For some unknown reason this week seems to be really nice. I am sending out support letters for the Mexico City mission trip, and that is making me feel really excited about the trip. I mean I was really excited before but sending out the letters is making it seem more official. Maybe this week seems especially good because I'm getting a surprise package from the Church. Or the fact that it is 60 ndegrees outside and sunny. What ever it is I hope that every one else has a great week. Yay for happy feelings and the love of my family! Oh and The Music Concert this weekend! Yay for concert choir!

Today has been sweet. Last night I couldn't sleep because every time I would lay down I would feel like crying. After a little bit of talking with the girls next door and doing my devotions I felt that I could lay down with out crying. . . . Before I drifted off, I prayed that I would see the joy in the day to come. God has a awesome sense of humor. . . I woke up this morning to the song "Good Morning Beautiful" and got to play with Blake for a hour, and watch the first part of Finding Nemo. That was so much fun. Then when I got back I saw two hawks, and then a friend from choir. Then I found out that I've got nursery on Sunday with one of the girls from RUF! There are three babies in there now. YAY! Then I had two classes, I practically slept through Psych, and had an exam in History. I think I did good on the exam, but we'll just have to wait and see. When I got back I realized that I have a essay to write, but I went swimming anyway. It was so much fun, I'm going to be sore tomorrow but I think I'm going again after English. I am exhausted and happy. I can't wait to get this last day done and start the weekend. Singing and homework. It's going to be good. Maybe some social action as well but that really depends on when I wake up on Saturday. Pray for the Mission teams please, I'm writing and mailing my letters this weekend. Just pray that we'll raise enough money and have a successful trip.
"Be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." ~Philippians 4:6

Me and My Girls 

This was awhile ago, when my hair was really short, but it is a really good picture of us. The other three girls are my best friends. Aren't we just gorgeous?

My jeans ripped. It was a few days a go, I knew that they would rip soon but I wasn't expecting it. These jeans were about year and a half old and one of two pairs that I had. So I sat down rather suddenly Thursday night and RIIIPPP they split right across the knee. I was like ok these are now my lazy day, get dirty and not care, mud and paint jeans. Along with the other pair that has a ever widening hole under the back pocket. YAY! Today I was pulling them on rather violently and my foot caught in the already huge hole and it ripped again. So I performed emergency surgery on my jeans and they now have rather messy stitching up a short rip in the side. I really like these jeans and because of my wonderful mother I have two other pairs of newer jeans, so it doesn't matter.
February is the month in which every lover gives their special someone a token of appreciation and love. It is the month in which men are allowed to be sappy without being labeled for it. Flowers and chocolates are stocked in abundance and children's valentines cards are handed out in school. It is also the month that those people that don't have a sweetheart begin to feel like they are never going to find happiness in love. That is why another name for St. Valentine's Day is S.A.D., or Singles Awareness Day. I would like to propose another name and purpose for this national day of love and loneliness. Valentine's Day should become Love Thy Neighbor Day. There should be no public singling out of the crushes or loves of lives. Every one is given a rose or candy, and something nice is done for them, and they do something nice for some one else. It doesn't matter who does what for whom, but it should be an all inclusive day. Of course the singling out can be done in private and shown off the next day but the world would be a better place if the law of brotherly love applied to every one...
Ok that was my splurge on that. I am hopefully going to be going to the Foster's house for S.A.D and hanging out. They need a babysitter and because so many girls volunteered they said that we could all come over and make it an almost all girl's night. Ice cream, cookies(cookie dough), movies and fun like that. So we'll see what happens.

Your love is... by ChibiMarronchan
Your name is...
Your kiss is...	delicious
Your hugs are...	to die for
Your eyes...	twinkle in the moonlight
Your touch is...	irresistable
Your smell is...	beautiful
Your smile is...	encouraging
Your love is...	everlasting
Quiz created with MemeGen!

It is winter in Blacksburg. The snow has coated the ground and sidewalks. The top layer has frozen so that every time you take a step you break through into the soft powder underneath. School is. . . . school. I'm taking Choir again. . that is exciting. RUF is becoming more active, I'm in a bible study and there is a social dinner at JR's house every Thursday. So that is going to be fun. I have also resolved to do more socially, so I am going to go to the gym, dancing, and maybe one or two parties.

Thanksgiving is over and its back to school and stress. These next couple of weeks are going to be hard. I have exams and papers. I need prayer and encouragement. Thanksgiving break was wonderful. It was nice to be home for a whole week and see everybody from school and church.

I have four days until I get to come home. My parents came up this weekend to hear the choir I'm in. They brought Hannah and Katie up with them. I had a great time. They came up Friday afternoon and we went out to eat before the concert. After we went to Macados for desert. We came back and stayed up until four talking and eating icecream. Yummy. Saturday, Katie, Hannah, and I went out exploring on Main Street. We walked around all the shops and talked. Then Mom and Dad picked us up and we went to the mall in Roanoke. It was a two story mall, very nice. We had a pajama party and went to bed early. . . By early I mean around one. We had a good weekend. I love all my friends here, but I miss everybody at home. I get a week for thanksgiving, Mike is gone the first weekend and so I get to spent that time with my family, help cleaning the house and getting ready for the Sunday thanksgiving dinner at church. I can't wait to go home.

I'm singing in two days. We had dress rehearsal on Monday and it was embaressing and frustrating. Brian, our director, was so frustrated that he schedualed a emergency practice today. Not Everyone knew the text and music. I had some problems with the German and Italian pieces.
Everybody on my hall is sick in one way or another, including my roomate. There is a lot of illnesses going around campus. It is very dangerous to meet any one because any one could be a carrier. . .
Its getting colder. This morning the drill field was frosted and temperatures where in the high 20. BRRR. Its supposed to be like that the rest of this week. Mom and Dad and Katie and Hannah are coming up for the Concert. That is going to be fun.

I went to RUF retreat this weekend. I think that it was the most fun I have had with complete strangers ever. The speaker was Mike Schultz, his topic was Writing on the Heart. It was a really good weekend. . . Mary Grace and I were on the same mental wavelength the entire trip. It was hilarious. Friday, we got there about two hours early. Rex is a crazy driver, he lives here so he knows the back roads and doesn't really pay attention to the speed limits when the roads are dry. Fortunately it was wet today, so he had to go slow. Saturday we had about 4 hours of free time, so I went exploring, a couple of girls and I went for a walk in the woods, the colors were wonderful. I had a lot of fun. . Saturday night we had a bonfire and the guys from VT smoked their pipes. . I like the smell of pipe. That was a late night, I had to catch up with David, so I was out until about 12:30. Today was a good day, Rex's parents invited us to eat lunch at their house. Mrs. Hart is a really good cook. It was a really fun weekend.

Baci soavi e cari,
Cibi della mia vita,
C'hor m'involate hor mi rendete il core,
Per voi convien ch'impari
Come un'alma rapita
Non senta il duol di morte e pur si more.
Quant'ha di dolce amore!
Perché sempr'io vi baci,
O, dolcissime rose!
in voi tutto ripose,
Et s'io potessi ài vostri dolci baci
la mia vita finire,
o che dolce morire!

Battista Guarini

I have to start paying more attention to my agenda. You know that little book that is supposed to remind you about up coming assignments. Mine has failed miserably. Isn't it supposed to have an alarm that goes off when it thinks you are going to miss something? Why couldn't it have gone off last night while I was studying for math, and reminded me that I had a music quiz to take. Aurgh. I hate weeks like this. I get so confused by everything I have to do that I can't remember to do half of it. Now I have to go and take a math quiz. . . at the Math Emporium. For those of you who know what I am talking about you can feel my pain and pray that I will come out alive, those of you who don't understand you are thrice blessed and I hope you never have to experience the hell that is the Math Emporium. Mike is coming up here tomorrow. I am very excited. It is going to be nice to see him again. His birthday was last Sunday so I think that we are going to have a late birthday party when he gets here, or dinner. I need to get going, the hell hole has a computer with my name on it.

Game Day! It rained but we had fun kicking WVU's butts anyway. Some people from school came up for the game. That was really fun, although they don't seem to have the Hokie spirit like the rest of us. Mike Is coming up next weekend. I am really excited about that. It means I have a car at my disposal for a weekend. YAY! Just kidding. I'm more excited about getting to hang out with Mike than anything. My week has been the most crazy ever, I think that I have stared to sleep through my first alarm. That means that I'm going to have to change the time or how it wakes me up. I had two exams and a quiz. Not really fun for me. I wrote a paper for drama that I got back Thursday. I got a B, so I was happy about it. Food really hasn't been that important in my life, I eat maybe two meals a day some times one. I need to work on getting food more often. Remembering to eat and still get to class on time is really hard. I'm doing alright though. Today has been a pretty good day. . . Considering we beat WVU, It was a really good game even with the down pour that came through.

Its raining. Its is one of those days that is begging to be slept through. Cold rainy and busy. I went to the gym today. I enjoy working up a sweat, and having a hard time walking afterwards. I cycle and it makes my legs fell like jelly after you get done. I have decided that I am going to try some of the classes that the fitness program offers next semester. There is a fencing club here too. I would like to try that some day. I get so bored sometimes and I don't feel like doing homework. I would like to do something besides sit on my butt. So that is my plan for next semester and maybe some dance classes thrown in there somewhere. I have homework to do. Yuck.

Here Comes the Sun
by the Beatles

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Little darling it's been a long cold lonely winter,
Little darling it feels like years since it’s been here.
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Little darling the smiles returning to their faces,
Little darling it seems like it's years since it's been here,
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
And I say it's all right.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.
Little darling I feel that ice is slowly melting,
Little darling it seems like years since it's been clear,
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
It's all right, it's all right.

This song woke me up this morning. It was one of the nicest wake up calls I've ever had. Its not every day that I hear that song and as a wake up call it probably one of the most appropriate songs that I could ask for. I really enjoyed it.

It's raining. That is the most distinctive feature about today, that and the fact that I slept from twelve to 1:20 and then from 2:20 to around 5. That felt really good. Now I feel all sweaty and gross. So a shower is in order, and then food. Yummy. And a pep rally. That is going to be fun. Then more sleep after I do some homework. I miss everybody at home a lot. I miss being able to hang out on Sunday nights and Friday youth group.

I got my phone from Jennifer today! And care-package from Mom. Thanks Mom! Two all in one day. That was good. I had a math quiz that I didn't study for today. It wasn't too hard so I aced that. Happy day. I am really tired. Some friends from High school came up to visit. So I stayed up until around two. That was fun. Email is one of the greatest things invented. You can send and receive messages in seconds. Its wonderful. I'm almost done with The Four Loves. Wow, that is a good book. I really think that I'm going to have to read it over again. I really miss everybody at home.

Today is one of those days where I just want to go back to bed and not get up until tomorrow. "I hate Mondays." to quote the great Garfield.
One good thing came out of this. I got a loft. My bed didn't quite pass safety inspection. So I had to buy a loft or take my bed down. So I bought a loft. Other than that this day sucks. Oh and Billy(some guy) talked to me after music. I have no idea who he was. He just stared to talk to me. It was funny.
I miss Mike so much today. Thanksgiving can't come fast enough.

Game Day! And I'm babysitting. Scream my lungs out or earn the extra buck. It wasn't that hard of a choice. Last night was fun. Kelly came over and we talked. Guys, life, classes and stupid stuff were all topics of conversation.
The main topic was the engagement of Jordan and Lesley. It makes me realize just how grown-up I'm supposed to be. I mean its kind of scary when your friends start getting married. I'm really happy for them. Yesterday was their anniversary and he asked her. YAY!

I went home this weekend. I had a great time. The weather was good compared to the past couple of retreats. It rained Sunday morning and then was pretty nice the rest of the day. All my friends where there. We had so much fun! Saturday night I went to Mike's house and watched Hellboy with him. That was nice. The movie was dumb but being able to hang out with him was wonderful. Sunday I didn't expect to see him but he came. That was a pleasant surprise. After lunch he left and I went swimming with crew. Hannah tried to show me the butterfly stroke....I don't know how successful she was but it was fun to try. After that I talked to Stephen for a while. Andrew wanted to leave around dinner so we got a pizza to go and left. The drive home was long, but was fun too. Drew has a very large music collection with CD's that ranged from Jazz to Heavy Metal. We listened to disco the last half. That was fun. We had some interesting conversations, ranging from the alcoholic tendencies of college kids to how I used around five hundred calling card minutes to call Mike in the past two weeks. It was a good ride. I'm having trouble moving around today, I'm sore from this weekend. I played flag football and water polo. I think that's why. I need to start working out. I'm out of shape, not fat out of shape.
I'm glad to be back. This place is turning into a home. I still miss everybody, but I belong here now. It's weird how a weekend home makes this place seem like its where I'm supposed to be. I'm home for the next four years