it's a new year, a new semester, and i'm already behind..hence this blog that was supposed to be posted in January, and it's almost March. awesome. this is my attempt to be rid of my lethargy.
Christmas break was pretty wonderful. very relaxing, quiet..everything that embodies what i always want my vacation to be. there were a few rough patches, i must admit, but things worked out and ended on a satisfactory note. i was able to spend a lot of time with my brother and sister [took them out on a few brother-sisters dates], talked to my parents, which was nice bc they got to know me a little bit better, and spent some time with my grandmother. it was a little disappointing though bc she worked all the time..it seemed like the only time i ever got a chance to speak with her or see her was when she was getting picked up from Macy's where she worked, which was about an hour away from home. i could tell that my parents were having a bit of a hard time with it, but i hope that things clear up a little more as these next few months progress..
my family and i spent the Christmas holiday at our new home and cooked, ate, lounged, slept, and watched movies for a good week or so. haha we finally left the house before New Year's Eve and went to our friends', the Weldon's, cabin in Payson to spend a few days away from the city and to go snowboarding, which was such a blast! it was so refreshing being in the snow and away from our element. my family decided to take some lessons when we hit the slopes; my mother took on skiing and my father, brother, and sister decided to take snowboarding lessons. i already knew how to snowboard, but took lessons anyway to keep my dad company and to get a better deal [oh yeah ;)]..that was an adventure. lol my mother was pretty good, but had some difficulties in stopping, and my dad could only snowboard backwards, which is a pretty interesting/amazing problem to have. the kids learned pretty easily, but were annoyed by their overprotective instructor. my dad and i had a 19 y.o. instructor by the name of Chris, who ended up telling me about his engagement with his fiancee and their plans for marriage in the spring and how he hoped to follow the footsteps of his already married identical twin. lovely. it was a shock, but it was quite interesting to see how people in different regions had such a diverse way of viewing life. it was quite inspiring to see his passion and the way he spoke of his dreams for him and his family..i truly wish him the best.
i got to see one of my best friends, Gianna, and got to spend a lot of time with her..i think we bonded quite a bit over the break. who knew that two individuals who seemed so different in the beginning could become such great friends? she has certainly become such a wonderful woman of God and i am immensely blessed to even know her. she has gumption. :) i also got to see Briana and Sophie, but i never got a chance to really spend some time with them..i wonder if it was because i was trying too hard to hide from people..? Brian, Ian, and Shane all came home for the holidays as well. Brian lost 20 lbs. and he looks great! i felt kind of bad though bc i didn't really see any difference the first few times i saw him, but when he finally told me things finally came together. .so much for being "observant". Ian got a little bigger in stature, and he was quite composed whenever i saw him, which was a nice change. But i think Shane was one of the most changed individuals in our little group of friends. you could tell how deeply in love he was with God and how much he cherished and basked in His presence. everything he spoke of was full of LIFE and it was great having that friend who you could connect with in that spiritual sense. it really makes me want to challenge myself more every day..i was able to speak with Keith as well, and during one of the few times that i did he tells me that i was very objective..'kind of like a guy..in a good way'. i wasn't really sure how to take that. still don't know. i guess i could take that as 'you're insensitive,' which i really don't mind at all. in fact, i like it. gives me the tough edge that i don't really have, right?
our friends got married a few days after new year's day..it was quaint. i mean, we were thrilled for them for the most part, but i must admit that it was a little questionable how things came about..my ten cents worth of input: congratulations, you've just made the worst decision you could ever make in your lifetime. [insert 'preach it' here]
my mother, sister, and i drove back to TX together, which was actually a really nice time. we were able to bond and get to know one another really well, which we haven't really done despite the fact that we've all lived with one another for years..i guess it just goes to show that living with someone doesn't really make a difference in your relationship with them. lesson learned: cohabitation isn't for me.
we arrived to Waco on sunday afternoon where i showed Micah and my mother around my school and the city. the Quatrinis were actually in Dallas looking at houses and checking out Kenneth Copeland's church and were able to drop by for a visit at Baylor, which was so refreshing! it's always so nice to see a familiar face every now and then, but when you rarely spend time with friends and family from home, you cherish them even more.
all in all, this semester is going to be good. i'm claiming and believing for it. i will overcome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sjYWrpNoCs
-adventure #1: fixing everything that was broken in my semester plans. self explanatory.
February
-Sophie flew down last Thursday with her dad to visit her grandmother and i was able to see her! we met up in Georgetown (just 30 mins. north of Austin), had a cup of tea, and took a stroll. perfect timing to see a familiar face. :)
-i've come to the realization that it takes me days trying to look for a decent present for someone because i usually end up finding something that i'd buy for myself..
