"The Fall"

"We all need a movie that wrecks us emotionally," says my friend via text message yesterday morning. She said this because Sunday night we sat down and watched "The Fall" together.

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I cried myself to sleep Sunday night.

Monday, I watched "The Fall" again. Six tissues were sacrificed on Tarsem's alter.

Words are pretty inadequate when it comes to describing this perfect film. I wish I could articulate all the emotions and thoughts that this film evokes, but I am still processing. "The Fall" is both sad and hopeful, painful and beautiful.

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The plot is fairly simple; the visuals are simply stunning. Roy {Lee Pace} is an injured stuntman in a hospital who makes friends with Alexandria {Catinca Untaru}, a little girl with a broken arm. They become friends, and he begins telling her an epic; he narrates, and she imagines, and the result is beautiful.

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That little outline reveals only a portion of "The Fall"'s depth. It is much more than a story-within-a-story.

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There are many amazing details about the making of this film that I could share with you, but that feels like a cheap sell. "The Fall" deserves more than fun facts and trivia; it deserves to be viewed for its own sake.

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"The Fall" is breathtakingly perfect. Telling you "just go watch it" is impossible...you can't just watch this movie. Plan for an evening to experience Tarsem's masterpiece with its magnificence and extravagance. You will love every second. 

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7 Quick Takes: Life is Hard

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7QT!

1. This article by Sarah Bessey {who is definitely becoming one of my favorite writers ever!} is really wonderful. I think I'm going to join her challenge on Pinterest {not like I need another excuse to be on there...}. What do you think?

2. Speaking of Sarah Bessey, for her birthday this week, her book Jesus Feminist was on sale for $1.99! You better believe I snatched that sucker up - I even shared the love with Samara, who also downloaded it. When we both got home for dinner, I confessed that I was a couple chapters into it already, and she laughed and said she was at the same spot. Oh, reading nerds :)

3. It's the Land o' Links! Rachel Held Evans' response to an article about women teaching; a great piece about being a good Samaritan; and the Church regarding our obsession with pastors.

4. It's World Down Syndrome Day! Read Laura's beautiful post about her brother, and go show some love to people.

5. A group of friends and I went to see "The Grand Budapest Hotel" last weekend. My friends had all purchased their tickets online, so they got in the "print your ticket" line. I hadn't purchased a ticket yet, so I got in the regular line. And I got carded. Yep. That's about how I felt, too. Are you kidding me? That's never happened to me at a movie theater. Purchasing alcohol? I expect it to happen, since businesses can get shut down if they sell alcohol to minors. But to an R-rated movie?? I was stunned. Because this blog can be found by anyone and everyone, I won't tell you the comments that ran through my brain as I pulled out my i.d., but they were definitely snarky, to say the least.

6. Thanks to swapping blogs with Yvonne {her post on my blog; my post on her blog} earlier this week, I learned that I can share a gif just like sharing a picture. But now that I'm trying to share my own, all knowledge has left me. Help, talented people of the internet!

7. What I don't know is the correct way to say "gif." I hear it most often with a J sound, but then I've heard tech-y people get mad and say that the only "j-if" is a peanut butter. But saying it with a hard G sounds awful. Sigh.

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Happy weekend!

Finish This: Week Seven

This lovely link-up is hosted by Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Lisa at COASTLINED, and Becky at The Java Mama. Enjoy!

I plan on buying a birthday present for my roomie! Trying to decide between Seattle chocolate {always a hit}, a gift card {so she can pick out what she loves best}, or something really nerdy {because that's what nerd friends get for each other}. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments!

I give *Captain Phillips* 5 Stars because that movie was so so SO well done and intense and well-acted and amazing and incredible and yes. If you haven't seen it, I personally recommend watching it during a thunder storm while your lights flicker on and off. It adds to the intensity level, for sure.

I felt courageous when I said goodbye to my parents and watched them drive to the airport after moving me into my dorm room in Kentucky. Knowing that I was supposed to be at this school was amazing, but knowing that I would see my parents for 4 months {plus the 3-hour time difference made things challenging} was really, really hard. But I had my cry session and then was good.

I feel about swimsuit shopping like I do about ordering a chai latte; I've found the drink {swimsuit} that works for me and I get the same thing every time and am pleased with the result. Seriously, Land's End has the most amazing swimsuit, and every few years {they usually last at least 3!} I pick out the color and/or pattern and order the swimsuit online. Done and done.

Go check out the link-up for more of Finish This!

7 Quick Takes: February is Tomorrow!

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes!

1. In case you missed my passion for link-ups the announcement, I'm going to be participating in #blogeverydayinFEB, aka #TryNotToCrashAndBurn jk not really okay maybe sort of. Anyway, the lovely Bailey Jean is hosting and I've already got Laura to commit with me :)

2. Kayla will probably appreciate this: last night I painted my nails blue and green.

I'm not even sure what happened, because we all know about me and sports {Fantasy Football, anyone?}. But I guess there's some local pride showing, so I'm rolling with it and will repaint my nails next week.

3. Alright, book lovers...what are our feelings about audio books? I've been listening to a trilogy in the car, and a couple months ago I heard/read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time. Audio books are great, I think, because they make my commute much more pleasant and productive. I'm 25% done with my 2014 goal, which means I'm probably going to have make an adjustment.

My only "meh" feeling towards them comes from the fact that sometimes the vocalist {what is the correct name for the person reading?? Performer? Voice donor?} reads things differently than I would have if I had been reading it for myself. Listeners get the tone that the vocalist interprets, which is not necessarily how I would have interpreted it. But it doesn't happen very often, and I'd rather have a story going in the car than be searching for a good song on the radio.

4.  Last night I watched the very first episode of Doctor Who. "An Unearthly Child" aired in 1963, and the rest, obviously, is history...or the future...or a big ball of wibbley-wobbley, timey-wimey...ceasing the fangirling riiiiight now.

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5. Remember last week's Take about "Gimme Shelter"? I went to see it on Sunday...it is incredible. The characters were so, so genuine and did such a great job. If you're able to see it, I recommend it. There was one scene I wanted to keep going, but they ended it too soon, in my opinion. Other times, it seems like certain situations were not completely resolved, but the main plot is well done and so inspiring.

6. Have you read John Green's The Fault in Our Stars? The first time I read it, I finished it in 12 hours. Three months later, I re-read it {which rarely happens, and never in the same year} and finished it in 24 hours. Check your tissue levels. Read. This. Book. Refill tissues. And then watch the trailer for the movie.

7. Because it's Friday and everyone needs a laugh, here are some faves:

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Happy Friday! Go see Jen at Conversion Diary for more 7QTs!

After Seeing Les Mis a Second Time…

Like I mentioned, my friend L and I went to see Les Mis for her birthday {January birthdays holla!} and here are some more thoughts. {Note: read my first impressions here first-they’re more complete.}

Javert

So the biggest change is my attitude about Javert. I think because I was SO disappointed the first time, my expectations were not high at all for the second round, and then I was pleasantly surprised. Not all the time… I didn't think wow, that was a completely different performance and I was so wrong before. Nah. I thought this song isn't as bad as I thought…neither is this one…oh, that one still is bad. The first few songs I really liked him; from “Stars” on I think he flopped. I don’t know if the order of filming had anything to do with it or what, but this is my adjusted opinion.

Thenardiers in the Inn

Several people have commented and said that they liked the movie except for the scene at the inn with the Thenardiers. I agree. That part is realllly raunchy and gross and not attractive at all. And I think that’s the point. They’re not redeemed characters; they’re deceitful and thieving and manipulative and selfish. And gross. Definitely gross. But you’re not supposed to like them.

In the theater performances I've seen, the inn scene is about 1/3 of the movie on the raunchiness scale. It’s portrayed as an awful place for Cosette and as a horrible inn, and it is limited by what can be shown on the theater stage. The movie directors just took it where it couldn't go on a stage, I think. Did they add more sexual things? Yes. Does the theater have those things to an extent? Yes.

The prostitution scene{s} with Fantine were also more graphic in the movie compared to the theater, simply because of what you can do in the movies. But people aren't complaining about that. I think it’s because Fantine prostituting herself a) is not glorified and b) she is rescued out of it. I think people have a problem with the inn scene because the Thenardiers embrace and celebrate their way of life.

Confession: I think the movie does that because the theater does that, and I think the theater puts it in to make just one scene of the performance something to be laughed about; otherwise, it’s a mostly sad or serious theater. Think about it! We go from prison to his redemption, from prostitution and death to a duel and escape, insert laughter at the inn here, then some love songs that are tainted because of Eponine and the upcoming revolution, shooting shooting death, escape, suicide, redemption and then death. If we didn't laugh with and at the Thenardiers, we would be crying THE WHOLE TIME. And in case you didn't hear, it’s a three-hour-long musical.

Am I condoning the perversion in the scene? No. Am I glad the filmmakers put it in? No, I think they could have left out quite a few things and still made the audience feel grimy after watching. So I think they should show us how twisted the Thenardiers’ lifestyle was without subjecting us to everything that they did.

One Last Note

After watching it the first time, my dad pointed out that the man who wrote the lyrics to Les Miserables was an atheist, yet practically every other song he wrote was a prayer to God. And as several writers have pointed out, everyone who went to see this movie also saw the Gospel. Can’t complain about that.
Here is a great post about the movie, God, and the arts. It’s short, I promise!

Final Thoughts

As I finish this post, I’m listening to a recording of Anne Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream” and I have to say, if I didn't know this was her singing, I wouldn't think it was her singing because it’s so good. Well done, Anne, well done.

If you want to argue debate discuss this, welcome! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share, and I promise not to bite. I can’t promise not to break into song, though. Consider yourselves warned.
Peace out!

Dare I Voice Thoughts About Les Mis?

Do I dare? You bet!

If you haven't seen Les Miserables, you don't have to read this. You could go watch the trailer instead. Don't ever say I didn't give you options.

I'd like to break this down by character and comment on both the person development and the musical ability in one fell swoop. If you don't like the way I do it, then do it yourself...unless you haven't seen the movie, because that would just be futile. So in that case, you can read someone else's opinion. Options.

Jean Valjean: Hugh Jackman did a GREAT job. I think the adjusted lyrics and the added songs really helped portray the depth of his transformation, his fear of Javert, and his love for Cosette. His singing was good...not as good as a theater performance, but for an actor who sings, very satisfying.
The final scene when he dies {oops, spoiler alert!} was beautiful. Perfection.

Javert: Ugh. First of all, I am a Russell Crowe fan. Most of the time. But not here. He seemed really stiff, which I guess is a part of Javert's character, but he just fell short of showing any depth. It seemed that Crowe had recently had Botox and could not move his face. Also, the singing was so disappointing. Javert usually has the best voice of the entire cast, but Crowe's was weak. His two solos were very weak and airy, instead of deep, strong, and intense. In terms of character, there were two distinct moments where I thought the moviemakers did it wrong. First, after the barricade has fallen and the bodies are lying out, Javert bends down and puts his badge on Gavroche. Totally out of character! Javert loves the law; there is no mercy or sympathy in the law. Bad form. Secondly, when Javert catches Valjean exiting the sewer with Marius and Javert threatens to shoot and then doesn't, that scene is weak and doesn't fully portray what's happening in either character.

Fantine: Hello. If you haven't heard yet, Anne Hathaway stole the show. Wow. Amazing. Everything about her performance was incredible. I love that what we watched and what we heard so complemented and completed each other. We see her being thrown out onto the streets, we see her sell herself in order to aid her child, and we hear her regret and still her love for her child. Wow. It was all incredible.

The Thenardiers: The fact that these two made me uncomfortable whenever they were on screen tells me that they did a marvelous job. The Master of the House song made me cringe several times, and I must commend the cinematography for adding things that are simply impossible to add in an on-stage performance. Well done. Singing was great, characters were great, make-up and costumes were perfect, and the details were right.

Cosette: Cosette didn't have as much screen-time as I thought she would have, but it was alright. We didn't see her too much or too little. I think her character development assumed just a little that you were familiar with the story, but I liked how she kept asking Valjean about his past because she had never been told. Her voice was very warbley {nice word, eh?} but since it was consistently warbley, I'm going to give the film makers the benefit of the doubt that they wanted it that way.

Marius: Let's go visual then audio. DANG. Attractive. British. Moving on.
Singing was iffy until his solo after the barricades. That sealed the deal for me; well done! In earlier songs, I was disappointed that Marius sang and would usually end with a high note, or he would sing in a higher octave than the theater actors. But Empty Chairs at Empty Tables completely transformed the way I thought of his singing, because he got that song right. I really liked the scene between Marius and Valjean when the latter tells the former of his criminal past and then leaves to protect Cosette. That scene was well done; Marius matured in that scene.

Eponine: My favorite character. The actress is the same Eponine on stage, so the singing was of course fabulous. I thought they did a great job showing her infatuation with Marius and how she loved him and he took it as friendship or teasing. During Eponine's solo On My Own, I thought the music overtook her voice, which was not necessary for her. It helped Javert's solos, but the music should enhance, not overwhelm Eponine's voice. However, the scenery was great during that song, and other times it was nice to have a movie set instead of the limited theater set.

Other items: This film encompassed many more details than either film or theater productions have done in the past, and as someone who has read the unabridged book, I really appreciated those!
The sets were incredible. There is so much more you can do with a movie set, and they went all out, but they still managed to keep the feel of theater. I don't know if that's cinematography or the sets themselves, but I loved it.
Costumes were gorgeous. Make-up was fabulous.
The minor characters were all perfect. The priest who initiated the change in Valjean was wonderful in both voice and character. The revolutionary boys were perfect; they acted and sang beautifully. The women in the factory with Fantine allowed more depth into the scene, which was fantastic. The common people who sang At the End of the Day really portrayed to a new level what they were living in, in such a way that can only be done in the movies.

This is a stand-alone comment: it was interesting how during several of the solos, the camera would stay on the character's face for almost the duration of the song, sometimes with only short breaks or different angles. At first I thought it was for intensity, which is definitely true in I Dreamed a Dream, but then I thought it might be for a more theater-like experience; when the camera is continuously on the singer, there is more of a stage feel to it than a movie feel, simply because your focus is the character and the song and little else. If that's what the director was going for, cool. If not, well that's what happened, so yeah.

Alright, I'm done geeking out. I don't consider myself to be either a movie buff or a theater buff, but I do consider myself a Les Miserables fan{atic?} and I had to process these thoughts somehow. And I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you agree with me or not? What would you change if you were making the film? Do you like the stage or the film version{s} better {and what have you seen before this?}?

Happy Friday!

Are Mondays Mundane?

Why does no one blog on Mondays? I've literally read 3 new posts today, 2 of them from sisters, and one because I think it was her son’s birthday. This is not ok.

So, here I am, saving the day {in my head}, blogging on a Monday. Out to prove that no, Mondays aren't mundane. They’re just Monday, so they have a bad rep. Well, here’s what I did this Monday.

1. Hung out with my sis. She didn't have to go to school until noon {yay, finals week!} so she made m&m pancakes for breakfast. Do I have the best sister? Yes I do.
   
2. went for a run. I downloaded this free running app, and it plays music from my files while I run. Hello?! How awesome! It’s a “learn to run” thing {at first I thought it would teach me- it’s like walking, only faster and more painful} so for Day 1 it was 3 minutes of running alternated with 3 minutes of walking, for about 25 minutes. Running for an hour, here I come! At least, that’s what the app promises.
   
3. texted with some of my bestest friends who live in my Other Home. One of my bestest friends got the Captain American shirt {you can be jealous right here} and I’m definitely getting one to match, as soon as I go to the mall. Tomorrow.
   
4. bought new body wash! woot! Don’t you love a good-smelling body wash? It’s so much better than bar soap. Ugh. Don’t even get me started. Ooh, and I bought new razor blades. So I can smell good AND you can see my skin instead of my leg hair. awkward.
   
5. watched Titanic with my mumsie and sis. Well, we changed the channel on the “grown up” *ahem* parts. Yucko. But I’m pretty sure my sister and I said “how sad” about a gazillion times.
   
6. On that Titanic note, my sis was unfamiliar with “My Heart Will Go On” so I am going to show her a you.tube video of the regular song, and then this lovely {ok, hysterical} video. If you have not seen it before, pause, run to the restroom {just in case!} and then grab some tissue, because you are going to be ROFL and sobbing your eyes out and hopefully we can prevent the wet-your-pants-because-you-laughed-so-hard bit. Anyway. Here is what I’m going to show her. Enjoy!

What did you do this Monday, friends?

Leap Year Craziness

Earlier today, I was stuck in a basement classroom, missing class, listening to the tornado sirens blare and my students either freak out or laugh in dismissal.

This isn't exactly how I thought Leap Year 2012 would go down, but I guess the weather wanted to have a party, so yeah. Moving right along.

My BFF and I are going to watch the movie “Leap Year” over the phone “together.” Yep. We are that cool. I’m so grateful for her. You can check out her awesome and beautiful self on her blog. Shout out to Lola! :)

This weekend is a church conference. I’m really excited to go, but right now I’m concerned about how to get ahead in my homework for it. Should I catch up on my capstone reading {level: intense}? Or should I read my two chapters for com class and be ahead {level: enjoyable and short}? Or do I work on my research paper that really should not be as hard as I’m making it {level: theoretically not bad, but really causing frustration}?

While I ponder my homework choices, I’m multi-tasking. Literally. I've got two loads of laundry in the washer right now- mad skill, I know. Oh, and now that I think about it, I can also be painting my nails. You don’t need to use your toes to read or research, so yeah. Try not to be blown away with my skills…

Sitting on my desk right now is a candlestick. A candlestick that I made. Heck to the yeah. My crafts class is seriously my favorite thing ever. The professor {a super cool guy!} told me today “you’re a pleasure to have in class!” How sweet is that! He’s a pleasure to have as a teacher, so I guess it’s mutual. Oh, and the super secret project that I’m working on is coming along! The prof said we may even use my piece in the demonstration on Friday, so yippee ki yay! And I’m taking pictures along the way, so once it’s not a secret anymore, you’ll get to see the whole process! So excited about that. It’s so freaking cool!

I talked with my amazing friend in Cali yesterday evening. We are going through such a similar process it’s scary. and cool. and crazy. and we are both realllllly excited to see what God’s going to do in our lives.
My sis emailed me these two songs, found here and here. I really like them both; the second one is pretty intense and amazing. Thank you, sis!

K, well, thanks for the help deciding which homework task to tackle first. As fun as blogging is, it doesn't help me graduate. and that is the goal, after all. So yeah. I’m off to paint the little toesies and to read…something. Whatever. This weekend will be awesome. Today is awesome. Tornado sirens included. Yeah. Peace out.

Hunger Games

Um, kinda addicted to this trilogy… thanks a lot, Lola! ;)


Best part: they’re making movies! Worst part: have to wait until March
This is the trailer.

March 23rd can’t come soon enough.

What Else Do You Do on Christmas Break???

So since it’s Christmas break, I’ve been reading. A lot. And crocheting a lot (my BFF’s scarf actually looks like a scarf! Pictures coming soon!) but more reading.

Completed books:
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (book 2 will be started today, book 3 done before I go back to school)
- Secrets, Unforgotten, and Echoes by Kristen Heizmann, one of my favorite authors

- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Doyle… I’ve been reading this on my phone for quite some time, but I finished it last night

Started and yet to be completed:
- A Tale of Two Cities – it’s my Christmas break tradition, but I may have to postpone this one till summer
- Surprised by Oxford, recommended by my dear BFF who’s been there
- Clued In, a business book my dad recommended. My goal is to read approximately 20 pages every day (about a chapter) so that I can have it done before I leave

Books to hopefully read:
- Passion and Purity and another one by Elisabeth Elliot. I’m really excited about these, but since they are pretty standard library books, I may just have to read them over the course of my final semester.
Kind of random, but my dear BFF (I know, I've mentioned her like 5 times already. But she really is amazing, and I love her dearly, and I’m SO excited that I get to spend time with her this break.) is taking me to see “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” today. The cast is really strong, and it seems like it will be really mentally stimulating. The trailer I've been watching is here. I’ll post my thoughts on it soon. Hope your day is beautiful!

I <3 Home

I LOVE MY CITY! Ahhh…. I’m in the middle of downtown right now, and until just a few minutes ago, there was a guy playing the keyboard and singing on the corner nearby. The sunset is beautiful, the street lights are glowing, and the water is just a few blocks away…what else do you need?

So remember the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic? Great movie… really cute. Well, I totally feel like Beks (and not JUST because of the name!) because I’m working with this cute British guy named Luke (“Fluke” ;) ) and his uncle owns the company yet he just works as a grunt, and this is definitely not the career choice I have in mind, but it’s kinda turning out to be fun. Anyway. Just thought I’d let you in on the funny thoughts floating around my head. Don’t worry. He has a girlfriend back in England, so no worries there. But if I find out she has super long legs, I might just die of laughter.

P.S. His accent is so nice to listen to, even if it’s just about computer stuff!

Try Again

Alright, I do have an excuse. I know, lame, but blame my OCD. My dad has been using my computer, so it is downstairs. Now I know there is no reason for me NOT to trot my little self down and blog, but I haven’t. Sorry, readers.

I think I’ll just do an update, and not so much the 4 things I was going to attempt. My sister graduates in less than 2 weeks! Augh!!!! Things are a little crazy, getting her poster board done and accumulating pictures to put on a slideshow, picking out a dress to wear under her gown, etc.

Mom and Dad and I did yard work on Friday evening in order to prepare for the family gathering we’re having after graduation. I pulled out basically everything from one flower bed {we tease my mom about having a black thumb instead of a green thumb}. The yard looks much improved, and I’m glad we don’t have to worry about it too much more.

I finished Sarah Palin’s book and am now onto President George W. Bush’s Decision Points. It’s very well written so far, and it’s amazing to see how much influence parents have on children, how every decision one makes is linked to every other decision, and how God uses seemingly-insignificant circumstances to bring about His will. I love that about our God! He is just too cool.

My friends from my other church family and I are training for a 5k. The training calls for running just 3 times a week, and honestly, I need to run more. As in, not more than 3, but more in order to get up to 3. However, on a positive note, my running friends here ran 2 miles in under 30 minutes. I told my dad of this accomplishment, and he said, so what’s your goal? 3 miles in under 30 minutes? And I thought, hmm, that is a good thing to think about. First, I want to decrease this time for 2 miles… like under 26 minutes. So approximately 3 miles in under 36 minutes? That’s running a 10-minute mile, which is pretty good. I think I can get back into high-school timings, don’t you think? :)

My mom and I got pedicures last week, and amazingly enough, mine still looks good. Woo!

Well, readers, I did something yesterday with a friend that was on her bucket list. It was great. We took kayaks out into the ocean, and it was awesome. She had never done it before, but I had, and it was great to just paddle out into the vastness of the water and to enjoy each other’s company.

Speaking of bucket lists, my sis and I were watching The Black Stallion and The Black Stallion Returns and we decided that riding a camel is on our bucket lists.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Hopefully next time I’ll be posting pictures of the beautiful sunset from a couple weeks ago…hopefully. :)

What a Weekend!

Ok, catch up. Friday night, my sister and friend and I went to see the new Pirates movie, which I would rate at 2-3 stars. I thought it was fine, and there was humor and action and love, and sword fights, and let’s not forget the dazzling Johnny Depp ;). We went to the movie while our younger sisters were at their high school dance. Saturday was pretty chill. My family went to church that evening (which is pretty awesome, I think!) and then my BFF and I went to her house and watched Sherlock, a modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. I personally really like the show, and what’s not to love about British accents!? Sunday was a pretty lazy day for me. I slept in! Woohoo! And then pretty much did nothing else.

However, I’m sure you've heard about the tornado that hit in Joplin, MO. My roomie lives 45 minutes away, and thankfully she is alright! I just got off the phone with her, and she and her family are all safe. Her sister does not yet have power, but everyone is safe and well, and all the towns are stepping up and donating aid. It is so encouraging to hear that neighbors are able to help those around. I so appreciate learning about aid that isn't initiated by the government. I am so in favor of the local community stepping up and providing aid; thank you, Small Town, USA!

Ok, I think that can count as a semi-deep thought, but here’s the update from the Pro-Life blog I mentioned earlier. There is a website that lists all the charity organizations that businesses donate to, and which of those are pro-abortion and which are pro-life. Basically, I am not going to be giving any money to Starbucks or The Home Depot or Chevron anymore. You can read the professional blogger’s explanation here.

Random: my sister graduates from high school in like 3 weeks. Oh. Em. Gee.

Also random  and pretty: my friends and I were running through a blueberry field {there’s a trail, don’t worry} and we saw a lady with a camera, and lady in a white dress, and a guy in a suit walking into the field. Awww! Wedding pictures! Kinda random for a Monday night, but hey, it made our run a little bit more bearable!

Funny: You know, I can’t think of anything specific that happened that was really hysterical, but my family is pretty funny. I hope that you, dear reader, someday have the opportunity to sit down and have dinner with my family, or that you can transform into a fly for a day and you can spy on us, because we crack ourselves up!

Prayer focus: my dad. I mentioned just a few posts ago praying for my grandparents. They are my dad’s parents, and I can’t imagine what he’s going through, watching his dad deteriorate and his mom become so stressed because of his care. Please, pray for my family in this trying time.

Alright, readers, after my awesome run, I should definitely go take a shower. Peace to the out!

Spring Break recap

So, wanna hear about Spring Break? I bet you do!

Friday, I went to my friend’s house and stayed with her fam. I love that family! The 3 kids are pretty much the most amazing things ever, and A and D are pretty cool themselves! On Saturday, A took me, her mom, her sis, and a family friend to “The Mad Potter,” this little place where you pick out a piece of pottery and then paint it yourself, and then they glaze and fire it and you pick it up in a week or so. It’s the second time that the 5 of us have been, and we LOVE it. I did a cute bowl with circles and stripes, and a surprise inside! I’ll post pictures as soon as I get it back {that IS assuming that I’m happy with it… painting is not my forte!}

Sunday was church. It was difficult in some ways, but it was really, really good. One of our gals is having some emotional trouble and she was away getting help, and her parents were at church and her dad led worship, and it was a really emotional, raw time. There wasn't a message, but I totally think we all gained something crucial and key during that time. It was really cool to see how God answers prayers, even in the midst of pain and confusion.

P.S. The gal is attending a 15-month long program a couple hours north, and her parents and our pastor believe that this is God, and so even though we’ll miss her, we know she’s where she’s supposed to be. We covet your prayers!

Sunday night, I got on an airplane and arrived at my grandparents’ house! Well, it wasn't quite that simple, but that’s the gist of it! And my mom was there, which was SO awesome. I think part of how I cope with being so far away from my family is NOT thinking about how far away I am, and so I had almost not realized how much I miss them, until I saw my mom! Then I realized how much I missed (and still miss) her, and I was SOOOOOOO glad to be with her!

Monday was shopping day, and it was fun. I got a SUPER cute dress for Easter…I’m really excited, and it was on sale!!!! I love shopping with Mom and Grammie!

Tuesday I woke up and felt sick…and I was!  Sad face… but it was kinda nice to just lie on the couch and doze… except that I wished I was out being with my family, but it was ok; it was just a one day thing.

Wednesday was more fun; Grammie and I went to see The King’s Speech. Oh. My. Word. It is amazing. Go see it. It’s the story of King George IV {known as “Bertie” to the family} and how he overcomes his speech impediment in order to deliver a war time speech when England declared war on Germany at the beginning of World War II. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are INCREDIBLE.
Note: the film is rated R because the only times Bertie doesn't stammer is when he’s yelling of cussing, and there’s one intense scene where he marches around the room using all sorts of “colorful” language. But the film is incredible. Go. See. It.

Thursday, Mom and Grammie and I went to this big bridge and walked across it in the wind. It was fun.
Friday, I came back to school. My friends and I were going to go contra-dancing, which is something that’s really hard to explain, but if you know what it is, you know it’s fun. The problem was, most people weren't back from break yet, so the only males there were either over 50 or under 18. Sad face. So my friends and I danced one dance in an hour, and then we left and came back to the dorm and watched a movie. It was fun.

Saturday was Homework-Be-Destroyed Day. It was successful. Smiley face. And it was Conquer-the-Laundry-Basket Day, which was also a success.

On Sunday, I went to church with some friends. It was a house-church, and it was the first one I ever attended. It was very fun. Everyone was very warm and welcoming, and I felt so at home. Afterwards, my friends and I went to Little Caesar’s and got a $5 pizza and went to a park and enjoyed pizza and sunshine. It was especially fun because two of these friends just got engaged to each other on Friday, so it was really fun to see them together and watch them admire the “sparkley!” Hehe!

Today, back to class. Bleh. BUT the good news is, there are 5 more Mondays, 6 more Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and FOUR more Fridays of classes… PRAISE JESUS!!!! Almost done…..

Well, that was break. Now I've got a handout to make and work to go to, and an Ale-8 to drink! Big grin!
Peace to the out!

Update!

Here’s what’s new:

• Back from break; classes start again tomorrow… for 6 more weeks! Woot!
• My laundry basket is empty! SO glad to have it done!
• I’m watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream with some friends right now, and it’s hysterical. I can’t recommend it, because there is some nudity and almost-nudity, but past that it’s humorous, mainly because the play within the movie is SUCH bad acting…
• My masseuse told me last Friday that she’s going to ask my doctor for another month’s prescription of massages… HOLLA!!!!!
• Two of my friends just got engaged… yay for springtime love!
• I GET TO GO HOME IN 6.5 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you've enjoyed this quick update… I’ll definitely share more later!

Up To Speed

Ok, friends and fam, here’s what’s going on in life RIGHT NOW.
My sis turns 18 tomorrow… omg I feel old! :)

I LOVE Pandora. Wow… all you have to do is give a song a “thumb’s up” and it plays more like it, and it’s wonderful. Sigh of contentment.

I’m now the president of my dorm, which also makes me a part of the SGA, so this weekend I’ll be going on a little retreat with all the SGA members. It should be fun, but I don’t get to go to church with my usual church fam, and I won’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked with my friend’s family, because Saturday is Family Day and her family is coming up to see her. But I know that God works everything for His good, which means my good too, so it will work out.

Classes are quite exciting. We’re starting to work on our midterm projects, which is completely crazy to me, because most of my college friends at home haven’t even started school yet! How can I be working on things for the middle of the semester when they haven’t even had their beginning????

It looks like I’ll be studying abroad in the summer, which will be amazing if my BFF and I are in Europe at the same time (!!!!!!!!!!!!) but will be a bit of a bummer if I don’t get to come home at all… I really don’t want to miss another year of Family Camp, and I don’t want to miss my sis’s high school graduation. Still praying about this…

My adviser asked me to think about not doing a double-concentration. I’m a business major, and there are 4 concentrations one can choose from: accounting, economics, marketing, and management. I was planning on concentrating on marketing and management, which basically means I need 3 “more” classes than I would need for a single concentration. I’m trying to work it so I can do both and still study abroad and still get my degree in the next 3 semesters. Still praying about this too….

I need to sweep my floor. My roomie and I joke about our responsibilities and stuff, but we usually sweep the floor, take out the garbage and recycling, and generally polish up the room on Fridays. That would be tomorrow. I think I may get started early on this! :)

I misssssssssss to pieces my BFF!!!! You know who you are, Lola, and if I could hug you right this second, I definitely would, for approximately the next 5000000000 seconds!!!! Just sayin’.

I really think a goldfish would be an awesome addition to college life. It’s the only “animal” we’re allowed to have in the residence halls, and I’m totally considering it {in a half serious, half crazy way}. The only issue would be asking my roomie to feed the fishy on the weekends, since I’m usually off-campus Friday through Sunday. We’ll see. I’m not going to spend $45 on a stupid fish. But if I can work a deal, and lord knows I can deal, then maybe I’ll get one. I will keep you posted on this, and will include pictures if necessary. :)

Sisters, when you read this, and I know at least one of you will, please tell Mom that I miss her pasta. Her noodles and sauce and bread are soooooo much better than the mass-produced glob of pasta and soupy/gravy “sauce.”

I wear a pedometer now, because of my PE class. Coach said that we should be walking an average of 10,000 steps a day, and that if she ever sees us getting on or off an elevator, we’ll be in trouble. Take the stairs! I like wearing a pedometer, because I can check my progress throughout the day and see if I’m on track or if I need to walk around the dorm room a few laps. :)

Saturday night, my roomie and friend and I are going to have a movie night. We discovered that the library loans movies, and we figured this was the most amazing thing ever and why not take advantage of it??? So far we’ve got our choices “narrowed down” to Les Miserables, Return to Me, or one of the BCC’s Chronicles of Narnia. Yes, we are random. Yes, these were my ideas. Yes, the choices are dependent on what we find in the library! Yes, there will be popcorn. :D

That’s all I can think of right now. I hope this gives you a taste of what life has been like, and I hope that your life is just as full and fun as mine is. Blessings!

Catch Up, Continued

Continuing from where I left off…

Sunday, Mom and Dad and I got up and went to church. The directions we got from the church website took us to the Baptist church- not exactly what we were looking for! So Dad called the pastor, and got updated directions, and we were there in no time. We walked into the building with the pastor, and I saw immediately a girl from another MC that I knew, and so we started talking, and then her mom came over and talked with my parents, and then the pastor’s daughter that I “met” on Facebook came over, and then all of a sudden church was starting. We worshipped, and then the pastor introduced us, and told the congregation that they were my new church family!

After church, my friend’s mom and my mom were talking, and I was informed that I could go over to their home any time, any weekend; I was more than welcome! It was very encouraging to have all this excitement and support, and I began to feel not as lost as I had been.

My parents and I went out to lunch with the pastor and his wife, their daughter, her husband and three kids, and my friend and her sister. Afterwards, my parents drove me back to campus, and on the way, they said that they were very happy with this church and the pastor and the families. They told me that they felt confident leaving me here with this church body, and that they knew I would be well taken care of. That gave me a sense of peace like none other!

Now here comes the sad part: I had to get out of the car and go back to my dorm room, and my parents had to drive to the airport and fly home. I can barely think of that moment without tears coming, because it’s so fresh and tender, but I will do my best. There were tears all around, and both my parents told me that I was going to succeed here, and that this is God, and that they are proud of me, and they love me very, very much. I could barely stand to walk down the long sidewalk to my residence hall, because I knew that I wouldn’t see them for at least 3 months, probably 4. I think I turned and waved 3 or 4 times before the rental car was out of sight and I reached the door.

I walked inside, and my Hall Coordinator asked me if I was ok. I could barely speak without tears, but I managed “I just said goodbye to my parents.” She came over and gave me a hug, and I smiled and nodded and walked up two flights of stairs to my room. I was alone, and I put my head on my new comforter and cried out loud. Then I tried to unpack my backpack, and then after I put one thing away, I would cry some more, and then I’d put a couple more things away, and then I’d cry some more. This lasted about 20 minutes, and then I had to go downstairs and do some orientation stuff.

That evening, I had been planning a “homesick party” so I got out my Bible and journal and letters from two dear friends, and I wrote in my journal and read the Word and the letters, and I cried a little, and then I went to bed. After that, I was fine! I don’t think I cried the rest of the week! I think I got too distracted by new friends and finding locations and getting lost and laughing to remember to miss my family, which is fine by me!

Wednesday was Labor Orientation, where we got trained in our jobs. In the morning we had general sessions about how labor is an integral part of our education, and then we went to 3 different workshops on different topics. For lunch, we dined with our supervisor, and then we went to 2 sessions that our boss chose. I’m working on the budget for a specific department, which is nice because it’s a little different, but at the same time it’s challenging because I am NOT an accounting major! But we’ll see how God uses this.

Thursday was the first day of classes, and they went pretty well! I have 3 classes that are T/Th, and then one that is M/W/F. My PE class is Monday nights. Last week was a great week for classes- just 2 days! I think I’m going to enjoy all the classes; the challenge will be to juggle everything. But I do appreciate having a day to do homework, since all my classes are every other day. I work on M/W/F, for a total of 10 hours a week, which is required.

On Saturday, I slept in, and then did homework while hanging with friends. We actually went to the gym, and since I can read on the elliptical machine, I did! I finished my marketing chapter while working up a sweat! My friends thought I was crazy, reading and walking/climbing stairs, but I love that I can be active and still get work done. I feel doubly productive!

Saturday evening, I went to my new family’s home. They had another one of my friends over, and he totally surprised me by being there! Our joke is that he’s stalking me, so it was quite humorous that he was there! We all talked and hung out and started to watch Emma and drank margaritas. We went to bed around midnight, because the friend that was visiting had to drive an hour and a half to get home.

The family I stayed with has a Sunday morning tradition of dad making breakfast and everyone eats together before church. That was really fun! And then church was exciting- the fire alarms kept going off! So part of church was outside in the shade of a giant tree, and I got to hold the pastor’s granddaughter, who is just starting to crawl. I tried holding her in my seat, but it was not successful, so I moved to the side of the sanctuary and sat on the floor so she could roll and rock and push herself up without falling off the chair.

At home, my new family had another family over for lunch, and so there were a LOT of people at the table, and a lot of kids in the kitchen! My friend drove me back to campus, and I finished the small amount of reading I had to do, and then talked on the phone with a couple different friends, and then Mom.

Oh, it killed me to say goodbye to Mom, and I called her back at 11:30pm! I had tried to go to bed, but I couldn't stop crying, so I called Mom back and talked to her for another 30 minutes. Before I called her, though, I prayed and wrote in my journal and heard the Lord reassure me of His perfect timing and placement. I felt much better after hearing God and hearing Mom, and I fell asleep almost instantly.

Today was sort of lazy, sort of crazy. My first class on Mondays isn't until after lunch, so I got to laze around a bit, then go to class, work, dinner, and PE. It was a little stressful getting from work to dinner to PE, because the dining hall and the gym are on opposite sides of the campus {intentionally, I think!} and so I was worried about being late to class. But I actually had plenty of time to eat and get over there, and I was even early!

Since I have an 8am class tomorrow, I’m going to bed now. I hope you all enjoy this update, and I will try to keep you up to date of my thoughts and classes and interesting things that happen at college. Goodnight!

OMW

Dear readers, please take my advice: unless there is a genuine NEED to move finals, don't! I moved two of my finals, and with those movements, have 4 finals and 1 speech and 1 HUGE project due within 3 days. I'm officially crazy.

Why, you ask, would I do such a silly thing? Am I going out of town? Out of the country? Out of my mind!?!?!? Yes to the last one.

The reason I moved 2 finals is so that I can go see Toy Story 3 in theaters at midnight on Thursday, and I didn't want to take finals on Friday morning. So here I am, keeping my head above water and praying that this movie and experience with friends will be worth it.

I know it will be. I'll be done 2 days before the quarter is over. I won't have to worry about school AND work at the same time (day camp starts on Monday, and we have all-day care on Thursday and Friday of this week), and my sis will be home, so I am free to go hang with her. It's just a little crazy right now. But I can do it! Jesus told me this morning that His grace is enough, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Of course I can do this!

Right now as I write, I'm already done with one final and my speech, and I'm working on the project. I should be done with the project before I go to work today (hopefully!), and then tonight is study session central!

Thank you for taking time to read my venting. It helps me clear my mind, and I'm sure it helps you appreciate your finals schedule! :)

Beautiful

I don't remember if I've mentioned this before, but in case I haven't, YOU, my dear readers, need to see the movie Bella. It is the most incredible story I've ever seen, and my favorite part is that most of the movie takes place in one day, with some flash-backs and -forwards.
Here is the link to one of the best songs of the movie, and this is also the information about some other great songs. Unfortunately, Bella does not have a soundtrack put together, although I've heard that the producers are working on it.

But for right now, here are my favorite songs.

Joey Ryan ~ Light On

Rosemary Clooney ~ Sway

Rachael Yamagata ~ Meet Me by the Water

Enjoy!

P.S. Here is the link to one of the movie trailers...GO SEE IT!!!