Click, Click, BOOM!

That's exactly what my volleyball team did tonight. They rocked it and beat a local team in 4 games to get the W! It was probably the best game they've played all season. I'm hoping they keep going at it and keep up the momentum into next weekend when we go to Dallas to play in a Homeschool tourney. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I love the girls and they've come a long way but I've heard that the teams that play there are pretty Bad-A. Win or lose, I love that I was able to have this opportunity and hopefully can have another year coaching with the association.

Let me just catch up y'all up with the rest of my life:

School - It's hard. I'm only taking 12 hours but they're tough. Chemistry 2 has a lot of work and the lab sucks. Psychology of Learning is eating my lunch because I have a different professor right now...long story...and my Motor Learning & Control class is interesting but is getting harder every day. I'm hoping to catch up a little bit this weekend.

Health - I've been battling a nasty sick bug for a week and a half. It was weird how I felt it coming on but it hit me hard! I got meds called in and took those but I was still feeling under the weather and coughing horribly. So the doc gave me a steroid shot and cough pearls. I'm on mucinex max strength and nyquil. It's working but my voice is still working on coming back. Hopefully it does since I'm singing at Daily Mass tomorrow.

Horses - My parents were very gracious to pay for the clinic I'm doing this weekend in Bryan. Ralph Hill will be coaching a few people at a time all day Saturday and Sunday in Eventing. My photo on the top of my blog page is actually from the clinic I participated in with Ralph in January. I can't wait to get going with this one. I've come a long way according to Aubrey, my trainer, and hopefully all of the dressage training we worked on this summer helps me out this weekend. Just pray for all our safety and that I have trust in my horse and he has trust in me and COURAGE! I need to grow some balls... haha

Birthday - Yes, I'm 22. It's a weird age but I'm learning to embrace it. Mom and Dad were in town for the football game so they stayed for my birthday on Sunday the 25th. We went to St. Mary's as a family and even though we had to sit upstairs because 10 am Mass is always packed, I still thank them for going with me to worship the Lord and have a new and good start to the week. We then went to brunch where Duane and Jeanne Arbuckle joined us and had a great time with good food. Meemaw gave me a lovely piece of crystal then we all laid down for a quick siesta. It was just what I wanted.

And there's a lot of other little things going on in my life and I'm happy as can be! Just a little stressed every now and then but faith has brought me to be happy, strong, courageous, and grateful for everything I've been doing lately.

Here's some photos from Ring Day! WHOOP!

Trying to Fit Summer into this Nutshell of a Blog

I've gotten tired of the 30 days of pictures...I'll finish it one day. I would love to catch you all up on my life instead! So here goes my summer to current events:

1. I started shadowing a Physical Therapist at the Physician's Center here in B/CS. I have completed roughly 70 hours of volunteer work since May! I also volunteered once a week at another PT place right around the around and will complete my minimum of 40 hours of shadowing this Monday. I'm planning on continuing my volunteer work at the Physician's Center as soon as the volleyball season is over but until then I am volunteering at The Med on Rock Prairie on Monday evenings (5-9 pm). I'm just helping nurse's out since PT only takes place during normal business hours and my schedule was swamped when I found out I got a position there because they have a long wait list of applicants.
2. I joined the morning summer choir at St. Mary's. It was one of the best decisions I've made during my college career. I wish I would've stuck with it my freshman year but things just weren't right back then and now, it was amazing! I sang in 2 morning masses every other Sunday and oh my gosh, it was wonderful to be back on the microphone! I even brought my guitar and started getting the courage to play in public. I played in my 1st mass a few weeks ago and am singing and playing again tomorrow!
3. Middle of the spring semester, I interviewed for a volunteer volleyball coach position with a local home school association. I got it! For those who know me, I have a passion for coaching and after being rejected by different activities with school, I was so blessed to get this position with 2 other girls coaching 14-18 year olds. We have been practicing since late June and started games 2 weeks ago. I have a talented Varsity team that I adore and love! My JV is super rookie but they learn something new every day. We just got back from a tournament in Bellville and didn't do so hot. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. But the most amazing thing is that this association is a Christian group of home schoolers. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world!  These kids are so amazing because they not only come to practice with smiles and the willingness to learn but they teach me so much about the love that Jesus has to offer each of us. That's just what they do. Love me and I love them back!
4. With #2 & 3 combined, it has helped me deepened and strengthen my faith a little more every week this summer. Music is just so powerful. It's a cure for a lot of different things in my life. It's spiritual and emotional for me. Coaching these girls helps me watch what I say, do, think, etc. and I feel different things are changing. I think about praying more and just praising the Lord for different things I never thought about before. I give a lot of kudos to Coach Lynsi Bain too. She's so in love with Jesus, it's crazy but true love. I wish I could be that in love with the Lord but I'm taking baby steps.
5. A few of my girlfriends took a short weekend trip to the Riverwalk in San Antonio to relax and catch up towards the end of July. We had a lot of fun with lots of food and talking! We had hot pink cactus margaritas at a roach infested restaurant and went to Coyote Ugly and had some fun dancing! We did a little bit of shopping and dressing up each other. I love our little group and can't wait for next year's annual trip!
6. I took a 10-week Anatomy 2 course at A&M. It was tough but I made it through with a B!
7. Unfortunately, I might be retaking it...I went to a PT Open House in Galveston @ UTMB last week and learned a lot about applying for PT school. I am applying next summer so I need to get some grades up. I'm terribly scared that it's going difficult for me to get in with a lower than average GPA. I just gotta keep my head on straight and strive for A's from now on and study, study, study and shadow!
8. Our summer family vacation was to L'auberge du Lac in Louisiana. It was my first time to gamble!!! I ended up winning about $1300!!! I played a little bit of blackjack, a lot of slots, and learned 3 card poker (not my favorite). We ate a super nice restaurant with awesome food, got treated to a spa day, floated the lazy river, and just relaxed.
9. I'd like this # to be for those who are needing prayer in my life. Please pray for Mrs. Gail Palone and her family - Her dad passed away last night and he was an amazing man. Please pray for Jace Arbuckle and his family and fiance - he is going in for tests at MD Anderson this coming week for a chronic condition that may need treatment. Please pray for my Pawpaw & Meemaw - He is back in the hospital for pneumonia. I know there are a lot of other prayers that are needed to be said out there but I've gone blank. I'm sure they'll come to me tonight whilst I'm saying my nightly prayers. I appreciate all of yours!
10. I GET MY AGGIE RING IN 27 DAYS!!! WH12P!!! I'm super stoked and can't wait! Shelby & I will be dunking in November, when she gets hers!

Hope everyone is doing well! I miss and love you all!
Coach Alexis Cooper '12

 This is from today - Autumn, Meghan, Coach & Halle (with medals = All Tourney!)

 Scott & I at a Wedding - My shoes were so beautiful, they were blinding everyone haha so I had to toss them!

 Cassey Janak & I at her Sister's Wedding

 Taylor & I at the Merta Wedding

Yes the rumors were true. We Were dating...we had to test out our feelings but I ended up being wrong. And we're still best friends...Thank You Lord!

 Kindergarten Best Friends Forever!

Stacey, Erik & I at Dustin & Lianne Janak's Wedding

Spreading My Holiday Cheer

That is, Bowl Games and Christmas! I'm super pumped that we're bowl-bound! I should've shared this on Thanksgiving Day but I was busy trying to help in the kitchen. So to all you Aggies, enjoy. To my Longhorn (yes, I said it...) family members & fans, apologies. Please understand that Shelby & I enjoyed this picture that was on the Bonfire Memorial exhibit in Rudder & G. Rollie White last week.

"Watch out, Bevo. Don't snicker and sneer.

You think you're a stud but you're only a steer.

Come Thanksgiving Day you'll see what we mean, when

from your tall tower no orange light will gleam. 

You think you're bowl-bound but it's only a dream.

You've still got to meet that Fightin' Aggie team!"

I was even yelling "Boomer Sooner" last night for the chances of ou beating osu so we could have a 3-way 1st place tie in the Big 12 south and get a chance to play in the championship. It was worth a try but ou is playing nebraska and we Aggies couldn't be happier since we beat them both. So watch out world, some friends and family and I are looking for the announcement of what bowl game we're playing in to buy those tickets. ROAD TRIP!

On the Christmas aspect, I enjoyed some jolly music on my way to-and-from the horse barn this evening. It put me in a delightful mood and can't wait for the colder weather, christmas trees, lights, more music and going home for the holidays. It's the most wonderful time of the year! Even though Shelby thinks I'm Scruge, I'm not going to be sitting on my fanny and saying Ba-Humbug. I'm going to try to help out at the food bank or at the church here and back home and sing all the great songs at the top of my lungs in more places than just the privacy of my home.

Any ideas for stocking stuffers for my parents & sister?



Shelby & I at the Arbuckle Wedding



Watch Out World, I'm a Legalized Young Woman!

I've been meaning to post this for some time but I just couldn't make myself to do it or I wasn't able to upload pictures at those times. So anyways, it's finally feeling like autumn in Aggieland and I love all of the fall colors! I can't wait for Thanksgiving and bowl games, the end of this semester, and the jolly Christmas season! How about that win on Saturday?!?! Unfortunately, I started to freak out about my exams and went to the car in the middle of the 3rd quarter to study. I missed it all but no worries, sister has a video and pictures! This semester has flown by so fast we have about 10 school days left in the semester! Which means finals are approaching & I have to study during Thanksgiving...ew.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Rand Arbuckle. They're wedding was absolutely amazing and I had a lot of fun yet the paper and exam I had the following week (which was last week).

Me on Aubrey's 20 Quarter Horse, Strutt

 I just finished two exams this week, went to E-Walk to take my picture with an elephant and treated myself with a lesson at Aubrey's with my pony, Angie. Aubrey is an awesome horsewoman and friend that I've known since May. I started leasing Angie in August and have enjoyed her so much! She takes my weekly stressers away and I can't wait for the 2011 shows to start up. Aubrey calls me a scaredy cat because I won't jump Angie sometimes. Ok, so I can be a fraidy cat but I'm thinking safety of my tooth. And to those who don't know, I had my implant surgery August 27th and it was successfully been in my mouth since! My braces came off October 21st and I got a retainer the same day with the same tooth I've had since I was 15. Hopefully, Santa brings me my one front tooth for Christmas! 

Top: Me on Angie, flying high! Bottom: Aubrey, Me & Angie

I turned 21 on September 25th. I was still recovering from my surgery & I had a horse show the next day so I didn't want to over do it. Key to all you alcoholic beverage enthusiasts: Eat Protein before! It soaked the alcohol up and TADA!!! NO HANGOVER! But it was an early morning to get to the show and no one decided to show up so Aubrey & I tacked up anyways and I schooled on both of her horses.

Emily, Me & Stacey

It's been a rollercoaster semester but I've made it this far. I wish you all a safe & Happy Turkey Day!Gig 'em Aggies! Saw 'em Off!!!

Whoop into Fall

WH12P! I'm officially a junior! It was a hectic summer and I apologize for not updating any juicy gossip from my wonderful life. My summer was a little drab. I took Physics 1 & 2...Hissssss...and I made C's. Oh well, I wouldn't have made it through without an awesome person who is now living with Shelby & I - Courtney Janak. It's an adventure but Courtney loves it here & I love her. We tried to celebrate her 20th birthday last week with a suprise dinner but of course, it wasn't a suprise after our plans out flipped around when Courtney became a counselor for Camp for All in Burton. I'd love to join with her and work out there but I'm just taking it one week at a time because I had a roller coaster spring and summer and I feel a lot is falling into place now.

I've come to see that God is blessing me with many things that are either straight in my line of sight or right under my nose that I have to work to find. Although I am not in a relationship, God will bless me one day with a person who can love me for who I am and handle me at the same time. Although my semester may be rough, I'm learning time & money management better every day. Although I will not be working for the softball team, I am very appreciative for the knowledge & responsibilities I learned and opportunities I was able to be apart of. Although I have many hard courses left, I'm in no rush to leave Aggieland and miss out on other great opportunities. Although I miss many of my family & friends, I am learning more discipline with praying more often for all of the things I am connected to in my life.

I have also been blessed with the best thing that has happened to me in awhile - Horses. In spite of hectic life I was living in the spring, I always had a yearning deep down to learn to ride the English discipline. If you don't know, I do own a horse, Rocket, but he's with Uncle John & Aunt Lori grazing happily in their pasture. I also had Hummer, my barrel racing horse, which I do miss and hope he's doing well as he reaches his 23rd birthday. But now my soul is satisfied with the new horses in my life - Strutt & Angie.

The story goes as such: I randomly Googled something like "riding lesson instructors in College Station" and many odd websites appeared. One was a classified website where I found Aubrey. She just moved her a year ago with her husband, Ben, who is specializing in Large Animals (something) at the Vet school. She went to UF & rode on their equestrian team, western & English, and was now relocated here and giving lessons at their barn. So we e-mailed back and forth and the day finally came that I was going to have my first lesson! She was amazed of my knowledge and said that she usually has to teach her students how to tie a rope halter or the basics of grooming but no fear, I got this. So I learned the basics of tacking up Strutt, her 20-year old Quarter Horse, with an English saddle and bridle and off we went into the arena. Of course, I wear a goofy, big helmet but safety first! Oh my gosh! Not only did I learn about all of my bad habits, I had so much fun and wanted to go every day! Unfortunately, EC couldn't keep me away so I would randomly travel back & forth just for a lesson. Sorry about the gas bill, Dad!

Low and behold, I'm improving and advancing quicker than I thought. I'm pretty gun-ho about competing too. I have been to two schooling shows in Bryan. Yes, the first show I was in the Pre-Beginner (like 7 year-old kids) class but we got ribbons. But with practice, more like one day of practice, I showed September 5th in the Hunter-Jumper divisions and a Beginner flat class. I beat one of Aubrey's other students in my flat class and did good in my 2-foot jumping classes!

Soooo...this weekend is my 3rd show. I will be jumping on Strutt and showing Angie on the flat. That's all I said I wanted for my birthday but Mom & Dad are going to cook dinner Saturday night and a big group of my friends & I will go out...somewhere. Yes, I will be 21. I think I'm just looking forward to the freedom (if I choose to) to order a drink at dinner or a bar. I like to DD though so no worries, I try to make every night out, a safe night ;)

There's my update for now. I'll try to be better since I'm not good at phone calls!
I've also attached my latest lesson (last big jump) that I've had with Aubrey on Strutt. I'll try to post some pictures of Angie or the show soon! Gig 'em!

Calling Baton Rouge

Well I'm all packed up and ready to go to Baton Rouge after our practice this morning. Sorry it's been a a month since I've posted anything but I spend a lot of my computer time on eBay looking for great deals. I totally bought 5 new Victoria Secret bras, all for less than $20 each! Anyways, after back-to-back roadtrips to Oklahoma, I'm so tired of being on a bus or driving period. This ride is not much shorter but I'm just glad we're not going to north! We're playing UL-Lafayette on Friday at 3 pm at LSU. If we should win, we will probably play LSU on Saturday. This is the regional tournament and if you win it, you go to Super Regionals next weekend. If you lose, you're out. I really would love to win so I can spend more time at the field. I have to get the stuff organized for next season. And trust me, you don't want to even look at our closet or the equpiment shed because you'll be haunted!

This is from Easter in front of my Nanny's calla lily plant.

Taylor's Birthday - You can see my horrible softball shorts tan!

Chelsey Kubecka & I at the Tap

Stacey Gillis & Adam Shimek at the Tap

I'm so glad I have a break from school. I went out celebrated Monday with Laura because I found out that I improved my overall GPA from a 3.17 to a 3.26! I'm so excited! That means only .24 to go to reach my goal! I hope I can do it...I'll be in EC all summer taking Physics from 8-12 everyday. Ugh! I'm a morning person but not every day of the week. So if you need a sitter or a coach for the summer, I'll have my afternoons unless I am able to volunteer at the hospital in the physical therapy department.
Happy Hump Day! Gig 'em!

"Softly call the Muster..."

April 21st is one of the most commerated Aggie traditions - Muster. I'm very sad to say I will not be able to attend a muster until I'm a senior here. These past two years, I've had softball and we will be playing at OU on the day Muster falls on next year. Muster started in 1883 and became a student organization in 1950. Muster is a roll call for the Aggies who have passed on in the past year. Here is an excerpt I got from the ebsite: "Muster is a time to look to the past, present, and future…not only to grieve but to reflect and to celebrate the lives that connect us to one another. A gesture so simple in nature yet so lasting in spirit, Muster is the lasting impression every Aggie leaves with us; it reminds us of the greatness that lies within these walls, of the loyalty we possess, of the connection that binds us, and of the idea that every Aggie has a place of importance – whether they are present in flesh or spirit."

This is one of the things that makes being an Aggie so great and important in my life. I know that many of you aren't Aggies but the bonds we form as friends or rivals throughout our lives are important on every step of our pathway in life. Comraderie is important in many relationships. I'm not hostile against being a Longhorn or a Red Raider or a Sooner but it's the relationships here at A&M and our rival schools that help us to learn and grow to be respectful persons. Being an Aggie is one of the many steps on my path. It is one of the most important ones too. I'm getting a great education, meeting many people, making connections for the present and future and one day, I'm going to get the share my memories with my children and family and friends.

But back to softball! I hope the girls will be able to make up for our Muster absence with a win against those t-sips in Austin. Boy, am I excited and I can't tell y'all enough how pumped I am to be a part of this team. I have faith in them and although they have been through some rough patches this season, I know they want it deep down inside. It doesn't always work out that way. But tonight, we're gonna travel to the heart of Texas, be in the spotlight of fans and ESPN cameras, and play our best. Plus, the Sugar Daddies will be there! They are my entertainment during the games. I sometimes get bored in the dugout but that's only because my ADD kicks in and I can't concentrate. So if you have nothing to do or there's nothing on tv at 6:30, turn on one of the ESPN channels and watch the game! BTHO t.u.

Realizations

I have realized many things in the past week of my young life. These things made me exude different emotions. The emotions have been in the range from happy/hyper to taking it as it comes to it's just one of those days that sucks really bad. First off, the realization that you can't alway get what you want. I've felt that I have wanted too much of certain people or certain things so I've realized that I need to take a step back, take a deep breath, anaylze my thoughts and make a plan. My plan for love is to not make it a priority but let it come and find me. I do want to have "the one" in my life but the path God has set me on for the time being, may have a few bumps and turns in it before I actually achieve this want. My plan for shopping is to just browse. I have clothes I haven't worn in months or years because I live in maroon, white, gray & black right now. Come summer time, I may need some cute shorts or capris and accessories. Browsing takes my mind off of different stresses and although I may want a particular dress from a website or eBay (Mom & I's new addiction), I don't want to stress about spending the money and waiting for the package. My plan for the summer is to just take it easy. Although I will be taking Physics I & II from 8-12 everyday, I have the afternoons to enjoy things I love - being at the river, spending time with family & friends, and working out. I thought I had to plan out my entire summer by asking what people wanted to do and such but Megan and I are just gonna go with the flow. We've planned to get our vitamin D so I can even out this horrible softball/sock tan, learn how to play golf (and for me, possibly the violin), road trip somewhere awesome, & do funky things that make me & here awesome BFF's! I will also try to squeeze in some volunteer time at the physical therapy department at the hospital because I have to have a minimum of 60 PT hours to get into upper level courses at A&M.

Second, I've realized that I have become lazy with my thoughts, actions, and especially, chores. My plan for becoming unlazy is to study my butt off this upcoming fall & spring semesters so I can apply for my AGGIE RING! This is my favorite tradition at A&M because of what it symbolizes. So my thoughts have to be goal-oriented. My actions cannot be lazy or procrasinated, meaning I must become an over-achiever to make good grades and keep broadening my knowledge base. My plan for chores has already kicked in. I think I'm becoming my MOM & DAD! Steve-O hates when dishes are left in the sink at night. All last week, not one dish was left in it. I think there are a few in it tonight hahaha. Mom hates to be behind on the laundry. Ohhhh and it is piled up here! I'll be caught up by tomorrow night, I hope. I have a speech to write that is going to be presented Thursday morning. We play in Austin on Wednesday versus that school that every Aggie calls t.u. (That was just for you Scott Niemeier!)

Third, I've got to let go and let God. Mary, my manager-in-crime, wished me luck on my Biology exam this morning and quoted, "You can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you." She's exactly right. So my plan for my faith is to just keep praying and trying to improve my spiritual connection with the Big Man upstairs.

Good Night, Gig 'em & God Bless ;)

My Life through Song

As you could read through my last post, I stay very busy. Although I feel I've been a lazy bum for the past two weeks, I feel I have had a lot of time to count my blessings. I'm blessed the most amazing parents, sister and friends, with a roof over my head and food to eat, too many articles of clothings and shoes, the chance to receive the education that everyone deserves, a job that many people would love, and a faith that helps me through everything that crosses my path on the journey of life.

The title of this post was written because I wanted to share some things that I have wrote in the past few weeks. One day, when I have more time, they will become songs. But what I wish the most is that I could write more about my blessings instead of my feelings. Although writing helps me to clear my mind and calms my nerves, some may take my songs the wrong way. Please don't. I want to share them with the ones I am closest too because I feel that they come from my own and friends' hearts and could touch people with my strong words and emotions. And one day, I hope to sing these lyrics to you in a completed version!

Song 1: I gave you space when you needed time. Now you're killing me when you're on my mind. I can't fight the urge anymore so it's up to you to decide if I should care. Dont' give me grief, I shed the tears. The thoughts are now too much to bear. And it's the pain I see for years. The regret, anguish, and fear. They hold on to me as my thoughts of hope and ... Try to shine through because I still believe in you.

Song 2 - Highway of Life: I can see the highway flashin' through my eyes. Just you & me together, leaving it all behind. It's the freedom we have, givin' us the chance to do whatever & go wherever we can. I chose the road instead of chosing us a home, knowing you'd be happrier than being alone. It may be rough at the start but we can never be apart, so here I am & here we go. Love doesn't change our minds but it changes our souls to make us happy & healthy & giving room to grow. We may not know what to do with our lives but we will soon find out on this highway of life.

There's more but I feel those are just bits and pieces of what's to come of my future singing career. hahahaha...Well I'm going to hit the hay soon. Another long day which I will be attempting to give blood before my classes and hopefully we Beat The Hell Outta t.u. tomorrow!

Time flies...

too fast for me to keep up with anything! I think the dishes have been done for the week and 2 days later, the sink is full again. And on top of that Shelby & I have a pile each of laundry, vacuuming needs to be done, litterbox needs to be emptied & sometimes the trashcan is overflowing! Whoo! Just to think we handle the daily chores in life with going to classes, studying, softball, Shelby's business frat, and trying to just find time to run errands or relax. I have finally had a week this semester where I turned in all my assignments by Tuesday and had nothing else to do except research for an upcoming speech the rest of the week and it was amazing! I just sat around! My last post was almost 2 months ago and there has been sooo much happening to Shelby and I as this semester is zooming and the flowers are finally blooming.

So I've left y'all hanging since February 10th and I'm going to catch y'all up real quick, just by things I've done day-to-day.
Feb. 11 - Departed from IAH to Tempe, Arizona
12 - Beat Wisconsin & Cal
13 - Beat Nevada & Lost to Arizona St, who is ranked in the top 10
14 - Beat Auburn and flew back home!
15 - Made up my Biology exam in my Professor's office at 10 am, went to my classes, did softball laundry before going home to do my own and work on homework
16 - Classes, HEB, and Self Evaluation for my first speech
17 - Ash Wednesday, I could not get up early enough to go to Mass :( I gave up beef & pork for Lent and try to pray every morning and night. Beat Sam Houston
18 - Class, Sam's Club for umpire snacks & house supplies, had lunch with my "brother," Taylor Martin & made our famous Chocolate Sheet Cake for a team dinner
19 - Got up super early to go set-up for the softball tournament, studied before going to take my Theatre exam, and BTHO Mississippi State & Oregon State
20 - Got up early again for softball and watched some Theatre movies to take a quiz online before we BTHO Miss St & Louisiana-Monroe
21 - Got up early for the last day of the tourney to BTHO La-Monroe and put out balls for the girl's to sign. Everytime we hit a homerun, they draw a name out of a bucket for a winner to receive one of these balls.
22 - Woke up a tad bit earlier to go to the bank, get a ticket for Romeo & Juliet before class, went to confession, got a mani/pedi, and had tutoring at 7 pm
23 - Class, had to order helmets and some stuff before softball practice, and went to Romeo & Juliet, which was an amazing modern production with no scenery or costumes and had only 5 actors!
24 - Class and flew to Cathedral City, California
25 - Started studying for my lab practical before we headed to the fields. We lost 2 upsettting games to Fordham & Oregon
26 - BTHO UNLV & SDSU and studied some more after eating some amazing cookies from a cafe
27 - Happy Birthday Emily Bergstrom! Game against Stanford was rained out so we headed back home.
28 - Went to mass and lab review before studying a lot!
March 1 - Classes & Softball
2 - Happy Birthday MOM!!! Class, Lab Practical, Softball, tried baking a Red Velvet Angel Food Cake before tutoring at A+ for Biology.
3 - Classes, played with Stewie & Ozzie at Jeanne's, and BTHO Houston
4 - Set up batting cages before I went to my class because BYU was practicing, shopped a little at Bed, Bath & Beyond (was looking for a bigger angel food cake pan) and Charming Charlie's before I had lunch with Taylor and our friend, Lauren Slaton. I got treatment on my back from our student trainer, Laura and ended up losing to BYU.
5 - Tried to get the grass paint stains out of one of our player's uniforms after setting up for the 2nd home tournament, classes and BTHO N. Colorado but lost to BYU
6 - BTHO Monmouth & N. Colorado
7 - Tutoring at A+ for Biology and just relaxed and went to church
8 - Happy Birthday Bryson! Classes, Psychology Advisor meeting (to see if I can double major), Chiropractor, finished homework and went to A+ Tutoring
9 - Gave my 2nd speech on George Strait, lab, split a double header with TAMU-CC, and A+ Tutoring
10 - Classes, Self Defense lecture for speech credit, Collegiate 4-H meeting, and Biology exam review at A+ Tutoring...again from 10-midnight
11 - Finished homework before my classes, went home to make Taco Soup in a crockpot, went to the doctor for my last guardasil shot, mailed some stuff off and ordered more bats at softball & could you believe that I had tutoring again? Yes, but it was the last night!
12 - Set up for our last home tournament, went to Theatre, took Biology EXAM #2, & BTHO Utah State & Wright State
13 - Another early morning at softball and BTHO N. Dakota St. & Utah St.
14 - BTHO N. Dakota St and went to church before retiring to homework for the evening
15 - SPRING BREAK! Chiropractor (working on adjusting my right hip, which is higher than my left) NO SOFTBALL! so I got a massage!
16 - Flew out from IAH to San Diego!
17 - Went to the beach & shopped at little downtown before having dinner
18 - Practiced that morning and worked on homework and relaxed
19 - BTHO Harvard & Long Beach St
20 - BTHO UMass & University of Illinois-Chicago in 2 nail biter games
21 - BTHO SDSU in extra innings before returning home from a long week in San Diego, which was awesome and very different. I enjoy my job and am gracious with our travel and hotel accomodations because I get to see many different places and meet different people. Makes me miss and love Texas so much more although I love traveling!
22 - Chiropractor, Classes, ordered and shipped off some more softball stuff while spray-n-washing our nasty uniforms & caught up on homework that evening
23 - After turning in my stressful speech topic & lab report, I went to softball practice and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and light practice. Helped mom make an eBay account and now she's addicted! We just bought a nicely used Gucci hobo purse :)
24 - Lost to #8 Georgia Tech but it was a great game.
25 - 6 Months until I become LEGAL!!! Went to class, Ace Hardware, watched theatre movies & went to softball practice. Had some friends over before going dancing at Harry's! First night that I've been out since January and it was so much fun!
26 - Got up early to go give blood but there were no drives on campus that were there the day before :( Classes & softball practice
27 & 28 - BTHO Kansas!

Hope everyone is enjoying this springy weather because I am! I can't wait for Easter and to see all of my family! It's been too long! I love y'all and gig 'em!

I literally forgot...

...that I had a blog. I haven't even thought about it, even when I've had time to sit down and type it all out. And it's been a month since I've posted but there is just too much to write about so I'll give y'all a few highlights. Highlights seem to be my theme on here anyway!

Mom and Dad celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary January 12th!
January 15th, I went with Cullen Zalman, Bryan Skow, and Maverick Smith to Houston to watch TK Krpec play wheelchair rugby. It was awesome and I'm glad I could be there to support him. That night, my mom's siblings and families all met up to celebrate birthdays at the American Legion Hall in Blessing. I moved back to CS the next day and mom came up that Sunday to help us get our house on track for the semester.
Although we didn't have school on Monday, we had softball practice. After the first few days of school, I became overwhelmed with my classes and I dropped my online Medical Terminlogy. I'm only taking 10 hours but Biology, it's lab, Theatre History & Public Speaking are keeping me on my toes with softball.
I had an evaluation with an Orthodontist in CS (his new office is literally 3 minutes from my house) and got braces a week later. So next time y'all see me, I'll have a smile full of metal haha. I also added a little bit of burgundy to my hair for some contrast since it's winter for a few more weeks.
I got a tutor throught the athletic advisor and I've met with her twice. She's very smart and very helpful! I'm also going to start going to A+ tutoring for my biology chapter and exam reviews.
Yesterday, I gave my first speech on Title IX, the 1972 Higher Education amendments, which prohibits the discrimination of sex in federally-funded educational institutions. I made an 82 of 100 and I'm pretty please for being as nervous as I was! My friend, Brad Staff, told me that I did really good and the teacher said students usually make C's or lower on the first speech! It made me feel better about my delivery.
Today I was very busy at practice because tomorrow is the big day! We are leaving for our first tournament in Tempe, Arizona! I can't wait and am really excited for the girls! But I have to keep on my studying because my biology exam is supposed to be Friday but I'm retaking it on Monday. So I'm going to a review at A+ tonight and studying with my lab partners after. So I better get to packing!

I hope to hear from my readers and hope everyone is doing well! I miss and love you all!

Turkey Day is Finally Here!

Oh y'all do NOT know how I have been anticipating this week and it has finally arrived!!! I'm done with school and softball for the week. I have been waiting for this week's football game for months. And to really celebrate, Mom & Dad are coming in to CS for the a Thanksgiving lunch, Aggie football, and to put up our 1st Aggie Christmas tree!

If it wasn't for people wanting me to post pictures, my excitement would make me forget to add them to my weekly recap...

Here's some pictures from San Marcos that I forgot to include with last week's post.

November 18th marked the 10th Anniversary of the Bonfire Collapse. It was possibly one of the most memorable things I've experienced as an Aggie thus far. Tuesday, the 17th at 8 pm, Aggies gathered in Reed Arena to remember those who passed away and were injured in the collapse. Nathan West's father gave an amazing speech as well as the '99 Student Body President. Then at 2:42 am, a candlelight service occurred at the Bonfire Memorial. When Amazing Grace and the Spirit of Aggieland was sung, it brought tears to my eyes. Just being there in the crowd with the many images that were printed in the paper and the stories of fellow Aggies made me so appreciate and grateful to be an Aggie.

Wednesday, after little sleep from the previous day (it was worth it), I had class and softball as usual. After I walked with my friend, Chelsea (who set me up with Jimmy), to the bus stop, my sweet Corps boy met me around the Trigon (where the off-campus buses stop) to go to dinner on Northgate before the Women's basketball game. Jimmy is a complete gentleman and I love it! He may not think he is but I try to act as lady-like as possible. He thinks I'm a goofy redneck from a podunk town. He's a city slicker that drives a Volkswagen so I guess opposites attract?! We're still talking and things are great. He wants to take me on an actual date but it's so hard with both of our crazy schedules.

Thursday was another one of those crazy days. I had class, went to the doctor for a shot, got movie tickets for New Moon, made stew & put it in the oven to cook while I was at softball, ran home to eat & review for my exam at 7. At 6, I had to register for my spring classes. This was my total nightmare...I thought I had my schedule all worked out until the online class I wanted wouldn't let me get in it and the speech class I wanted only opens a few seats a day. I'm also attempting Biology 111 again so I'm getting super nervous. So I e-mailed my advisor & thankfully she had walk-ins the next morning & I have things almost sorted out. Today, I got into my online Health class but I'm trying to fight for a spot in the speech class I want. Also, I'm teeter-tottering on whether I should keep the Biology class with what says the professor is TBA or get in the other class that has a professor already listed?!?!!? Any suggestions?

Let's just not talk about my Computer Tech exam......

Friday, I went to walk-ins and felt better after I left. I met Jimmy to go get my football ticket so I could sit with him at the Baylor game. He had tried to pull it the day before but the ticket office gave him grief since my sports pass is listed as "athlete." They never gave Laura crap when she went all those time but luckily, this week Jimmy just gave them grief when he went to get my t.u. ticket. Such a good man ;) After class, I worked out at the REC and I believe it's my stress reliever and energy booster! So thankfully I was able to stay up long enough for Jimmy to come pick me up for Midnight Yell!

Here's a picture from the march from the Corps dorms through a few campus streets onto Kyle Field! The next picture is of the Yell Leaders as Governor Rick Perry was firing up the crowd.

Saturday was a great day! Cade, Rito, Meredith, Wes, Cullen Z., and Ali were staying with us. We all went and tailgated with the Skow's and had some great chili. Laura, Sara & I left a little early to make the pre-game songs but it started showering :( It was really chilly too but no worries, the rain stopped and we beat the hell outta baylor 38-3! It was a great win to put us into bowl game consideration. That evening got even more hectic as we were all juggling the day's event before we went to see New Moon at 9:15. Everyone had left the game but I attended Victory Yell (another Aggie 1st) with Jimmy. Before he could go eat with his dad, he had to drop me off and then meet us back at the movie theatre since he just had to go. He actually was hearing about New Moon because he had to make shirts at work = Inspirations in the mall but he just wanted to go since I bought his ticket! hahaha

This week started out amazing! I was soo happy and ready for Thanksgiving and then it started rolling downhill. My back and shoulder have been bothering me a lot so our student-trainer did a certain massage on my lower back. Oh BOY!!! It is swollen, bruised, and sore! I could barely drive home. She massaged me out today and applied stem and ice but I teared up both days. I caught the pitchers at practice this week as they pitched live batting practice to the team. My knees feel as if they are 83 years old. No pain, no gain - as Steve-O always told me. I have 2 papers due December 7th in my Women's Psychology class but one should be simple after I interview a working mom. Any suggestions for a Do Something about Feminism! paper??? I also have to attend and summarize a concert for Music class and turn in another personal project. So I've decided after the break, I'm going to play my guitar in class and sing Christmas carols! Hopefully everyone will sing along with me and put themselves in the Christmas spirit!

Here is Sam helping me study my Government notes Monday night ;) He likes to climb on my desk or sit in my lap. He also sleeps with me and chews me out in the morning because I'm eating breakfast and no one has fed him yet! He's a cute kitty but a terrorist!

So folks, I just wanted to let y'all know how super stoked I am about this week but I really cannot wait until Christmas break!!! I'm moving home the 18th and will start helping out Miss Sallie at The Crossing for my 3rd year. I love seeing so many faces in a great atmosphere. I enjoy working with her a lot and hope y'all will come visit me! For now, I wish y'all a blessed and Happy Turkey Day!

BTHO t.u.!!!

San Marvelous!

After a not-so-hectic week in CS, Taylor & I took off for San Marcos to stay with Scott Niemeier & Cassey Janak Friday afternoon. I've been planning this trip for quite awhile - since September practically because Scott has made 2 trips to CS. So he got pretty excited and made many plans for us to do stuff Friday night in San Antonio at the riverwalk. I've never been to SM or the riverwalk so I was getting pretty excited too! We ate a great Mexican restaurant and walked up and down the river, taking pictures and laughing the night away. We got back to SM just before midnight and retired for the evening. After sleeping in Saturday morning, we ate lunch before going to the outlet mall. It was crazy there but I dragged the boys along since there wasn't much else to do before we went to the Texas State v. McNeese football game. We didn't get to see much of Cassey because she's a student athletic trainer for the school and had to set-up for the game at 10 am! The game was really fast-paced and fun but I had to suffer knowing that my Aggies were playing poorly in Norman, OK. That evening Scott's roommate invited some friends over and we played a board game and just sat around and laughed the night away again! The next morning, we ate lunch at another pretty good Mexican restaurant before Taylor & I packed up to jet back to CS.
I love my boys and Cassey! They always keep me on my toes and getting a great ab workout with all the laughing and mouthing off we do. And KC (for short) is just as down-to-earth as I am so we get along great! It's amazing how you don't really know people and later end up being great friends. I thank God for these people because they've been there for me and made me lighten up ;) I have pictures to come but I'd rather wait until after my Midnight Yell date on Friday!!!

btho baylor! gig 'em Ags!

How tall are you?

Is not normally the question I would receive from a friend on a Thursday evening but that's how are conversation started. So I responded 5'6" and she asked if I had a formal dress & if I was doing anything Friday night? I told her I could get a dress & my schedule is flexible (since I was planning on going home)...Chelsea Jean, what are you cooking up?! This was her next message, "A blind date with a guy name Jimmy. He's a sweetheart and so nice! I love him after Justin (her boyfriend)."

So after rushing through my online exam at 7 pm and meeting Mom in Bellville to get my prom dresses, I talked to Chelsea (who I met through Laura, here at school) on the phone about Friday nights plans. The Aggie Band, a branch of the Corps of Cadets, holds an annual dinner and dance called the BQ Ball. The guys were their dark green tops or jackets & their khaki's and their escorts wear formal dresses. A live band performed songs ranging from Texas & Contemporary Country to Rap to Michael Jackson & Def Leppard.

I was completely in shock! Chelsea & I had talked about how we both dreamed of dating Cadets and eventually marrying an Aggie but for her & her boyfriend to set me up with a date who is in the band! Oh my gosh, I was shaking with excitement and not knowing what to expect! But I had to calm down and get some sleep for my big day! Friday I woke up and worked out at the REC because I always do but since my hair appointment was at 1 pm, I had to go before my one class of the day. Well I talked to mom about my plans and schedule and I forgot one important detail...shower. I had to rush home & shower before my class but I made it with a few minutes to spare & we got out early! I had planned on not eating all day so I could fit into my senior prom dress (which I weighed 10 lbs lighter back then) but Jamba Juice was calling my name

A Battery - Can you guess which one is Jimmy?

My highlights turned out perfect but they couldn't fit me in for an up-do. Chelsea made an appointment with a girl at the salon she was going to and she did a great job! I kinda wanted half-up/half-down but I loved it anyways and I would've been hot in the long run with it on my neck. So I rushed home and called Audrey Kubecka to borrow some shoes. Jimmy is only 5'8" so I couldn't wear my awesome 4" heels I originally wore with my dress. Well I liked the shoes I borrowed but my flip-flops made me feel at ease about my height. I dislike being taller than guys. Jimmy was appreciate later on too and plus, I danced barefoot. Shelby did a great job with my make-up as well!! Not too dramatic and it made my eyes pop! I love that I am a recessive trait child - blonde hair & blue eyes! I asked Jeanne to come over then because I needed help pinning the train on my dress up. She was in awe when she saw me all dolled up - a rare occasion. Thank God for 2nd Mothers!!! My train did get stepped on but it did not tear from where she pinned it! Gotta love her safety pin smarts!

Chelsea & Justin

He's one of the front marchers in the Band, who gets the trumpet with the flag!

I put my regular clothes over my spandex suit (bra, corset & shorts all-in-one = great invention) and Shelby & Laura drove me over to Chelsea's apartment. I'm glad I didn't have to drive myself in my dress, otherwise, I might have been in a terrible wreck and the ER would've cut my dress off me. The boys were simply a few minutes late (hahaha) and I don't know if I could explain how I was feeling at that point. I was very anxious since I didn't know what to expect but Jimmy is a great talker and kept me laughing the whole way to the expo center. He drives a little standard red car and is a very cautious driver. As I am not! He was soo surprised that I drove an hour, there & back, to get a dress, got my hair done, & wore height-conscious shoes all for him. So he bought our pictures from the photographer before we entered the hall and promptly took our seats and began introducing me to his buddies.

Chelsea & I

Dinner was great and the dancing was fun. We'll work on the spinning part...hopefully! Chelsea & Justin left early because he had a long ride to his deer camp and was dropping her off at home on his way. But Jimmy & I sat around talking and dancing until the Ball was over with. I can see it was truly the best night I've had in Aggieland thus far!

Here was my date!

Jimmy Decker, senior Sports Management major from San Antonio

Why I haven't I dated such a gentleman before?! He opened my door, pulled out my seat, was sorry every time he stepped on my dress, introduced me to his friends, made me smile so much & even held my hand to the dance floor! We'll see how this works out. So far a few texts here and there and a phone call in the evening...

And at least I can be lazy the rest of the week. I had my Women's Psychology exam Monday and now I'm working on my defensive driving and will start my music project at some point. My bathroom and room are in desperate need of cleaning...any takers?! Haha oh well, it'll give me something to do since Wednesday is my last softball/work day this week and I need to wash clothes since I'm going to stay with Scott & Cassey in San Marcos this weekend!

Gig 'em Ags & Sic 'em Cats!

Happy Halloween!

I'm very behind on posting but I have many reasons why I have not in the last two weeks. So here's an overview!

October was a very busy month of softball. NCAA rules only allow us to play 8 games but the rain though otherwise. We eventually got all of our games in but it took us over a course of 3 weeks. We beat Blinn, Navarro, and McLennan in double header series and ended the fall season at 6-2. The girls are really awesome. A lot of changes have been made but I have an optimistic outlook on the spring season which makes me really excited! But what made me even more excited was after the Maroon and White series, Coach announced that we would have NO PRACTICE until November 2nd! Oh it's so nice to have a little more free time! To explain the series - the coaches split the girls into 2 teams (Maroon & White) and play a 2 out of 3 games. Whoever loses, cooks the Christmas party dinner! This year, Mary and I took teams. I had white and we won! Good luck next year Maroon!

I've had a couple of exams and papers and extra credit since the 11th. I made a 167 of 200 on my extensive Women's psychology exam and am turning in a gender socialization of children's clothing paper today in class. Wednesday I made a C on my Texas Gov't exam which I was pretty excited about since I missed 4 lectures because of games. Every 2 weeks, I have an online computer technology exam on Thursday and a Math exam on Sundays. So next week I will have many lectures to watch online for my CompTech class. Yesterday, I think my Music exam raped me. It wasn't that bad until she pulled time periods from no where and put them on the exam! I don't remember seeing anything about time periods on the review unless that's because those were the names of the chapters in the book?! ...great... I'll get that grade next week hopefully. Otherwise, I just have a lot of extra credit and music projects and defensive driving I need to complete soon!

Oh, for those who didn't know. I got a ticket on my birthday back in September so that's why I'm taking Defensive Driving :)

Aggies beat the hell outta tech last weekend! And I hope we can open that can again on iowa state this weekend! People say Halloween games are fun so I can't wait! But before I can attend the game, I'm judging at the Wharton County 4-H Food Show Saturday morning. I miss 4-H so much and I think it's gonna make me feel great to be back in an atmosphere I loved! Actually, our Collegiate 4-H Club is starting back up this semester! I was sooooo excited about Laura telling me because I want to give my time back to an organization that gave me so many opportunities to become a better person. I was elected the reporter at our October 7th meeting. I will get to help with many things that happen around here such as judging contests to State Round-up! I can't wait!

Shelby got a kitten! His name is Sugar Dumpling Sam! He's snow white with gorgeous blue eyes but is very similar to Bo, always wanting our attention. He's really playful and sweet and the vet thinks he's about 2 months old! So Shelby took him to get checked out and the poor thing had ear mites and an infection and the next day got declawed and snipped. Poor thing but he's all better now! Instead of scratching everything though he's chewing and biting...another great...


Oh the picture I posted Monday was a fun night of mattress pulling with Taylor, Scott and Cade. Oh it was sooo much fun and we find the weirdest and wackiest ways to have fun but we are always careful and try not to get hurt since Scott did have a spill but he's ok. It was a very exciting night and I had grass, dirt, bugs, and a little mud on me but I would do it again any day!

Well I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween! Peace out - I'm going to class before I jet home!

Watch out, Mom!

Because I think I made a pretty mean meatloaf tonight! So here's a picture in the container but it was round. I didn't have to shape it much on the pan because it just rolled out of the bowl.

I have been craving meatloaf since I moved back. Since Shelby isn't a big fan on it, I decided that I would make it tonight for dinner with sweet potatoes. Yum! The softball tournament I was at in Spring with the team got cancelled early this morning. So I got home, took a nap, went to Mass and ran to Kroger for the grocery list that was piling up. I didn't exactly go by a recipe but combined how Mom makes her's, an italian meatloaf recipe by Michael Ciarello, and a recipe in "Cook Yourself Thin." Oh and it was sooo delicious!!! I miss my Mom's and Grandmother's cooking. Shelby can make some dern good chicken but it's not the same.

Going back to softball...We lost Saturday afternoon to SFA & Texas State. We were supposed to play Ole Miss and UTSA today. We were up at 6 and left Spring by 7:15. This week, we play Blinn here (maybe a double-header) and I get to see my birthday twin, Lindsey Marik in action! I'm super excited especially since Blinn beat Baylor 9-2!!! Then, next Tuesday we play McClennan and Wednesday, Navarro. I also got to see Brittany Oates & Kayla Guanajuato on Saturday. They play for Alvin J.C. but aren't doing so hot but they're having fun and that's what matters.

Here's my meatloaf, sweet potato, and a pumpkin! You must know that I love pumpkins! I love autumn, the leaves, the weather, and Halloween (it's my 3rd favorite holiday although I'm not into dressing up - that's for the cute kids). There was a round hay bale in Tomball that was painted orange and had a Jack-o-latern face painted on it! I wanted to take a picture with it! Well there was a huge pumpkin patch so now I am determined to find a big one around here and go!

Golden? Sandy? Dirty? Blonde

Well some of you may think I'm weird but I'm obsessed with hair! I love fixing people's hair and have colored a few of my friend's heads. I try to keep my hair healthy by not putting a lot of products or heat on it. I am a color freak though and I thought it would be interesting and appropriate to try to color my hair back to my natural color - dirty blonde. Well here is the new me...

I got it colored Tuesday here in CS. Jaclyn does a great job and she is so nice to talk to! I loved the initial result. I was skeptical at first but I told myself it would be fine. She used a golden blonde color but I don't know how to describe it! It's looks brunette but everyone says it's just a dark blonde. My friends all liked it but my biggest critic, Shelby, who said it wasn't me. And that's how I'm feeling this morning. So Laura and I have been talking...I don't want to be a poophead for my birthday on Friday so if I can get in, I'm going to do some high and low lights to give my golden-sandy-dirty blonde hair some dimension. I like doing spunky things if you remember the time I put blue in the lower part of my hair in the spring hahaha! Mom said, "At least you could've done maroon!" Oh well, it was fun for the time being - Love ya, Kimbo! I also love Laura & I love my SueSue and they said it's just not me unless I turned into some boring and quiet girl...HA! yeah right. So I'm going to concentrate on some reading and pray that I can call Tuesday morning and get in this week ;)

OH! Aggies btho Utah State 38-30! Aa-aa-aa-aa-aaaaaaa! (sophomore wildcat) Gig 'em!

It's beginning to look like...

Fall and Football Season!!! And if you know me, these are a few of my favorite things! And now I'm speechless...literally. Just lost my train of thought so now I am rambling like my dad would say is my favorite thing to do! Ha! Yeah right, Dad!

Ok, back to blog business! So the Aggies posted their first win of the season 41-6 against the New Mexico Lobos. Not only were my eyes glued on the field, but my goosebumps rarely disappeared from the time I got off the bus to the time we left the field. Laura pulled our tickets second deck and if it would've rained, we would've been covered by the awning we were under. Later that evening we just relaxed at home and my friends brought my sister back and we watched the highlights of that day's games. Speaking of ESPN, I am officially hooked on Sports Center. It's addicting! Although it may be repetitive at times, I don't care because what more could I ask for than more sports?! I plan to start attending some volleyball games as the Aggies roll into conference soon.

I have fallen a bit behind in my reading. Hence, I have to read two books for PSYC and POLS, one for Music, watch long films for PSYC, and keep up with my online homework and exams every week. Boy, am I going to have some good time management skills in the next few weeks! Now especially since softball has started and I started work on Tuesday. This week has been fairly quiet and easy because the girls are only allowed 8 hours a week with the coaches. This includes workouts and mandatory practices although the girls are encouraged to "tune-up" in their free time as well.

I'm coming home this weekend because there is absolutely nothing to do in CS. Friday night, I'm going to Boling to the football game to watch Trey's brother's football game. Tyler is like a little brother to me and I wish I got to see him more because he is soo goofy and fun to be around! I would really like to go to the EC Volleyball and Football games but my friends have been planning this for awhile and Tyler wants me to come. I miss volleyball a lot because I was helping out/volunteering a lot of my time before I moved back to CS. Those girls are only a few years younger than I but I feel that they, freshman to seniors to the coaches, taught me a lot. Of course, I learned some more about the game but I'm talking coaching and life lessons. So right now, my career steering wheel can't decide which road to turn down - Physical Therapy, Coaching or Chiropractic School. I also miss being on the sidelines of the football games. I always said that if I coached, I wanted to coach football too. haha...well I meant being down there with a camera for yearbook and visiting with Mr. Barbee, Mr. Aulds, and Dr. Scott. With that said, I am trying to decide if I would like to minor in Journalism or Photojournalism. It's a big step for me because I feel a minor is not much education on the aspects of something I have a passion for but double-majoring in completely opposite career paths would be a tough route to go. So I have a lot of decisions to make this fall but I'm not going to worry about them too much with all the homework and household chores I'm behind on!

Time has flown too fast!

I haven't updated my blog lately because life has been boring but busy. Yesterday, I finished summer school and thought that I would sleep in this morning but I didn't. I'd rather stay busy somehow, someway. So here's a list of what I've done since the end of July:

July 27-29: Coach Popp held a 5th-9th grade Volleyball Camp - Some former players and I helped her out while it was going on. I also helped my cousin, Sydney, and her two friends with some volleyball skills before they went to their camp in Weimar.

August 3rd: Texas A&M opened the registration of classes for students to switch and whatnot so I rearranged my schedule a little bit. I'll be carrying 12 hours (for sure) at TAMU and maybe add an Intro in Ag Communications & Journalism if I decide to add that minor. So I'm trying to decide when I should go see an advisor before school begins. I lost my sunglasses to the Karankwua river that weekend and became very frustrated as I tried to scramble around for a pair since I have very sensitive eyes. My mom was the 2nd most upset person (after myself) because I had just purchased that very nice, polarized pair during Spring Break.

August 5th: I started running with one of Cade Radley's dogs, Buddy. I didn't have the want to get up earlier than I had to to run in the morning and running in the latter of the day is best around 8 p.m. It gets awfully dark around 8:30 so that's why I have a new "buddy."

August 8th: Three friends and I jetted off to Reliant Stadium for an awesome venue of Julianne Hough, Blake Shelton, Sugarland, and The King of Country, George Strait!!! He was my very first concert and all of the performers put on a great show.

August 9th: My best friend, Laura, was confirmed in her church in Wharton. It was a very special day for her, her sister, and her family because she has a deep faith in the Lord and I lean on her in my most trialing periods of life. So Trey and I joined her for the mass and a great luncheon so we could all have a little bit of shared faith for our "family."

August 11th: Final for WCJC Math class! Worked at The Crossing for 2 hours and helped Coach Popp with the volleyball books for the first games of the season. She also asked me if I would be able to help her this weekend at the Columbus tournament so of course, I said yes. Plus, I will be getting volunteer hours for my major at TAMU. I have to have 60+ hours to take the upper-level courses, which are the good ones, and graduate. So I'm getting started with a great opportunity, working beside a great person and coach!

So I'm going to try to stay busy until I move back to CS, which probably will not happen until the week before classes begin on August 31st. Most of my time will be spent resting up, working out, and just piddling around the house. I would love to go to the river as much as possible before I leave because I have two softball meetings the weekend before school starts so I'll be busy from the start and not much time for "playing" after I move. So I'm enjoying my time at home very much. I've had this itch to try new recipes or just cook so I'm going to attempt ratatouille for lunch or dinner today!