Weekend with the Girls

I am currently sitting with my best friends in Mandie's basement (she counts as one of my best friends in case it wasn't obvious). Tomorrow the 4 of us are going to see Beauty and the Beast the Musical! We bought the tickets in December and have been so excited ever since! I have been truly geeked! Every time the movie is mentioned or a song is played (from the movie of course) I get super excited—and now it's finally TIME! Well... tomorrow it will be time :)

The car ride here was crazy. It has been snowing for ages, heavy and wet, making the roads hazardous. Needless to say, there was a lot of silent prayer being lifted by yours truly. But it was great just knowing that even if we did get into an accident, we would be going somewhere SO MUCH better! We are all completely in love with our Savior and it was just comforting to know that if one of us died we wouldn't have to wonder.

That being said, I am also glad that we made it safe! I am just so thankful for the friends I have! High school was... long and, well... hard! I never would have guessed that I would be spending a weekend with 1 great friend, let alone 3! God really answered all of the prayers that I sobbed all through high school.

So thankful :)

So very, very, very thankful!

ps. the way Becky "bowls" on the Wii is the funniest thing I have ever seen!

Theme Verse

"Whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it is not I but God who was working through me by His grace."

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT)

May this forever be my theme song! Everything that I am, and everything that I have is all because of God. My talents are not my own. But I act like they are, and even act like I can give Him a 'special gift'. But rather, everything I do is His from the start, whether I acknowledge it or not. I would not be able to hold a pencil if it was not for Him—let alone draw with one! My skill belongs to Him—and I pray that it will serve ONLY Him for my entire life.

Thank you Lord, for the gifts you have given me—I love and appreciate them. Help me not to take them for granted, or forget that all skill comes from you and has nothing to do with me or what I do

Logo Love

This logo is truly ingenious! I LOVE this website! Check it out if you get the chance—I absolutely adore looking through it during my free time (though I don't get much...)

Ralph

This is Ralph. Fully developed—just before I ruined it by labeling the bones as is required.

I had to draw a contour, shade and then label the bones in the cranium and mandible(jaw bone).

I just found out that this project is a plus/minus project—meaning that I get full credit just for doing it, no grade. I'm bummed, especially after working so long on it (6-7 hours), but he's also using this as a chance to see where we are and what we need to improve on. So, hopefully I did a good enough job that he will find it worth his while to push me a little extra. Of course many my classmates also did a good well on theirs—and one of the best was from the same viewpoint as mine... which isn't always desirable.

The labeling looks horrid to be honest. It broke my heart to do it, but I want the grade! oh well, it wouldn't take too much work to get them off again, though a faint outline will probably always be there.

Feedback is welcome as always!

In the Quiet

I am currently sitting on the futon that has served Emily and me as a bed for the past week or so, and I am struggling to find out why on Earth there even is a 5:00 in the morning! The Chinese girls that have been staying with us are leaving today on a plane—and they have to be on the way to the airport by 5:45 am. Thus it fell to Emily and myself—okay, me—to make sure that both of them wake up on time and are able to get out the door at the appointed hour. Thankfully I will be able to go back to sleep for about an hour after they leave before I have to get ready myself.

Haha, surprisingly, I am fairly awake right now, though the lack of sleep will probably catch up to me at the most inconvenient time—such as during class, lunch, or when I am supposed to get up.

This time is a reminder that God is always awake. Always watching. Always protecting us. Normally at 5am, I am entirely unconscious (a pattern that I do not intend to change anytime soon) and the most activity that is performed would be to mumble or laugh in my sleep (yes, I laugh in my sleep—every night according to some). But God is still keeping watch, and probably still busy with the other areas of trouble in the world—though even with all this, He does not neglect me. Just as I am supervising the preparations of departure for the Chinese girls on my right, and the sleeping form of my roommate on my left—God is watching over everything. Even at the most inconvenient hours.

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever

Psalm 121:8

Chinese Food and Banshees

Well, I have now successfully completed my 3rd day of the new semester.

And I am still alive! haha, of course it is not very hard yet—but adjusting to the new schedule is a little crazy as well as listening to all of the crazy-hard assignments that the professors continually threaten us will is enough to throw anyone into a nervous break down. But I am now done with classes for the day with only homework to occupy my thoughts before non-school related activities finally draw me away from my newly attained books.

So with an intimidating to-do list and a fresh mind, I immediately sat down to write a new post. Rather typical I am afraid to say...

But it has been an interesting past 24. Starting with a visit from my dear mom and sister :) We always have a blast when we get together, talking and laughing, and this time was no exception! We truly out did ourselves and I am sure everyone in Pizza Hut was annoyed with the sounds of our obnoxious laughter (often compared to a banshee).

We returned with just enough time for me to get ready for some special visitors. A small group of students from CHINA won a drama competition and as part of their reward, they get to spend 5 days here in Arborshire. Emily and I were asked to host them in our room, letting them use our beds and guiding them through the dorm life. We agreed to do it and are now living on the futon for about a week.

Emily agreed not to kick me as long as I did not 'wet the bed'. Thankfully we are not in the habit of doing either :)

Our girls are named (American names) "Gloria" and "Mia". They are both beautiful, very sweet, about 16 years old and can hardly speak English! It is truly crazy. They can speak enough so that we can usually understand what they are saying after a few minutes, but once in a while there are some crazy mix-ups. After struggling to say my name for about half an hour, we decided that I was to be called "Trina".

It's really cute to hear them read English—in fact I have a poem on my board that they were reading, but unfortunately it is a play on words so they didn't understand it! I had to explain that 'alonio' = 'alone', but that it was changed to rhyme with 'Antonio' just like half the words in the poem.

Oh goodness.

This morning was also a little strange—getting ready in our little room with 3 awake and 1 asleep is rough, especially when the only other person who speaks must English is the one who is still in bed! We eventually got out the door and I sprinted to class after making sure they got to their meeting place without any trouble.

Then after Chapel I was mixed up and almost went all the way to one of my Tuesday/Thursday classes! I remembered just in time, and turning around I walked back to the building I had already passed and into room SMC 110. I'm brilliant.

False.

Well, now I should get back to that homework I have been putting off... Hopefully another post will be up shortly!