taken summer classes both summers. in addition, she has to take a lot of classes per term, which is stressful in itself. related, since they were engaged, her fiance moved to ohio last summer (2010), and they chose to get an apartment together. in order to help pay for this, beth (roomie) decides to start an Amway job, which means more stress. also, they decided to get a cat, so more money stress. and it just gets really difficult in general bc i can't vent to her about my own stress bc i just get her situation all over again. i get that she has a lot of stress, i do. she has more than i do, but can you see why its not easy to empathize? so yes. that is a good portion of my venting. lol.
the other portion is that other than sam and bethany, i dont feel like i can vent to any of my friends here and recieve the sympathetic reactions that i always got from all of you and its weird. like 95% of my friends here are nothing like you guys . . . its just strange . . . and i know its junior year, but i def still miss you all . . .
in other news . . . oh! so i told you all about my weird period issues, even tho its probly TMI i'm going to update you that things have been fairly normal since July. not regular, but normal for me. so that's good. :) i dont have any serious health problems that i know of. lol.
ummm . . . idk what i'm going to do over the summer bc i want to tutor or something related to my field, but i know the school wont hire me, even if its part time. but i know im not going back to McD's. i refuse. so yeah . . . i dont really have any fun stories like Cassi . . . i'm sorry ;P
i hope y'all are doing well! i love and miss you!
~jenny
If you do not have time or access to a micro, as i do 3 times a week, i pack my lunch the night before and just toss it in my lunchboxbag (its box shaped but not a sturdy box really, so its a boxbag. lol) in the morning. :)
so yes, cassi: 1) sounds like your apartments are AWESOME!!! 2) i like the xkcd stuffs and 3) i think i can speak for us all when i say we miss you too!!!!
okie dokie. replies out of the way, i can now update you all on my life. First off, ONU switched to semesters, and i dont really like it overall. I was a Psych minor, but in order to complete it, i have to take more classes per term than i did under quarters, and its causing me to stress overly much, in turn causing my grades to suffer a bit. Hence, I am dropping the minor. but dont be sad about it, bc i believe its part of this new thing for me called focusing. God is teaching me what my limits really are, and to focus. Focus on only certain things so that i can do those few things better and focus on Him so that i am better equiped to handle life in general. lol. so yes, that's the big thing for me academically.
lets see . . . Sam and I are doing well. ups and downs for sure, but that's mostly fixed as I learn to focus on God more. tho i do have to be patient with sam in terms of the rate of our relationship. its hard for me to be surrounded by all these girls getting engaged and married (aka my roomie and a bunch of girls in Kappa Phi) and knowing that i really dont want anyone else but not getting the same idea from him. idk if that made sense, but basically, he and i have talked about it and if we graduate from college and remain a couple, it will still be at least a year before i see a ring . . . so yes, i have to learn some patience. lol.
Speaking of my roommate, i love her but she is super stressed and therefore difficult to deal with. sometimes it feels like she thinks no one else is stressed but her. but its difficult to empathize because pretty much all her stress is a direct result of choices she made. She wanted to get married ASAP, but didn't want to be married while still in school. so she's graduating a semester early. to do that, she has taken summer classes both summers. in addition, she has to take a lot of classes per term, which is stressful in itself. related, since they were engaged, her fiance moved to ohio last summer (2010), and they chose to get an apartment together. in order to help pay for this, beth (roomie) decides to start an Amway job, which means more stress. also, they decided to get a cat, so more money stress. and it just gets really difficult in general bc i can't vent to her about my own stress bc i just get her situation all over again. i get that she has a lot of stress, i do. she has more than i do, but can you see why its not easy to empathize? so yes. that is a good portion of my venting. lol.
the other portion is that other than sam and bethany, i dont feel like i can vent to any of my friends here and recieve the sympathetic reactions that i always got from all of you and its weird. like 95% of my friends here are nothing like you guys . . . its just strange . . . and i know its junior year, but i def still miss you all . . .
in other news . . . oh! so i told you all about my weird period issues, even tho its probly TMI i'm going to update you that things have been fairly normal since July. not regular, but normal for me. so that's good. :) i dont have any serious health problems that i know of. lol.
ummm . . . idk what i'm going to do over the summer bc i want to tutor or something related to my field, but i know the school wont hire me, even if its part time. but i know im not going back to McD's. i refuse. so yeah . . . i dont really have any fun stories like Cassi . . . i'm sorry ;P
i hope y'all are doing well! i love and miss you!
~jenny
Updates and FUNNIES!!!
Hello everyone!
First of all, MY PHONE IS LOST/BROKEN. Just an FYI to not be offended by my non replies in that respect.
I may as well update you on how things are going for me since that's the point of this blog - to keep in touch with the lives of each other! I also want this post to have some funnies it in as well though. So power through the boring updates to get to the funnies.
Classes are pretty good. My favorite is piano! Yeah man, I'm learning to play piano! It's so great. Best homework EVER. I love music. Last week in class we played "Drunken Sailor" as an ensemble and it was awesome. It made me think of that Office episode where Dwight thinks he's steering the booze cruise and so he's singing that song. Awesome. :)
Love life.... My roommate texted her home teacher (in our church we have pairs of people who visit you and check up on how you're doing; girls are visited by a pair of guys (home teachers) and a pair of girls (visiting teachers) at least once a month. Any questions? Ha ha.) who is 1/4 Hawaiian and is pretty cute. She texted him, "Hey, my roommate Cassi Williams thinks you're cute and I think you should ask her on a date." She didn't tell me she was going to do that so I was a little bit..... Upset when I found out? But then I was okay with it. :) However, it just made things really awkward around him and so now he doesn't really talk to me.... UGH! But whatever. It's kind of funny. Nbd.
 |
| Mary, Natalee, Susanna, moi |
Roommates: Well, we have a 6 person apartment, but they only sold 4 of those contracts, so we have a ton of extra space!! It's awesome! It means two of my roommates have their own rooms. Mary and I still share, because we're boss roommates. So yeah. :) Oh, and because of how the bedrooms are set up, mine and Mary's room and Natalee's room are attached with a bathroom in between, so we all share that one, and then Susanna, our other roommate, just gets her own bathroom. Her own room and her own bathroom. QUE UNA PRINCESA!!! It's all good. :) We all get along so well, and we even have "roommate prayer" together every night. It just helps us be a lot closer and speak more kindly to each other on a daily basis. I love it! It's also awesome that Susanna is like a tall Mexican (oxymoronic, ha ha!) melancholy version of myself. And major brainwaves, i.e.: I go to my grandparents' on a Friday for the weekend. Susanna stays in Provo. I get back on Sunday. We start talking. We look at our nails and notice that we both decided to paint them the exact same color of TAUPE on Saturday. TAUPE. I mean really. Who paints their nails TAUPE? So that was when we knew we had something special. :)
Okay funny stuff time:
*Prank war. RG APT 107 (the girls - team Midnight Stranger) vs. C2 APT 2 (the guys - team Ninjormon). It all started with a couple of friendly swipings of personal electronic devices and putting passwords on them (MS - 1, NJ - 0) and creating a scavenger hunt for my mp3 player, complete with a hand off in a parking lot at 1 in the morning (see photo: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=156272241131697&set=a.108391245919797.16226.100002467673625&type=3&theater)(MS - 1, NJ - 1). But then all of a sudden, we found ourselves stealing a mattress out of the guys' apartment... We wrote a standard ransom note for anonymous guy friend to get his bed back, but instead, he goes and gets a random mattress from somewhere else and refuses to follow our ransom instructions. So thus ended the prank war, in my opinion, with a major major act of poor sportsmanship and ending of the fun. Heck man, when this anonymous guy tied one of my flip flops to a bag of rocks and threw it in the deep end of a pool, I fished it out after 15 minutes of hard labor! Therefore, I was kind of disappointed in his lack of willingness to look a little bit silly in this harmless prank. Especially since at this time, he had stolen my apartment key and then made me go out in the rain to find my piano book under a stairwell... Lameness. Moral of the story: be a good sport, or the fun will end. However. There is a happy ending to this story: Team Midnight Stranger was forced to pair up with Team Ninjormon when Team Rotten Food attacked all of us. We got them with teamwork as I filled up a pitcher of cold water and handed it to one of the guys to drench the other team in the FACE. Oh yeah. It was awesome, and their rotten corn couldn't do us any harm. :) So. We all ended up being friends again anyway and it was awesome.
OKAY GUYS. This website was basically MADE FOR US. It's a comic. It's witty. It's simple. There are math jokes that Jenny would understand. There are puns. It's for US! It's xkcd.com. LOOK IT UP! I hit the random button a lot. But here are some funny ones that I've found:
Enjoy. And guys. I love you all. I miss you. And I hope your lives are going okay. Please update on here and let me know what's new.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Let the New Year Commence!
It's about time someone posted on here, just sayin'. :) What's been going on with me.....
I've been working full-time, going to school full-time, and sleeping about 5%. haha. I have consistently gotten 4-5 hours of sleep every night. Needless, to say, I've been exhausted and I am sure rather humorous to those around me. I've been stuttering! And guys, it's becoming a bigger issue that I am developing an accent. My a's are becoming like that of Michiganders and I say Bible with a Southern accent. There are other words that come out with a Carolina hint. Though, I think the accent is a bit more permanent and not connected to the sleeping issue.
My classes are AMAZING. I have been excited to read my social psychology textbook. Though it's super convicting and frustrating. haha. It knows people too well. Zach and I find ourselves constantly saying, "Well that was this principle." or "that was this theory." Nothing we do cannot be rooted back to social psychology. Can you imagine how frustrating that is? haha It's also enlightening however. What's convicting about it is that there's some theories in there that make you cringe. For instance, social comparisons. The idea behind social comparisons is that we evaluate ourselves based on what we think of others. On the surface, that doesn't seem too bad right? The examples they used made me go, "ow, ow, ouch...ooh man.." The one said that we see ourselves as pretty if we perceive others to be uglier than ourselves. Gosh! haha It's all fascinating though! And my professor is hilarious. The class is more discussion, so we tend to giggle a lot naturally. What's also neat is that my classes all coincide in some way. I am taking Social Psychology, Statistics, Juvenile Delinquency, and Politics and American Culture. What's neat is based on what I've learned in social psychology, I can then explain the behaviors of juvenile delinquents. Then the theories I learn in JD I can then apply in social psych. Statistics obviously says a lot in social psychology when evaluating research. Then politics has been incorporating some ideas from others. I really love that I am beginning to feel like a well-rounded individual. I enjoy that I can sit down with classmates or my parents and have intellectual discussions. My friends and I (just like us from home) actually sit around a table, drinking coffee, and discussing LIFE and all that we learn. All of us have different majors, but we find a way to apply each of what the other is learning into one basic idea. (which of course, is something we happened to discuss in social psychology SEE WHAT I MEAN?)
As to work, I work a Tim Horton's. I actually really enjoy it. I've met some interesting people and had the opportunity to be blessed. It's very stressful at times and I've thankfully been blessed with a gift of calmness. Or else, it'd have been terrible at times. haha I'm learning all the lingo and how to do all the little odd jobs :) My boss seems rather impressed with me and my manager has made a few comments as well which I am so thankful for. I don't know if you guys saw my FB status the other day, but the one manager thought I was pregnant because I'd been butterfingers. Needless to say, that was a hilarious discussion and funny thing to tell Zach. haha
It's rather different living off campus. I feel like a different kind of student. And driving to school everyday is kind of strange. And it's funny too because Zach and I feel different having to ask, "We take your car, my car, or drive separate?" haha Silly perhaps, but it's a rather odd thing for us. I also don't have a meal plan, so it's difficult for me to take the time to pack a lunch. I need to do better at that. haha If you guys have ideas for fast lunches, let me know :) haha
As for something more future oriented, I think I know what I want to do in life. I'd like to do research, perhaps looking into neuroscience and body chemistry related topics (the research is a bit more open-ended, but I definitely want something with science relations of course :)) My long-term goal that requires lots of little ones along the way is I'd like to open my own Biblical counseling practice. Yup, it's a whopper, but I believe it's gonna happen. I've been finding myself more and more being equipped and shaped in the area of marriage and family counseling. Along with that, I'd like to work with teens and young adults on sexual integrity. So basically, the tracks I am hoping to work with would be marriage and family, human sexuality, men and women's issues, and perhaps some neuroscience, additions kind of atmosphere. That is kind of where I am right now in my future plans.
I'd like to hear how a) classes are going b) if there's been any fun stories/jokes in your lives c) any big changes in future plans/lives/etc. d) how you personally are doing (as in happy, sad, nostaglic, whatever the case may be! I don't want it to be all about your life and not you yourself) I love you all and hope to hear how you're doing. With lots of love,
Kera
I've been working full-time, going to school full-time, and sleeping about 5%. haha. I have consistently gotten 4-5 hours of sleep every night. Needless, to say, I've been exhausted and I am sure rather humorous to those around me. I've been stuttering! And guys, it's becoming a bigger issue that I am developing an accent. My a's are becoming like that of Michiganders and I say Bible with a Southern accent. There are other words that come out with a Carolina hint. Though, I think the accent is a bit more permanent and not connected to the sleeping issue.
My classes are AMAZING. I have been excited to read my social psychology textbook. Though it's super convicting and frustrating. haha. It knows people too well. Zach and I find ourselves constantly saying, "Well that was this principle." or "that was this theory." Nothing we do cannot be rooted back to social psychology. Can you imagine how frustrating that is? haha It's also enlightening however. What's convicting about it is that there's some theories in there that make you cringe. For instance, social comparisons. The idea behind social comparisons is that we evaluate ourselves based on what we think of others. On the surface, that doesn't seem too bad right? The examples they used made me go, "ow, ow, ouch...ooh man.." The one said that we see ourselves as pretty if we perceive others to be uglier than ourselves. Gosh! haha It's all fascinating though! And my professor is hilarious. The class is more discussion, so we tend to giggle a lot naturally. What's also neat is that my classes all coincide in some way. I am taking Social Psychology, Statistics, Juvenile Delinquency, and Politics and American Culture. What's neat is based on what I've learned in social psychology, I can then explain the behaviors of juvenile delinquents. Then the theories I learn in JD I can then apply in social psych. Statistics obviously says a lot in social psychology when evaluating research. Then politics has been incorporating some ideas from others. I really love that I am beginning to feel like a well-rounded individual. I enjoy that I can sit down with classmates or my parents and have intellectual discussions. My friends and I (just like us from home) actually sit around a table, drinking coffee, and discussing LIFE and all that we learn. All of us have different majors, but we find a way to apply each of what the other is learning into one basic idea. (which of course, is something we happened to discuss in social psychology SEE WHAT I MEAN?)
As to work, I work a Tim Horton's. I actually really enjoy it. I've met some interesting people and had the opportunity to be blessed. It's very stressful at times and I've thankfully been blessed with a gift of calmness. Or else, it'd have been terrible at times. haha I'm learning all the lingo and how to do all the little odd jobs :) My boss seems rather impressed with me and my manager has made a few comments as well which I am so thankful for. I don't know if you guys saw my FB status the other day, but the one manager thought I was pregnant because I'd been butterfingers. Needless to say, that was a hilarious discussion and funny thing to tell Zach. haha
It's rather different living off campus. I feel like a different kind of student. And driving to school everyday is kind of strange. And it's funny too because Zach and I feel different having to ask, "We take your car, my car, or drive separate?" haha Silly perhaps, but it's a rather odd thing for us. I also don't have a meal plan, so it's difficult for me to take the time to pack a lunch. I need to do better at that. haha If you guys have ideas for fast lunches, let me know :) haha
As for something more future oriented, I think I know what I want to do in life. I'd like to do research, perhaps looking into neuroscience and body chemistry related topics (the research is a bit more open-ended, but I definitely want something with science relations of course :)) My long-term goal that requires lots of little ones along the way is I'd like to open my own Biblical counseling practice. Yup, it's a whopper, but I believe it's gonna happen. I've been finding myself more and more being equipped and shaped in the area of marriage and family counseling. Along with that, I'd like to work with teens and young adults on sexual integrity. So basically, the tracks I am hoping to work with would be marriage and family, human sexuality, men and women's issues, and perhaps some neuroscience, additions kind of atmosphere. That is kind of where I am right now in my future plans.
I'd like to hear how a) classes are going b) if there's been any fun stories/jokes in your lives c) any big changes in future plans/lives/etc. d) how you personally are doing (as in happy, sad, nostaglic, whatever the case may be! I don't want it to be all about your life and not you yourself) I love you all and hope to hear how you're doing. With lots of love,
Kera
Friday, July 22, 2011
Bridge Over Troubled Water
It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things. -Lemony SnicketThings are so crazy right now, I have no idea what to do with myself. After all the things that have happened this week, and all the memories being stirred up, I'm totally lost. This time of year sucks anyway, but I got totally blindsided with this death. I never really expect to be so moved by this type of thing. It sounds cold, but it's true. I mean, losing someone is hard, and I would never be disrespectful of someone's grief, but I'm always blindsided by how much I feel for other people. Maybe it's because I'm usually preoccupied with ignoring my own emotions and only paying attention to what goes on in terms of logic in my head, that others' grief catches me off guard and I end up falling in head first. Whatever the reason, here it is: I am so unbelievably sad for this family.
I can almost feel myself getting stuck here, unable to pull myself out of this hole I've dug myself into. Sadness is so debilitating. But then I remember: I have all of you to get me through this. Whether by stopping by with some surprise slushies and good conversation, or making me laugh, you guys are always there. So I roll my eyes at my own stupidity--thinking I'm alone in all this--and smile.
I love you guys so much.
Love,
Honest Abe
Thursday, May 5, 2011
I Wish Things Were Simple Again
Oh, gosh, you guys. Adulthood had definitely arrived! I think I may hate it. Things aren't amazingly better. Some days are good, and some are bad. It sometimes depends on how often I am on Facebook, because that tends to make me really depressed. I'm not finishing up the semester with you guys, and things are changing so much in my life right now it feel like. Huhhhhhhhhhh. There are some things I want to say on here, but I'd rather not do it just yet. I want to get some stuff talked about one-on-one first before blurting it out on here. For now I'll just say that it's been a really emotional and hurtful ride for me, and one that I think is going to change my life forever.
I love you all so very much. I know I can talk to any of you at any time, and I thank you Cassi for letting me know. It's just not the easiest thing for me, you know? I'll explain in person when I see you all next.
Love,
Gabby
I love you all so very much. I know I can talk to any of you at any time, and I thank you Cassi for letting me know. It's just not the easiest thing for me, you know? I'll explain in person when I see you all next.
Love,
Gabby
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Adulthood Has Arrived
I have started the packing up of my dorm room. It's rather sad. The walls are bleak white and there's an atrocity on my floor. At least my laundry detergent is wafting through the room making it slightly more cheery. Awaiting summer is rather a two-sided dilemma - I'm excited to come home and see you guys, spend time with family, and work (potentially as a barista :D), but yet I'm saddened to not be expanding my knowledge (hey I know, nerd), always being busy, and of course, missing Zach (he'll be spending all summer at a camp where I'll only be able to talk to him for a small bit on Sundays if that). Can you believe that we've spent two years in college already? It's unbelievable! I saw some prom pictures for PHSC and I felt OLD. Me, old? Us, old? Gosh guys what is happening? haha
What are the plans for your summers? Jobs? Trips? Camps? Sleepovers? Nothing? haha
I realized I haven't updated what has been new with me in quite a bit. I am going to be living off campus next year, so 25-30 minutes away. I'll be living in a big 'ole house with one another girl and two big dogs (Great Dane and Chocolate Lab). I'll have a fire pit and a queen sized bed (simple pleasures in life right?). I'm only taking 12 credits hours to save money and be spending only three days a week on campus (meaning I'll need a job to fill the other hours of the week). I'm mostly excited for next year, but a part of me is a bit saddened. I'll really feel the weight of adulthood and responsbility. I'll be paying monthly bills, shopping for my own food, and spending very little times with friends, family, and the man. haha. But, on the bright side, I look forward to bonfires, sleeopvers (finally!! since we're not allowed to in dorms), and making myself expand my cooking portfolio :)
I am going to end here and wish you all you who have them well on your finals! I await seeing all of y'alls faces soon <3 Finish strong! Love you!
What are the plans for your summers? Jobs? Trips? Camps? Sleepovers? Nothing? haha
I realized I haven't updated what has been new with me in quite a bit. I am going to be living off campus next year, so 25-30 minutes away. I'll be living in a big 'ole house with one another girl and two big dogs (Great Dane and Chocolate Lab). I'll have a fire pit and a queen sized bed (simple pleasures in life right?). I'm only taking 12 credits hours to save money and be spending only three days a week on campus (meaning I'll need a job to fill the other hours of the week). I'm mostly excited for next year, but a part of me is a bit saddened. I'll really feel the weight of adulthood and responsbility. I'll be paying monthly bills, shopping for my own food, and spending very little times with friends, family, and the man. haha. But, on the bright side, I look forward to bonfires, sleeopvers (finally!! since we're not allowed to in dorms), and making myself expand my cooking portfolio :)
I am going to end here and wish you all you who have them well on your finals! I await seeing all of y'alls faces soon <3 Finish strong! Love you!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Love Spring Update - By Cassi
HI GUYS!
Well. School has been over for me for exactly a week now! I took my last final last Thursday and it went well. Now is the nailbiting period where I get to wait for my grades to come back in my English classes. I have to kick butt in them so I can get accepted into the English Teaching major so I'm hoping for the best!
This summer should be interesting. That's all I'm going to say. I know a few of you know what I'm referring to....... There are a few things that I'm really excited about and a few things that I'm pretty worried about as far as this summer goes. It will be interesting, to say the least.
I think I read all of your messages carefully when we had that huge message chain on updating our lives, but please answer my questions since I may have missed some details.
Amber, I loved reading your update thing. I'm so excited for you and all the things you're planning for your life. You're a shining star! I'm glad you've found a calling in something you truly loved.
Gabby, I want you to know that you can talk to me whenever you need to, even though we don't talk a lot. I will always being willing to listen. I'm sure any of us would be willing to listen. That's just how we work. You don't have to keep anything inside if you don't want to.
Jenny! That not having your period thing is really weird. It's been awhile since you posted about that. Has the doctor told you anything significant? I hope things have worked out. That would be super stressful.
Kera. Dang girl, it sounds like things are working out well for you now, or at least you've been able to be happy about your life at the moment. I'm so happy for you. I love hearing about how things are for you now since you are nothing less than a light and a little ball of sunshine. Thanks for sharing your happiness and insights.
Moima. Dude. How the heck are you. I have no idea how things are with you besides what others have told me. So I hope you're doing well!
Caitlin. Hi. I love you. I talk to you often enough. :D Um.... Oh! Carpet dots skinny walking often see. Heh heh. Good times.
Let me tell you all about my latest quest! I am making a PEOPLE BOOK. I am making a book of all the people I love. I'm going to write my favorite things about the people I'm closest to or the people who I have to live with (random roommates ha ha). I am doing this because there were moments over the year when I was seriously annoyed with some people who I really loved. I feel like it would be beneficial for me to be able to go to my people book and read the best things about the people who are getting on my nerves, helping me remember the best in those who may be annoying me a little bit. Basically, it comes down to this huge life realization that I had: people are made of their good parts, not their bad parts. People are not defined by their weaknesses, but their strengths. What people are deep down is their best, not their worst. I find joy and happiness in finding this best in others. That's why I'm really excited about my people book. I also hope it will help me be more patient with that roommate that makes the apartment smell like food from ten days past. :)
That's all for now guys. I love you all. I look forward to the day when we will meet again. Because I have faith that we will!
<3 Cassi
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Hey there...
So, I know I said that I would post more when I was in New York, but I got a little bit distracted. So here I am now! I've been back about a week and a half- but it feels like longer. I hate to say it, but I hate it here now. I've never hated my house as much as I do now.
I'm not going to go into the intricacies of my mental illness with you guys. Truthfully, it upsets me too much. Things are changing, and I am not very good at dealing with them. For one, my friendships are nothing like they used to be. I feel so isolated from the rest of you guys. Knowing that all of you guys are close to entering your junior year of college, but I barely have enough credits to be a sophomore. The place I thought was my dream school is not the place that I am going to graduate from. I have no idea where my life is going.
Anyway. I'll stop with the self-deprication. Because I have some exciting news! Most of you guys probably already know this, but I am going to post it on here anyway. I have a job for the summer-away from Pickerington!!!! I am going to be a camp counselor, living with 8 and 9 year olds, at Camp Pinecliffe, and all-girls summer camp in Harrison, Maine. And I am so excited! I am going to be gone from June 14 to August 13, so I won't be here to see you guys very much. But truth be told, as much as I love you all, I am totally okay with that. I could not be more thrilled!
So, that's it for me. I'll try to keep you all updated on how I am doing.
Love,
Gabby
I'm not going to go into the intricacies of my mental illness with you guys. Truthfully, it upsets me too much. Things are changing, and I am not very good at dealing with them. For one, my friendships are nothing like they used to be. I feel so isolated from the rest of you guys. Knowing that all of you guys are close to entering your junior year of college, but I barely have enough credits to be a sophomore. The place I thought was my dream school is not the place that I am going to graduate from. I have no idea where my life is going.
Anyway. I'll stop with the self-deprication. Because I have some exciting news! Most of you guys probably already know this, but I am going to post it on here anyway. I have a job for the summer-away from Pickerington!!!! I am going to be a camp counselor, living with 8 and 9 year olds, at Camp Pinecliffe, and all-girls summer camp in Harrison, Maine. And I am so excited! I am going to be gone from June 14 to August 13, so I won't be here to see you guys very much. But truth be told, as much as I love you all, I am totally okay with that. I could not be more thrilled!
So, that's it for me. I'll try to keep you all updated on how I am doing.
Love,
Gabby
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