Merry Christmas! 2

We have ourselves a white Christmas! 

The whitest Christmas in my lifetime...

And I'm loving it!

I love my new camera as well! 

Now I can put more pictures on here...

Woo Whoo!

I am so thankful for my sweet family this holiday season.

We have had so much fun together. 

Mary made it home and we are now complete!

Hope you are enjoying this Christmas.

Kaden

I had the best day today! 

I woke up and came downstairs to see the most adorable little boy in the living room.

One of Mom's previous students came over to work in our yard for a little extra money. 

He is 16 and has dropped out of school and has a 4 month old child that is so cute!

His mom is from Atlanta and is 17, and I could tell that she could use a break.

... And so Kaden stayed with me all day. 

We played and visited some cousins and took pictures and shopped at CVS. 

He was the best baby. He only cried twice. And he fell sound asleep in my arms.

This is a 25 second video of us.. I think the pictures don't do him justice, so I added the video. 

All of the pictures and videos are taken on my computer, maybe not the best quality, but hey, it works! 

Anyways, I miss this cutie now.

I'm hoping to see him again sometime!

Worry

I'm very worried because my sister Mary is going to the Dominican Republic with her friend... just the two of them! Ok, well I'm actually not worried, but I should be. Let me tell you why.

You see, Mary is the middle child and I am the big sister, and that's why I'm worried. Whenever we do "big" things, I am the one to drive, or navigate the map, or talk to the airport clerk, or ask for help, or whatever... Mary is very happy with just sitting back and following whatever I do. She is actually really smart because it's so much easier the way she does it. She doesn't worry about a thing. She does as she's told.

Anyways, the thing is, Mary is the one who is in the "leader" position this time. Beth is just like Mary, but more clueless in this situation. Beth has only flown once and she drives like a grandmother. (We tell her that she drives like a grandmother, so I'm not talking behind her back.) At any rate, Mary is the one who drove to Atlanta tonight. Beth has never been in the Atlanta airport before, and Mary has never had a layover before. Beth has never driven through Atlanta before, and Mary has never driven through it alone without getting lost. It's Beth's first time out of the country, and Mary didn't know what customs was when I asked her about it.

Anyways, all of the above things, they are doing tonight and tomorrow, just the two of them!

Tonight, they drove to Atlanta to stay in a hotel, and their flight leaves tomorrow at 8 am. They will be flying to Ft. Lauderdale and then going to the Dominican Republic to meet Beth's sister who is doing mission work there for the semester. They are very excited, and Mary wasn't at all nervous... Typical.

With all of that being said, Mary is clueless, but she's not really the type to be worried about being clueless. (I know this as a fact after our almost-plane-crash that didn't seem to phase Mary.) She just goes with the flow, and it somehow works out for her. And that's why none of us are worried about her. It's been four hours since Mary left, and we haven't heard from her. She won't answer her phone (typical) but I'm sure she's fine... Hopefully she's getting tucked into her hotel room in her last comfy bed for a while. I'm jealous, on the other hand, about the 80 degree weather that she is going to enjoy. There are positives and negatives, but I hope she experiences all of the positives and gets home in time for Christmas!  If not, I'm sure she'll roll with it. So I will keep on not being worried. But, I will pray for her!

UPDATE: I got a text from Mary tonight that said, "Pray that we're safe tonight! Because we're in a creepy hotel alone in the ghetto."

I almost panicked for them, and I called Dad and told him, and he said, "Well, I guess you better pray!" (He was concerned, but he thought that they would be fine if they lock the door.)

I replied with two text messages. 1. Mary, I'll pray. Are you scared? 2. Have you locked the chain on your door?

Mary said, "Yeah we kinda are... But it's okay! We locked it!

And I replied, 1. "Just bring your mace with you in the morning and throw it away before security. I'm sure you'll be fine. Press 0 in your hotel if you need anything."  2. "Does your shuttle pick you up from your hotel in the morning?"

And I never got an answer to either text. (Not that I should really expect one since it's Mary.) Anyways, I'm praying for them. If it had been me there, I would have gotten a refund from the hotel and took out money from my savings to pay for a different hotel in a better part of town.... Because if Mary thinks it's creepy, there is no way I would have gotten a minute of sleep. I'd be making my escape plan in my head all night, sleeping with my phone in my bed and replying to each and every text message that I recieved. I wish I were more like her. Anyways, pray for her if you get a minute!

Family Convos

A few conversations you might hear in my house:

Dad: Mary, I'm so proud that you got all A's!
Mary: I haven't even gotten my grades back yet.
Dad: Well I know that they are good. I bet you got A's.
Mary: I think I got some C's.
Dad: Well, Mary, C's are really good! I'm so proud of you.

Mom on the phone:
-So now, what are all your kids names?
-Ja... What?
-What can I call them so I can remember their names?
-Oh ok, Pinky? I can remember that!

Watching the news:
Reporter: This young man stabbed the victim in the face. He will now face prison...
Dad: Oh, I know him! I broke up a fight between him and his brother. (Like it was no big deal.)
I feel like every time I watch the news with my parents, they know someone; usually it's crime-related.

Home is entertaining!

The weather outside is frightful!

Oh the weather outside is frightful... 

But the fire is so delightful...

Okay, corny... But I couldn't help it! 

Those pictures are from this evening. 

Laura's friend, Claire, got stuck in the ditch...

Or, more like ran completely off the road.

The picture was taken after my family extended family went to get her out,

(including 1st and 2nd cousins) 

but her car was in the ditch down there.

We were parked on the side of the road, and the cars that went by would get stuck,

it was a bad, cold, uncomfortable, yet very entertaining situation.

We ended up staying for a while pushing slipping behind the other cars that were getting stuck...

Anyways, Big Daddy has a new truck that he thought was a "sissy" truck because it is a Toyota.

He got it because his Fords and Chevys broke, but he wasn't really satisfied with a Toyota.

Today he took it out to go get Laura's friend and tried it out in the snow.

"Trying it out," meaning...

We live on the mountain with huge hills that get very slick in snow.

One of the biggest hills on the mountain is called Van Duesan and Dad has previously

 slid down it in the snow with Laura.

So, after waiting 5 minutes for a car to slide down backwards, 

we flew up it at 40 mph.

We helped Claire and various other people, 

then my uncles and friends all got back in their cars to go back home (and down the big hill)

They followed us, and we waited again for about 10 minutes for a car to slide backwards down Van Duesen. Then Dad drove his new Tundra down the hill, about halfway down.

He then put the truck in reverse and gassed it backwards up the hill. 

Then he punched it, and we flew down the ice-covered hill at about 30-40 mph. 

I really wasn't nervous because the truck took the ice so well, it surprised me!

And I trust my Big Daddy. 

Everyone in our family except Mary was in Dad's truck.

Mary was behind us in another truck and said that she was afraid she would be the only 

one left alive in our family. But we made it just fine...

And Dad's "trying it out" apparently impressed him. 

He's thinking that his Toyota might no really be a sissy truck.

He's been out driving around all the cars in ditches while we sledded.

And now we're all cuddled up in the living room watching a movie.

(Our whole family is not cuddled up together with each other, 

but our whole family is cuddled in blankets in the same room with a fire going.)

We have about 4 inches of snow and the schools are called off tomorrow...

A great first weekend of Christmas break for me! 

I'm sure we'll frolic in the snow all day for about an hour tomorrow

and then watch movies and read and visit Granddaddy.

I tried really, really hard this morning to talk Geoffrey to come to the mountain for the snow.

Because he loves snow!

And dad said he'd pick him up if the roads were bad...

And Uncle Paul said he would take him duck hunting in the morning...

And he could go sledding down the huge hill next door with us... 

And I would help him study for his exams tomorrow...

But he wouldn't come! 

Who can resist that?

It would have been perfect!

But... He just had to be a good student. 

Geo, if you read this, I'm not trying to rub it in, I just wish you were here! 

Anyways, hope you all are cozy and safe and enjoying the cold weather

and getting into the Christmas spirit! 

Merry Christmas y'all!

Life during Finals

Exams are almost over!!! One more to go... One that I haven't begun studying for, nor have I gotten remotely close to finishing the study guide. It's only two chapters though, and compared to the 13 chapters on Monday and the eight chapters today, two chapters seems like a breeze!

Anyways, I just got out of my exam and am taking a break before studying for the rest of the day/night/morning. 

I thought I'd give you a short account of finals life. Not sure if this is how everyone's exam life goes, but this is how mine is... 

I fell asleep 1 AM last night after lying in bed for an hour thinking of possible business law exam questions. My alarm went off at 6 AM this morning, and I snoozed it until 6:10. I got up and looked at the temperature. When I saw that it was 16 degrees, I decided to study at home for an hour to make sure the roads were thawed and it was light outside.... And to delay being in the coldness.

When 7:15 rolled around ever too soon, I went to my car and got in... Saw the ice on my windshield... Put the defrost on... Sat there... 5 minutes... My windshield was unaffected... I was freezing sitting there... So I got out my Marble Slab gift card and started scraping...

This was the kind of ice that was very difficult to get off... Sometimes there is frost, and sometimes there is ice. This was ice--thin, unscrapeable(?) ice. But I persevered. I scraped off a window of ice on the drivers side. I wondered if it was illegal to drive only half-scraped. I decided to take my chances.

I made it to campus and went to Einstein's for coffee and a bagel. I sat down to wait for my food, and something felt off.... Hmm... What was missing? Oh, I know... it's that thing that I have worn just about every single day since age 12. The thing that I don't leave the house without... I don't even go downstairs in the morning at home without it... Nonetheless, IN PUBLIC. You know what I'm talking about, right? Luckily, I'd worn a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and down jacket. I was too afraid to take of any of these items off. I sat there all morning in three layers. 

Anyways, after realizing that I'd forgotten a valuable piece of my wardrobe, I continued studying for business law. With the people around me talking, I thought I'd put on my Christmas music to drown out the girl next to me telling her acquaintance that her hometown didn't have Target or Piggly Wiggly or a mall or.... AHHH!!! So anyways, the earphones went in and the music went on... And I turned it up because I couldn't hear it. It was weird because normally I can hear it when it's on 4 notches. I turned it almost all the way up so it blocked out all extraneous noise.

I quickly got into study mode... Flying through my notes AND comprehending them, too! 

The professor at a table in front of me looked at me a lot... I figured that he was amazed at my concentration on my notes so early in the morning.

After ten or fifteen minutes (I'm not quite sure because of intense study mode), my earphone felt like it electrocuted my ear so I took my earphones out...

And my music was still playing!

That's weird!

And then I realized that my earphones were not plugged into the earphone plug, but the one next to it.

My music was playing for everyone around me.

And I had earphones in.

That's why the professor was staring.

I'm sure he was contemplating... tell her or let her be?

I was so embarrassed that I wanted to move, but I thought it might be awkward.... So I toughed it out, plugged my earphones in like it was no big deal, and trekked on through my notes.

And that is a synopsis of my life during finals!

Am  I losing my mind?

"Twas the night before finals..."

I found this on studyworld.com today while studying... 

Well, while I was on a study break...

And I thought it was cute!

Twas the night before finals, and all through the college,
The students were praying for last minute knowledge.

Most were quite sleepy, but none touched their beds, 

While visions of essays danced in their heads. 

Out in the taverns, a few were still drinking, 

And hoping that liquor would loosen up their thinking.

In my own room, I had been pacing, 

And dreading exams I soon would be facing. 

My roommate was speechless, her nose in her books, 

And my comments to her drew unfriendly looks. 

I drained all the coffee, and brewed a new pot, 

No longer caring that my nerves were shot. 

I stared at my notes, but my thoughts were muddy, 

My eyes went ablur, I just couldn't study.
"Some pizza might help," I said with a shiver, 

But each place I called refused to deliver. 

I'd nearly concluded that life was too cruel, 

With futures depending on grades had in school. 

When all of a sudden, our door opened wide,
And Patron Saint Put It Off ambled inside. 

His spirit was careless, his manner was mellow, 

All of a sudden, he started to bellow. 

"On Cliff notes, on Crib notes, on Last Year Exams. 

On Wingit and Slingit and Last Minute Crams."
His message delivered he vanished from sight. 

But we heard him laughing outside in the night. 

Your teachers have pegged you so just do your best. 

Happy Finals to All and to all a Good Test. 

Favorite Family Picture

This is my favorite picture from Thanksgiving. 

I couldn't believe that we were able to talk Dad into doing this with us.

He's such a good sport!

We cut the picture so we could just see Mom and Dad's faces... funniest thing ever!

It is blurry on my computer, but it wasn't on the camera.

Sorry you can't see the faces clearly because it's so funny.

They are our sweet cheerleaders!

Study Sunday

On this frigidly cold Sunday afternoon, I'm sitting in a cushy, cozy chair wrapped up in my down blanket as I listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas Pandora station watching the snow fall. 

What a perfect December Sunday afternoon, right?

Wrong. 

I'm in the library studying all day. 

I brought some things to make it more comfy... the down blanket.

It really is working... 

It feels like home!

(Besides the bright fluorescent lights,

And the Marketing book,

And the guilty feeling for blogging.)

I have three finals this week--Marketing, Business Law, and History. 

Then it's Christmas Break for me!

I'll get to finally do all of the things that I have been longing to do for the past few weeks--

Christmas shopping for JIM (my assigned cousin)

Reading (finishing a few of my 5 half-read books)

Decorating at home

Napping worry-free and whenever

Baking (right now I can't afford the ingredients)

Eating things other than leftover chili... every single day

Christmas caroling (Mary, Mere, Laura, Malone, what do you think?)

Still by real fires at home every single night! 

There is much more, but I don't have time to think of it right now. 

I'm going to get back to learning things such as: 

Land Rovers, Kias, Volkswagens, Volvos and Mercedes are the top 5 brands that are overvalued (bad),

while Mercurys, Infinitis, Buicks, Lincolns and Chryslers are undervalued (good).

Or the fact that the typical shopper passes 300 items (meaning all different products) per minute in a supermarket... All of these choices within a brand (like 75 flavors and shapes of Wheat Thins) are actually beginning to confuse shoppers and may lead to a shopper buying a different brand because of too many choices.

I've always thought there were too many choices, but some shoppers like more choices. 

Which one do you fall under?