Blessed.

Blessed. That's the only word I can think of that truly describes how I feel. Every morning I pray that God would fill my day with unexpected blessings. And he does just that...day after day! I am so tremendously blessed it's insane and I can't stop thanking God for being so incredibly amazing and blessing me beyond belief!

My Christmas Break has been amazing so far...and I still have nearly 2 weeks off! It has been incredibly busy but I wouldn't have it any other way! In fact, starting tomorrow I will actually have been home for more than two days in a row (a record for this break as I've been traveling like a mad woman lol).

My break began with a trip to Hawaii with one of my best friends, Olivia. This trip is one we had fantasized about since we were little girls and it was seriously a dream come true to get to travel and experience Paradise with her! God totally provided a way for us to get there and by His grace, we made it there (and later, home) safely! Hawaii was a wonderful break from the chaos of school (I had to take 5 finals in 2 days...no big ha) and it felt amazing to wear shorts and flip flops, soak up the warm sun, listen to music on the beach, snorkel, and just plain love life and God's gorgeous creation!!

Since Hawaii, things have continued to be wonderful...just not as warm ha! I got to spend a few days in Louisville and enjoyed spending time with family and friends as we celebrated Jesus' birthday! Christmas Day was marked by more time with family and friends...more blessings! We also got to make a quick trip to Nashville to see old friends and we enjoyed great company and lots and lots of delicious food (and shopping!).

As for the rest of break, I'm beyond excited about going to the Passion Conference in Atlanta this weekend! This conference is geared towards college kids (18-25 years old) and is going to be packed with amazing speakers and worship leaders...Francis Chan, Louie Giglio, David Platt, Beth Moore, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, David Crowder, Kristian Stanfill (and the list goes on and on...)! I can't wait to see what God reveals through this gathering and pray that He is glorified through it all! I'm excited to be in community with thousands of other believers (all who are my age) and who are trying to live a life for Him each and every day! Like I said...I'm BEYOND excited!!!!!

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed.

[I'm so unworthy, but still You love me. Forever my heart will sing of how great You are!!!]

Singing in the Rain...

Rain, rain, go away....come again another day! So, it's been a really long time since I've blogged and thought I'd write real quick about this rainy day we've had. For the past several days, meteorgologists have been warning that today would be a very wet and soggy day. They shared that severe storms were possible and even put us under a Tornado Watch. Well, in typical weatherman fashion, they got us all excited about absolutely nothing...other than a whole lot of rain! Today, when I got out of my math class, my friend Lauren and I ran to the bus stop (only to stand at the stop for about ten minutes). By the time the bus finally came and I got home, I looked like a wet rat...it was quite comical actually. The funny part was that once I got home, Britt and I rushed over to our friend's apartment because we were afraid to be on the upper floor of our apartment complex. We came bearing food, blankets, flashlights, and lots of homework, however, by the time we finally got to his apartment the majority of the storm had passed and it was barely raining. Needless to say, Britt and I were proud of our selves for being so prepared (we kept saying "better to be safe than sorry") but felt incredibly silly. Here we were thinking the absolute worst while in reality, the worst thing that happened was a lot of hard rain! Just thought I'd share another "Adventure at Angliana" as Britt and I continue to act more and more like Lucy and Ethel (you can decide who is who lol)! :)

"Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains." -Psalms 147:7-8

First Day

Classes began today and all and all, it was a really great first day back! I only had three classes (and didn't even start until 11 am) so I think I have an awesome schedule! History class went well (my professor is pretty crazy but I think he'll make class really entertaining) and my English class seems like it's going to be pretty fun (my professor seems really sweet and nice). Plus, lunch was great as I was surprised to see several friends and enjoyed visiting with them! Above are a few "first day" pictures we took this morning on our way out the door...yes, we still take them even though we're sophomores in college ha!

[(A New Year)]

Tomorrow is the start of a brand new year...well, school year that is. I can't believe I'm already a sophomore...where did my entire freshman year go?! I've already been back a week now and what a week it has been! This past week was K Week and this year, I was a member of K Crew in which I was assigned 18 freshmen to mentor and help out during their first few days here at school. Additionally, I am a leader with the Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) so needless to say, these past few days have been jam packed with fun events and I've found myself running around a million miles an hour, yet loving it! I've also found that I sleep really, really well at night...I wonder why ha?

A few of the week's events have included a Luau Party hosted by CSF (there were over 4,000 kids there!), Big Blue U (a big pep rally at Commonwealth Stadium with the entire Freshman class), Wildcats at Worship (a really sweet worship service attended by a variety of ministries here on campus), lunch and dinner with my little K Team family (I have the best group of kids...so lucky!), 4th Meal 4-Square hosted by CSF, 12 & 12 pancakes (I've tried my hand at the pancake business and I'm pretty sure I'd be fired if I wasn't a volunteer...my pancakes are a wee bit abstract looking, but they taste pretty good ha), and of course, water balloons, water balloons, and more water balloons (so far, I've filled 800!). Wow...it sure has been pretty crazy but I wouldn't have it any other way! Plus, I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful roommate to join me in the madness...we often wonder why we do such things to ourselves, but it all works out and we're better off because of the experiences we have shared.

I'm really happy to be back at school and have absolutely loved reconnecting with my amazing friends! I'm excited for what this new school year will bring and pray that it is filled with wonderful blessings, new (and old) friendships, and lots of joy and laughter! I also pray that God's light will shine brightly in me and that I can be a good witness for Him by showing (and telling) others the love He has for them!

On a side note, my new favorite song is "Our God" by Chris Tomlin (I'm seeing him in concert this October!). The song is absolutely incredible and I just love listening to it and worshipping God with it! Much of the song's lyrics come from 2 Samuel 7:22: "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears."

Summer...

First off, I must admit that I've been a terrible blogger lately. With summer comes so many fun distractions and I just haven't made time to blog whatsoever. That being said, I don't even know how to sum up how amazing these past few months have been, but I'm going to try...

A few of this summer's biggest events begin with my Dad's heart attack on May 28th...by far the scariest thing that's ever happened to any of us but praise be to our Father in Heaven for looking out for him and for providing perfect timing throughout the whole ordeal! Now, two months later, we joke that my Dad is "so over" his heart attack as he is back to cycling and enjoying the same quality of life he had pre-heart attack.

Following Dad's heart attack, we got to vacation in beautiful Hawaii for two whole weeks....what could be a more relaxing and healing place than Heaven on Earth? We had a complete blast while we were there! We soaked up a ton of sunshine, snorkeled with giant sea turtles, saw Julia Roberts on the beach, and enjoyed time away from our hectic lives to focus on healing and relaxation as a family!

Since being back from Hawaii, we celebrated Father's Day with the best father and grandfather ever, as well as, celebrated Mom and Dad's 24th wedding anniversary. We continued the celebrations on the 4th of July when Erin came up and stayed with us for a few days!

Now, just yesterday, I turned 20 years old! I know that in the grand scheme of life, 20 is so very young, but to me right now, it seems very weird to say I'm two whole decades old ha! I had a wonderful day and felt so special as I celebrated with my amazing friends and family! I know God has great things in store for me and can't wait to see what this coming year will bring, as well as, this new decade of life I just entered into now that I'm a 20-something!

The summer is quickly flying by but each day is marked by fun in the sun (and extreme heat), as well as, lots of laughter and fun memories! As the coming school year approaches, I look forward to being a sophomore and knowing "the ropes," as well as, look forward to being reunited with my wonderful friends!

"...God not only loves you very much but also has put His hand on you for something special." -1 Thessalonianas 1:4

Sigh of Relief...

Yesterday, I had to write the first research paper of my college career (and I'm fearful in knowing there are still many, many more to come in the next couple years! Ha!). The process of writing a 10-page paper proved challenging, but not impossible for me, as I dug deep to find enough words to write about Water Privatization in Bolivia...interesting topic, huh? NOT! Anyways, I survived but not without taking pictures of my misery! As you can see, massive amounts of research exploded on my desk and floor. Luckily after 9 hours of concentration, I finally finished my paper (and it's not even due until Friday!) and can now breathe a whole lot easier! :)

A Blaze @ Blazer...

Yesterday, Brittany, Erin, and I met at Blazer for our weekly stir-fry dinner, as we do every Thursday night. This night was unlike any other, however, because there was a small fire while we were there. Brittany and I had just gotten our food (Erin and Travis were still in the stir-fry line) when all of a sudden, the fire alarm started to go off. Most people thought very little of it and continued eating, assuming it was a false alarm. Surprisingly, it appears it was actually not a false alarm as we were forced to exit the restaurant and stand outside. The funny part was that since Britt and I had just gotten our food, we took our plates outside and just ate out there (while everyone else left their plates at the table). After a few minutes, we were allowed back into the building and noticed there was a little smoke in the air, but that's the only evidence we could see of a small fire (the fire department didn't even come). After an eventful start to our meal, everyone had a nice time and enjoyed dinner...despite a "blaze" at Blazer!

That's right...eating our stir-fry outside ha!

Viva Las Vegas:

Our gang and the bus...

Hard at work...

Britt & I

Our day in the city...

Riding the bus to the Grand Canyon...

Dinner at our campsite...we were so cold!

Our crew at Plateau Point...

It's been a while since I've last written, and while I have so much schoolwork to do I wanted to take a few minutes to write about my trip while everything is still fresh in my mind!

Last week was my Spring Break and I went on a Mission Trip to Las Vegas with the Christian Student Fellowship here at school. I had so much fun and loved getting to know everyone who went on the trip (there were 45 of us total). We rode a huge double-decker bus all the way across the country (it took us 39 hours going to Vegas and 48 coming home...we got stuck in Albuquerque, New Mexico due to snow!) and I loved getting to visit new states, including Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

While we were on our trip, we helped several different organizations, including a place called Family Promise (my friends and I washed an 18-passenger van while some other kids refurbished old church pews) and also helped kids at an after-school program. Additionally, we got to help mentally and disabled people at a place called Opportunity Village which serves as a place where people can work on simple tasks and train for a job in the "real world." We also went to an amazing Christian church called The Crossing (if I ever move out to Vegas, that is without a doubt the church I would want to go to!) and helped at a food bank called Three Square whose goal is to serve "3 square meals a day."

Aside from helping serve the people of Las Vegas, we also got to spend a day in the city and explore all of the amazing hotels. I had a blast with my friends and loved taking tons of pictures, seeing the Bellagio fountain show, and literally running through the streets to get to the Venetian and back to the bus in time (we had to be back on our bus, the Lightrider, at 10 pm). It was also so nice to get to wear shorts and flip-flops and I loved soaking in the warm sunshine!

After spending a day in the city, we went to the Grand Canyon on Thursday and camped (a first for me!). Brittany, Erin, and I shared a little tent and just about froze to death as we slept huddled together. As crazy as it sounds, I was actually happy to wake up at 5 am after an awful night's sleep! Ha! We took a 12-mile hike at the Canyon and went to Plateau Point where we were greeted with spectacular views and could see the Colorado River at the base of the Canyon.

Once we finished our 7-hour hike, we took super fast showers and then boarded the bus to return home. After several weather-related delays, we finally got back to Lexington on Sunday at 7 pm (we were originally supposed to be back at 3 am Sunday morning). Although I may never want to ride a bus as long as l live, this Spring Break was truly amazing and I'm so grateful for our safety, the friendships and memories I made along the way, and most importantly, the positive impact we had on the people of Las Vegas in the name of our Savior!

Public Transportation 101...

This morning I woke up with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I realized Brittany had my parking pass, which was at home with her in Northern Kentucky. Yesterday, Brittany went home to work and was unable to come back to Lexington last night due to the icy roads. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal and would really not have affected me. The only problem was that my parking pass was resting comfortably inside her car because we used it to park in my lot on Monday and then didn't remember to get it out before she went home (we thought we would use it yesterday to park but ended up not needing it since classes were canceled). So with no other options, I decided I would try riding the LexTran bus this morning. I left my apartment at 9:25 and walked across the street to the bus stop. Then, at 9:30 the bus came, I paid my $1, and rode around as the bus made a few stops before getting to campus at 9:50! The bus ride was a complete breeze but I felt kind of weird...almost as if I were going to work in a big city like Chicago or New York, not just going to campus in Lexington! Ha! The good news is that I'm here and made it to school a whole hour before my first class! Though I hadn't exactly planned on getting to school by way of the bus this morning, I was forced to try something new and once again had to rely on my own independence. Everything is certainly a learning process and I'm glad I got to learn something new today...without many problems in between! :)

A Mix of Pix...

Outside the Whitehall Classroom Building...

Heading off to class this morning...UK doesn't seem to understand the need for a snow day, much to our dismay! Ha!

Britt and I at 608...

Ayda and her "aunties!"

Enjoying a spur of the moment dinner with Olivia at Panera!

Brittany and I literally had to hike through the "Arctic Tundra" on our way to class last week...at 7:30 in the morning, no less!

LIfe happens...

After a long week (but not nearly as bad as I was expecting my first 5-day week to be), it is so nice to enjoy some time to chill and take my mind off of school-related things! Last night, I went to dinner at the Smashing Tomato and then saw the movie "When in Rome" with about 30-40 girls from CSF. We had a great time and I really enjoyed making new friends! Also, I had my first sleep-over in my new apartment when my friend, Erin, spent the night. We had a really fun time and watched "My Best Friend's Wedding" (although I nearly fell asleep during it about a dozen times...oops!). This morning, after we worked out and got cleaned up, I had to run Erin back to her dorm so she could head to Rupp for the basketball game. Well that's where things got interesting! Ha! As we were driving, I knew something didn't feel right and noticed my car was making a funny sound. Well, being oblivious to the actual problem, I continued to drive and figured my car was just acting strange because it was so cold and snowy. Boy was I wrong...haha! When we got to Erin's dorm, I decided I would walk-around my car and see if anything seemed wrong...that's when I noticed one of the front tires of my car was flatter than a pancake! All I can say is I'm so fortunate to have AAA (they came to fix it in about a half hour) and good friends (Erin and Travis waited with me the entire time...way above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks again guys!). Once my car was back and rolling, I got to meet Emi and Melissa for a fun day of shopping and dinner at the Olive Garden! It was so good visiting with them and we shared lots of laughs! I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful, Godly people and I don't know what I'd do without them in my life!

The pancake tire...

608

I have greatly enjoyed having a 3-day weekend! While I only went to school last week for 3 days, it sure did feel like more and it's been great to enjoy time off with my family and friends! Last night was an amazing night, as my family and several of our friends attended 608 at Southland. Jon Weece connected the 80's with greed, while rallying the church body to help Haiti as they dig out from the rubble. The service was amazing (as it is every single week) and I loved being surrounded by my family and several of our closest friends! My night was completed with a delicious meal at BD's Mongolian Grill with the Poland's, Slayden's, Ryan, and Brittany & Ryan. What a great night of worship and teaching, as well as, friends, food, and fellowship!

A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished. Proverbs 28:20

First Day Back...

Here is a picture of the first dinner we made in our new place. About half-way through our meal, I suddenly thought to take a picture of this "momentous" occasion, at which I immediately stopped eating and ran to grab my camera.

Our little lunch bunch!

Today marked the start of a new semester and I'm proud to say that I'm officially a second semester freshman! Ha! My first class lasted just 10 minutes and my next class was filled with familiar faces, which made it really fun! After a good day at school, it was lovely to hop in my car and drive back to the apartment. I like that I can now kind of "escape" campus yet still be just a few minutes away! My day ended with a delicious dinner that Brittany and I prepared...chicken, mashed potatoes, and crescent rolls, followed by some American Idol! All in all, I had a great first day back and look forward to what this semester will bring. I'm excited to see how God will use me this semester on UK's campus and hope His light shines brightly through me!

Going Swimming?

Tonight, we took our friend Erin to see the Clubhouse. This place is crazy and has the pool open all year round...even now, in the middle of January when it's a whopping 22 degrees! Ha! We had fun pretending we were going for a swim in the middle of winter! I sure can't wait for summer to come and we really can swim!