Happy New Year! (almost)

Hi everyone. I know I promised a resolution post today, but that is being pushed back a few days while I rest and relax. We got back from visiting family in New York today and nothing went right. Our first flight was delayed by and hour and a half, which meant we missed our second flight. We were given new boarding passes, but then our second flight was delayed by an hour as well. Total travel time for today was eighteen hours. I don't think I'm going to make it to midnight tonight, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Loves

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given."

                                                                              Isaiah 9:6

Hey, guys. I just wanted to pop on and wish you all a Merry Christmas! My family and I are heading to upstate New York tomorrow to visit with my grandparents and aunt and uncle and cousins. We'll be gone until New Year's Eve. My grandma doesn't have internet, so I won't be posting until New Year's Eve, but I have a resolution post planned for that day. I hope that you all enjoy this season, however it is that you celebrate. I always celebrate with the birth of Christ in mind, especially because my own birthday is on Christmas day. Have a blessed holiday, everyone!
Loves

Thank Goodness

My first semester of college is over. I'm home safe and sound and am looking forward to resting for the next few weeks. Its always nice to visit with family and friends and I'm super looking forward to Christmas and my birthday. I am also super thankful to have passed my math class. Math is not my favorite subject, and I'm also not very good at it. I failed the final, which was supposed to mean that I also failed the class, but my professor passed me anyway. I was so excited to find that out. So now, I just have a lot of time to veg out and chill until my next semester starts in January. The surprising thing is, as much as I like being back in California, I kinda miss New Mexico. Well, this post is getting really ramble-y, so have a good rest of the weekend :)
Loves

Today

Math final at 10, presentation at 1, Spanish final at 3. Bring it on! Today is my 'hard' final day. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be cake after this. If I can survive today, I'm home free!

Loves

One Week

There's one week left of my first semester of college. I'm all registered for classes next semester, but before I can think about that, I have four finals, a presentation and an oral exam to get through first. Tomorrow is my oral exam for Spanish, I have my pre-cal final at 10 am on Monday, a presentation for my honors class at 1 and my written final for spanish at 3. Tuesday, I have my geology final at 7:30 in the morning (kill me) and then I'll spend the rest of the day packing, doing laundry and organizing my dorm. Wednesday, I have my linguistics final at 10 am, and then I'm headed to the airport to fly home! I am so excited to be going home and I am beyond ready for this semester to be over. There were definite highlights, definite low moments, but I think it was a good experience. Hopefully, next semester goes even better. I'm taking 18 credit hours next semester, and I'm going to try and find a job on top of that. Hopefully I don't bite off more than I can chew...But that's a month away. For now, I'm going to get through this last week so I can concentrate on family, friends and being home with nothing to do.
Loves

Currently

So, I saw this post on Krista's blog and on Danielle's blog, so I finally got around to jumping on the band wagon. Ready? Here we go!
Obsessing over: How I Met Your Mother. My cousin introduced me to this show at Thanksgiving and the first six seasons are on Netflix play instant. I love it. It's a really cute idea for a show and Neil Patrick Harris is my absolute favorite. I'm also obsessed with The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. AMAZING.
Working on: Finishing my first semester of college. I have one week of classes left and four finals to take the week after that. I have a final project due on Monday, so that's my main focus this weekend.
Thinking about: Going home. I can't wait to see all my friends and family and rest and relax.
Anticipating: Christmas! And my birthday, since they are on the same day :) This is my favorite time of the year and I am so glad it's finally here again!
Listening to: Various Christmas albums on my iTunes account. I don't break these out until after Thanksgiving, but after that, I play them non-stop. The album playing right now is BarlowGirl's Home for Christmas. So good.
Drinking: Right now, nothing. I did have a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks earlier though. That drink is pretty much Christmas in a cup. Yummy.
Wishing: For my homework to magically disappear. I really need to get some stuff done this weekend. We'll see how that goes...

In other news, I went with some friends to a piercing place today and I got my tragus pierced!

I love it. It really didn't hurt that bad and the place that we went to was super professional. The guy who pierced it was friendly and engaging and made me feel totally at ease. So glad I did it.

Loves

Sick

Well, I almost went an entire semester without getting sick. My sister had a cold over the weekend, and it looks like I caught it. Thankfully, my afternoon class was cancelled today, so I can go back to my dorm and sleep. I was up really late last night to register for my classes for the Spring semester. I got all the classes I need, but I am exhausted. I did have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and my cousin got engaged! We're all really excited about their wedding next year. I drove back to Albuquerque yesterday, so I have a car with me now, which is nice because I need to go buy some cold meds now. Hello, Nyquil. Hopefully this cold goes away soon. I would hate to still have it during finals.
Loves

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I'll keep this short and sweet. I'm at my aunt's house in Prescott, Az, enjoying time with family and time away from school. I went for  a run with my cousin this morning and am looking forward to a huge dinner tonight. We're taking this year off of Black Friday, thank goodness, and I am going to relax all weekend. Enjoy your family, enjoy whatever time off that you get and have a very happy holiday!
Loves

Awaken

"I am a warrior princess. I am a daughter of the Most High God, and He has a personal interest in my life and a specific plan for me. With Him, I can not fail."

This was the theme of the conference I went to in Colorado Springs this last weekend. It was an amazing conference and I went with an amazing group of girls. I feel so renewed and so refreshed. We did some crazy stuff and had a blast, but we also learned some great lessons. It was the perfect girl's weekend.

We road tripped it to Colorado Springs on Friday...

...got a little crazy at the Everyday Sunday concert that followed the message on Friday night...

...took a super awkward picture with the band after the concert...

...woke up early for day 2 of the conference...

...participated in an AWESOME concert with the amazing Barlow Girls (I love them. They are my new role models. So fantastic!)...

...and went on an awesome hike to a pretty waterfall Sunday morning before heading home.

This weekend was absolutely incredible and I am so blessed to have these lovely ladies in my life. God totally provides and takes care of His own.

Loves

Patience

College is an excellent teacher of that elusive virtue patience. Waiting for the weekend, waiting for time off, waiting waiting waiting. November is going to put the skills that I have learned over the last few months to the test. Next weekend, I get to go to a conference in Colorado Springs. Two weeks after that, I get to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving. At the end of the month, I get my car back. It's all a matter of being patient and trying not to go insane while I wait. Thankfully, I do have some things to keep me busy in between the big things. Tonight, I'm going to see my school's production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I am super excited. Do you have any big plans for the month of November? Anything that's hard to wait for? Things to keep you occupied? Have a great rest of the weekend guys!
Loves

Winter

The weather is finally getting colder and I couldn't be happier. Boots and hats and scarves are my FAVORITE accessories. I am all wintered out today.

I love jeans, but there is just something about leggings and jeggings that I love more. They're so comfy!  Have a great rest of the week!

Loves

Quick Update

So, October is almost over. One week left. October was nice, but I can't wait for November. In November: the weather will be cooler, I will go to Colorado Springs for a conference with my youth group, go to Prescott, Az, to visit my aunt and family for Thanksgiving, and I will get a car. Yes, November promises to be awesome. October has been good though too. My visit with my family was great and my youth group did some fun stuff and we have an amazing Halloween party planned. I think I'm going to be Penelope, that girl with the pig nose. I loved that movie, so I think that would be fun. And, I just found out from my academic advisor that, after this semester, I never have to take another math class again. I am SO happy. I hate math a lot, so knowing that this is my last semester ever makes it easier to go to class and do homework. Speaking of, I really should be working on that right now...
Loves

50 Minutes

50 minutes. Another 50 minutes and I get a much needed four day weekend. One more class to sit through and I get a break. This class hour is threatening to drag on forever. Especially because I have a lot to look forward to. My family is coming to visit me today. They'll be here sometime tonight. I can't wait. I haven't seen them since the end of August. They'll be here until Sunday, and then we all have to go back to work and school. But now is not the time to think of Sunday. Right now, I need to sit through class, and then wait for tonight.
Loves

Balloon Fiesta

Yesterday, I got up before the sun to go to Mass Ascension for the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. It is one of the coolest things I have done. Picture hundreds of hot air balloons rising into the sky with the sun. It was incredible. Hot air balloons are huge. There were so many different shapes and colors. New Mexico is famous for this festival, and for good reason. Here are some pictures from the morning.

We got to the field at 5:45. Way before the sun. 

Spectators get to stand in the same place that the balloons are preparing to go up. 

The first round of balloons.

The coolest balloon I have ever seen!

This cow was HUGE. 

Balloons were going up everywhere we looked.

We left to go to church an hour and fifteen minutes after the Mass Ascension started and there were still tons of balloons taking to the sky.

It was seriously awesome. If you ever find yourself in New Mexico at the beginning of October, check this out.  It is worth the early morning and freezing cold.

Loves

Lazy Fashion

shirt: Thousand Pines Christian Camps (where I was a counselor this summer)

jeans: Aeropostale

shoes: in the picture, I'm barefoot, but around campus I am wearing flip flops from Quicksilver

I am so lazy today. I'm not going to the pool to swim laps like I do every day and I'm just going to hang out and veg. I'm donating blood later today and then I have girls night out with my youth group tonight. I also think I'm going to go look at a house with my friend. She wants to move off campus and so is starting the process of house hunting. Depending on my plans for next year, I might be moving with her. So we're going to see some houses that she likes. We'll see how that goes. 

Loves

Fashion Post 4

shirt: Rue21

skirt: Quicksilver

boots (hard to see, but they're just basic black boots): Payless

Loves

Fashion and Good News

So, here is what I wore today:

tank: Macy's

capris: Aeropostale

shoes: Payless

And now for my good news. I have been having issues in my dorm. The people on my floor do weird things and I was not comfortable with what was going on. I requested a move and there was room for me in another dorm! So, after class for the rest of the week I will be moving my various belongings to my new dorm. I've not met my new room mate yet, and I'm a little nervous. Hopefully everything goes well.

Loves

Fall Fashion Post 2

So, I washed my shorts yesterday, expecting today to be warm. I wore this, and got rained on. It figures. The day I actually do my hair, the weather ruins my efforts. Typical.

Shirt: wal-mart

shorts: Aeropostale

shoes: Old Navy

scarf: Details from Alex (the cutest boutique in downtown Albuquerque!)

Have a great day! I have some good news to share in my post tomorrow!

Loves

Fall Fashion Week

So, I'm two days late for this, but I wanted to join in. Better late than never, right? So, here's what I'm wearing today.

It's a little too warm to be wearing pants, but my shorts are all in the laundry, which I didn't get to do this weekend. Ah, the life of a college student.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Loves

Seven Things

I was tagged by Jaqueline of Diamond in the Dark to list seven things about myself and then tag other bloggers. I'm totally going to cheat on the last part, just to let you all know :)

1. I miss my animals. I was prepared to miss my cat, but I never expected to miss my dogs. As long as I've been alive, my family has had at least one animal, and now that I live in a dorm, I can't have animals. It's a weird experience and I miss my little cuddle buddy, Smudge. I'm going to move off campus just so I can have animals again.

2. Coffee and tea are my go-to drinks. I never really liked either one of them, but I seriously drink 3 cups of coffee every day and a nice decaffeinated tea is so nice in the evenings. Ah, pure delight.

3. I love handwritten letters. End of story.

4. My three favorite movies are Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, and How to Train Your Dragon. Don't judge me. Those movies are awesome.

5. I am a hopeless romantic. Books, movies, songs. You name it. If it has a good love story, I'm hooked.

6. I love cold weather. Boots, hats, and scarves are some of my favorite accessories.

7. I want long hair very very badly. I might be buying some extensions soon. I'm too impatient to wait for my hair to grow on its own.

So there you have it! Seven things all about me. Thanks for tagging me, Jaco! Now, I'm not sure who reads my blog, so if you have a blog, do this and put a link in my comments! That way I can get to know my readers a little bit better.

Loves

A to Z

I'm jumping on the band wagon with this A to Z post.


A. Age: 18
B. Bed size: Extra long twin. Stupid dorm :/
C. Chore that you hate: Weeding. Ugh.
D. Dogs: At home with the rest of my family.
E. Essential start to your day: Shower and several cups of coffee
F. Favorite color: black or red or purple
G. Gold or Silver: White gold. I'm not super fond of yellow gold.
H. Height: 5'7"
I. Instruments you play: none
J. Job title: Full time student looking for part time work
K. Kids: none, yet.
L. Live: New Mexico
M. Mother’s name: Rebecca
N. Nicknames: Dithy (only to my Pake)
O. Overnight hospital stays: never
P. Pet peeves: clutter/dust
Q. Quote from a movie: "Thank you, for summing that up." Hiccup, How to Train Your Dragon
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: A younger brother and two younger sisters
U. Underwear: comfy ones
V. Vegetable you hate: um...weird ones?
W. What makes you run late: Waiting on others
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Only at the dentist
Y. Yummy food that you make: I don't cook much but I do spread peanut butter on Oreos. Best snack ever!
Z. Zoo animal: Snow Leopards. I could watch them all day.

Great Expectations

People always have great stories from college. All I ever heard in high school was how much better college would be. This is my fourth week of school and I'm still not sure what's so great about it. I keep making all these excuses, like "It will get better when I meet more people," or "When I start working on my major, school will be more interesting." Yes, these things are true, and yes, enjoying yourself is a state of mind, but the external things in your life influence your state of mind, right? By building all these expectations, I feel as though I'm setting myself up for disappointment. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to be going to college. I'm happy that soon I'll be studying what interests me and I will be moving forward with my life. In this moment, however, I'm wondering what's so great about college. I'm not a partier. I don't plan on joining a sorority. I'm not a hugely social person, which is probably part of my problem. I don't know. Maybe after eight weeks, I'll feel differently.

My Day and My Dorm

Today was nice. It started with some Starbucks and light reading before class.

And then there was math homework and Good & Plenty's between classes.

After class, I was pleasantly surprised to open my mailbox and find mail.

After lunch, I changed into my swim suit to go swim some laps at the gym.

Later today, I have Bible study and maybe a Skype call with a friend back home. I also finally got around to taking some pics of my lovely dorm room for all of you to see.

My side of the room.

My cute little desk.

Underneath my bed, and my fridge.

And the beautiful view outside my window. It's not a bad set up and I actually really like living on campus. It's pretty nice not having to drive to school. 

Loves

Oh...I almost forgot. I'm seriously considering buying extensions an I was wondering if you had any input as to what the best type to buy would be. I've never done it before, so here are the ones I'm looking at. This set or this set. They are two different kinds of extension, so what would be easier and what would last longer? Thanks so much!

Things I Want, But Don't Need and Can't Pay For

So, I'm in college now, which means I have very little spending money. So here's a list of things I've been admiring, because everyone knows that when you have no money to spend you look at things that cost money. So here it is.

How cute is this? A nose stud that looks like a rose? I'm in love.

Another rose. I have an obsession, can you tell?

I would love a hair extension like this, but I would need someone to show me how to put it in.

So that is what I do when I should be doing homework. I look at all the pretty things on Etsy that I want to buy. Definitely a productive use of my time.

Loves

College

So I never actually got around to organizing pictures or anything productive for that matter. My last month of summer was spent with friends and family. I am living on campus now, my mom has left and classes begin tomorrow. I'm excited to get into a routine. I enjoy waking up and not knowing what the day will bring, but after an extended period of time, getting back into a fixed schedule is a welcome change. My roommate is nice and I've met a few people around campus.  I went to church with my mom this morning. I think I can say that I've settled in nicely and now I'm just waiting for college life to really start.
Loves

Homeward Bound

I am currently posting this from Phoenix International Airport. My next flight leaves at 2:40 and then I'll be back home! As fun as my trip was, home sounds so good right now. I stayed an extra day to catch some good weather in the Florida pan-handle and it was totally worth it. I have a horrible sun burn that hurts like crazy, but I loved every minute of my long day in the sun yesterday. We were in Orlando earlier in the week (I'll be posting pictures in the next few days) and then we drove back up to the pan-handle where my family lives. We ate sea food, had really good snow-cones and had a blast riding jet skis in the sound. The water in the Gulf of Mexico makes you think of the Caribbean and the sand makes the hills look covered in snow. I'm so thankful to have gotten to take this trip and spend time with my extended family. I am also very thankful that my travel has gone smoothly today. Flying stand-by can be very stressful, but today it has been effortless. Once I get my pictures organized, I'll post some for you.
Loves

My Camp Experience

Of all the years I've been going to summer camp, this year was probably one of the best. Being a counselor is much more fun and fulfilling than being a camper. My girls and I had an excellent week and I can't wait to do it again next year. I didn't take a ton of pictures, but I will have pictures in my next post because I'M GOING TO FLORIDA! I am so excited. I'll be at Universal Studios in Orlando for three days and then back to my cousin's house, which is right on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico. I can't wait. I leave tomorrow, and I'll be back on the 18th, hopefully. I'm taking my computer on this trip, so I'll keep you posted. This is what summer is all about. Fun trips and enjoying the company of people you love. This is probably my last free summer for a long time, since I will probably have to get a job next summer, so I am going to enjoy every minute of it. Are you all enjoying summer as much as I am? I really hope so.
Loves

One Busy Bee

So, I'm here to say hi, but then say goodbye right after. This week has been crazy busy, and the busy-ness continues! My mom and I left for New Mexico early Monday morning. Tuesday and Wednesday, I was at the university getting oriented and registering for classes. I found out who my roommate is and got her contact information, so things are moving along nicely on that front. I'm getting more and more excited for college! I think it's going to be a great four years. (Because I WILL graduate in four years. People keep saying that it takes five nowadays, but I refuse to be in school longer than I need to be, unless something happens...) We came home late on Wednesday, and then I spent Thursday with a friend and yesterday I took my siblings to see Transformers 3. (Excellent movie, by the way. So amazingly epic. I loved it.) I'm leaving again tomorrow for camp. I am going to be a counselor for the junior high kids at my church. It should be a fun/interesting experience. Have an amazing 4th of July! God Bless America!
Loves

Good-bye!

I'm leaving tomorrow, but it's a short trip, so no need to fret. My mom and I are flying to New Mexico because I have New Student Orientation and class registration on Tuesday and Wednesday. I am so excited! Since the trip is so short and my laptop is a bit bulky, I won't be bringing it with me. Don't worry, I'll live.    :)   Until then, stay cool.
Loves

New

I love summer, and I love summer dresses even more. We went to Macy's yesterday and there was this adorable dress on the clearance rack. It had a stain, but I bought it anyway. The stain came out and the dress looks great! It's perfect for the hot desert that I call home (only for another month and a half though). 

I also finally got around to dying my hair again. It was purple underneath for a while, but between swim and my busy school schedule, I let it fade out. My life has finally slowed down a bit, so I took advantage of my free time and dyed it again. I've missed my purple hair.

Sorry, it's a little hard to see, but it's there, I promise! :)

Graduation and Grad Night

So, I graduated high school a week ago, and I've not shared it here yet. I'm still working on getting all caught up and de-stressed from that week, so, like it almost always is, my poor little blog was pushed to the back burner. Sad day. Anyway, here are some pics for you all to enjoy.

 There were so many of us, but it was a nice ceremony. It actually didn't take as long as I thought it would either. We had Grad Night the next day. We all went down to Disneyland for the night and had a blast. The weather was perfect and the whole place felt like one giant club. Disneyland is way different at night.

Funk

*weheartit*

I'm in a funk. I don't know what it is, but it's starting to harsh my mellow. I'm not sure if the big life changes that are happening over the next few months are what's put me in this funk, but regardless of the cause, I really need to break this.

Emily Kittybot

Hey guys. Do you remember that sweet little giveaway that I posted about in April? Of course you do. Well, dear readers, guess what? I won! Thanks so much to Jaco of The Lovebot Factory as well as Polly of the littlest polly for this awesome giveaway. I love, love, LOVE Miss Emily Kittybot! Here are some pics, in case you'd like to take a gander.