Pirate Flag

For all you country music lovers out there, Kenny Chesney's latest release Pirate Flag has made me do some thinking recently. When I first heard the song I loved the tune and how catchy it was. However, after listening to it a few more times I really heard the lyrics and they spoke to me. His chorus says:

"I spent my whole life running around,

Still let the wind kinda blow me around,

Well I dropped a note in a bottle,

To a long-legged model,

And I traded it in for a whole 'nother world,

A pirate flag and an island girl"

 

 

After hearing this over and over it's like I was slapped in the face and realized this is something every human does. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came down to Earth, died on a cross, to save me of my filthy sins. I personally accepted Him into my heart, after asking for forgiveness of all my sins, and I was wiped clean of my past life. I now strive to grow closer to God, to live my life for Him. I don't partake in certain things because I know it's not what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I live my life (as best as I can) according to how the Bible says to. By no means am I perfect, I do mess up ALL the time, I still sin just as everyone else in the world. But, the great thing about it is I know my sins are forgiven, and that my Father still loves me no matter how many times I mess up!! How awesome is that?

 

We all "spend our whole life running around", looking for something that can fill an empty void within us. Because we are searching for something to fulfill our happiness, it's like we "let the wind kinda blow us around", right? Now I never dropped a note in bottle for a long-legged model, but I did ask God to come into my heart and forgive me of my sins, because I believe and admit that my faith is in Jesus Christ.

So many people are so comfortable in their lives, even though they are itching for something else. Many people say they are "Christian", but they live their lives in a worldly manner. Many believe that following Jesus means they have to give up the "fun things of the world", i.e.: partying (drinking, smoking, drugs, etc.), pre-marital sex, occupation, luxuries, fine clothes, etc. But, it's not a list of rules to be followed like at school, they are guidelines of how to live our lives so we can be closer with Him, where we can eventually proclaim his name to all the nations!!

 

I don't call myself a "Christian", because I don't want to go to hell, rather for what the word really means "little Christ". I want to be able to interact with people, and for them to know immediately that there's something different about me. That by the way I talk, and live my life, that they can see how different it is it could be something that they would want to partake in as well.

So let me ask you this: are you willing to trade your life in for "a whole 'nother world"? Not for a pirate flag, or an island girl, but for eternity with Jesus Christ.

{If anyone reading this has any questions about their faith, or wanting to gain more information, please feel free to message me and I will be more than willing to help explain anything that needs to be cleared up}

Peanut Butter Brownies

I L.O.V.E. baking and I'm so glad that I have more time to create yummy food. If you're looking for something to bring to a graduation party, church event, or family gathering then try this recipe out. Trust me... it will please everyone's sweet tooth!!!

Peanut Butter Brownies:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter
5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour (do not use self-rising flour)
6 Reese cups

[[(The recipe tells how to melt the piece of melting chocolate, I find it easier to just use Cocoa Powder and vegetable oil) = for 1 oz. of baking chocolate a recipe calls for you use 3 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder + 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil. So this recipe would require 15 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder + 5 Tablespoons of vegetable oil.]]



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  In a bowl [or your Kitchen aid stand mixer] beat the sugar, vanilla, and eggs together. Add the butter (softened or melted, doesn't matter), along with the softened-melted peanut butter, then mix. Add the chocolate mixture, and then beat in the flour until everything is well blended.

3. Unwrap all of the Reese cups and place them on a cutting board. Cut them into smaller pieces, about 1/4 of an inch.

3. Use whatever size pan you think would be best. I used a 11 X 7, but the recipe says a 9 X 9, just depends on how thick or thin you want them (mine turned out thick!!). Spray the pan with pam non-stick cooking spray (or whatever alternative you may use), and spread the mixture into the pan.

4. Sprinkle the Reese cup pieces onto the top of the batter in the pan, you can even press them down into the batter or add them in the bowl and pour all at once. (I just wanted to make sure every spot had some, so I placed mine on top).

5. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until the brownies start to pull from the sides of the pan (or until you can't resist the smell any more)! [[Ours were completely baked at 28 minutes, and if I wanted them a little gooey probably could've taken them out a few minutes prior]] Then cut however you see fit!

6. Pour a big glass of milk (caution: they are REALLY rich), and enjoy!!

Husband's Are Great

At our wedding ceremony. Washing our feet as a commitment to serve each other in our marriage.

When I was younger my idea of a husband was someone I could kiss whenever I wanted, pay for things I desired, build things all manly like, and provide for the family. Now that God has blessed me with my wonderful Husband Keven, He's opening my eyes to something far more greater than whatever thoughts I previously had. Most marriages may not have the goggles of appreciation that many should, but rather they look at their spouse as an object. Whether that object is another income, a way to reproduce, or a way to not feel lonely, it's saddening to me that spouse's do not look at the other with much care and appreciation for what they do. I've been doing a lot of thinking with all this free time since graduating, and I realize why my husband is so great. (These, are just a few!)

1. My Best Friend
We've known each other since 2006, and talked for seven months getting to know each other before we even considered dating. When I look back at some of our conversations I remember letting my judgment shield down, and acting as weird as I could get at times. I felt comfortable enough to act goofy over the phone because he never judged me (in fact, he's one of the main causes for my true weird side coming out). Over that past 7 years he has always been there for me, supporting and encouraging me in good times and bad. I can talk to him about anything (which is healthy in a relationship, especially one as important as a marriage) good or sad and know that he's listening and giving meaningful advice.

2. Chores
Somehow society has filled our minds with the logic that it is the man's chore to take out the trash. Maybe it's because it's the simplest chore around the house to do, nonetheless, it's one that I just loathe doing. (I have taken out many bags of trash over the past 10 months of living together, usually because Keven is at work and I don't want it to overflow, but when he's around I always use him as the go to guy to make sure it's taken out). He is also great at helping me clean our teeny tiny kitchen. Some days I'm exhausted and have no interest in tackling the pile of dishes that have accumulated for half a week (don't judge: we've all had those moments where something else sounds better than cleaning), and out of his love for me he doesn't even complain, he'll just get up and start tackling the pile so I can rest. It's also great having him as my hubs because when I see any bug around the apartment I know he'll step up and take care of them. Now these are all things that I'm perfectly capable of doing, but it's sooooo wonderful having someone else that is willing to help out and make life more enjoyable! (hmmm, it's like that's what we were created for, to be a helper to our spouse...)

3. On the Road Again
One of my earlier posts mentioned about how hectic our month has been since it's required many road trips. I have had my license for 5 years, but if I don't have to drive four hours somewhere that is fabulous! Before we were married, when we had breaks from school, I looked forward to going home, just not driving the four hours required to get there. But now I love the trips more, because Keven is beside me (9 times out of 10 driving) and I typically get to rest (aka sleep the entire time because if we aren't talking it's impossible for me to stay awake in a car). Before the trips consisted of conversations filled with the stressful amounts of school work still to be done, or how we didn't want the trip to end because we would have to face reality of school. Instead they are now filled with what we think the Lord has in store for us career wise, or how many kids we would want the Lord to bless us with, or how we would raise those kids, or what types of holiday traditions would be best. Since it's just the two of us for at least 3 hours, there are less distractions, which gives us quality time to converse!

4. Dinners and Misc.
Since my Nannying job goes until 6 or 8 pm, when Keven isn't working he is more than willing to make dinner. This is another huge blessing, because after watching 3 kids for a few hours, and driving an hour daily, I get tuckered out fast. It's so wonderful that he's available to provide a hot meal for me when I get home, instead of me walking through the door and stressing out about starting dinner and eating really late. Also, if we have people coming over and I know some things need to be straightened up, I'll send him a quick text like "Oh, ____ is coming over, please straighten up the table, organize my canvases and art supplies, fold the blankets, and make sure the bathroom is decent" to which is replies "Ok, no problem! I'll take care of it". He could get frustrated that he has to clean on his day off, or that he has to tidy up instead of napping or playing a video game or whatever he has planned. However, he does not let my list ruin his day, because he knows how much stress is lifted from me.

Our God is a great God! He knew exactly what He was doing when He created Adam, and then created Eve to be his helper. I'm so glad God created us for the purpose of helping each other, and I'm so thankful that I have a wonderful helper. It saddens me to think of how most marriages don't view their spouse in this way, probably because said spouse is not willing to be self less to help out the other. If I can give any advice it would be this: look at your spouse as the helper God intended for them to be. If you are overwhelmed with all the household chores you juggling, along with running your kids to misc. event, all while trying to make sure you feed everyone and the fish, bring it to your spouse's attention. By your spouse helping you out with what you need to get done, you can in return help them out with a project they may be tackling for work. You were intended to be a team, not to be two random players occupying the court.

It's the Little Things

During the school year Keven and myself were both extremely busy. We spent most of our time going to classes, going to our four jobs, soccer practices/games, doing a ton of homework, studying for exams that all fell on the same week, trying to find time to be with our friends, or trying to stay human by eating or sleeping.

However, now that we've graduated, we have had a lot more free time. Don't get me wrong, looking for jobs online for countless hours is loads of fun, but sometimes it's nice to sit back and enjoy the little things in life. Now, these little things were exactly that, little. They were so small during our hectic schedules that I never had the chance to appreciate them.

So, here you go, here are some of the little things that I've been able to appreciate lately:

1. 2 Square
Last Tuesday Keven and I went to the beach for a few hours. After covering ourselves with sunscreen we figured we would play 2 square to let it all soak in and dry. Typically we like to play 4 square, but since it was only the two of us we just drew two boxes in the sand and began to play. It was great just being able to play with Keven. Sometimes when we play games or sports with our friends I get embarrassed if I miss a shot or if I lost the point for our team or what not. But, when I play games with Keven, I know he doesn't judge me, which is great because if I mess up he's always there to encourage me to bring my spirits back up.

2. Snuggling
During the school year we would always get up early for classes, and stay up late doing homework. Then the weekends would consist of Keven working most of the time, so we would have to do more homework or studying around his work schedule. So we never really got to enjoy much snuggling time, because we thought we should spend it doing school work. (However, there were several times where we were so tired we would go cuddle and nap in bed...I mean you need energy to focus on assignments right?). But lately, we've been cuddling on the couch when we watch movies, or as we're waking up in the morning (and boy, it sure is nice)!

3. Creamer
We ran out of coffee creamer about two or more weeks ago. And somehow it has been forgotten on the shopping list. So last night while buying groceries, I saw it while looking at yogurts and remembered to pick so up. (ironically it was not on the list again). There's just something about creamer in coffee that tastes wayyyy better than using milk!

4. Painting
With all this free time, I've been spending my time trying to be creative and paint on canvases. Since graduating I have completed 8 paintings!! Whooo Hooo!!

5. Reading Together
This past semester we took our final English class, and the only time we read together was when we read stories for class. Yet, lately we've been finishing this book we started last summer. Keven's sister gave it to us before we got married. It's a great book that talks about the intimate side of marriage and how important it is to keep the romance alive. I highly recommend it (just message me and I'll give you the title ... due to having younger people follow me on Facebook I want to keep this rated G). It's been nice to get all ready for bed, snuggle up, and read a new chapter. Then discuss what we found important or answer the questions the book tells us to ask each other. I have definitely enjoyed reading in bed...here's to hoping we can continue this! :)

6. Precious Nieces
This past weekend we drove up to Greenville, SC for a graduation party Keven's church family was throwing for all the graduates in the church. So, to make the most of the 36 hours we began our trip at 5:30 AM Saturday morning. This gave us plenty of time to hang out with Keven's family. It's always fun staying with his parents, because his older brother and his family are living with his parents while they transition back to the mission field in a few months. That means that my precious 5 year old niece Richelle and my other adorable 3 year old niece Anara are always begging us to play with them. I do my best to put any exhaustion aside, and bring out my inner kid to make their day enjoyable! On Sunday evening we played monster with them for a bit after dinner, so they had some more playing time before going to bed. Once their mom, Charity, told them that they needed to say good night and good bye (we were leaving at 8 pm), they both became really sad and when Richelle came to hug me she started crying and whispered in my ear "I don't want you to go, I love you Aunt Jordyn". Absolutely  broke  my  heart!! I had to convince her that we would be back soon to play some more! Ahh, she is such a sweetie. Earlier that weekend she just paused in the middle of playing kitties and looked at me and said "Aunt Jordyn, I love you so much, you are so fun to play with", followed with the best hug a 5 year old could give. This just overwhelms my heart with joy!

You Still Need Your Friends

A few weeks ago someone told me that when a person becomes involved in a dating relationship they lose two of their closest friends. Before this year I would think that was absolutely ridiculous, until I experienced it first hand. Now don't get me wrong, I know when you first start dating someone it's new and exciting and you want to be able to get to know them more blah blah blah. However, I personally don't think it's healthy if you spend every free moment you can with them. It's important to invest time with your friends for a few reasons:

1. They were there first:
Remember that you partook in this friendship way before your dating relationship. Your friends were there when you first met your love, and you probably asked advice about if you should take the next step (become boyfriend/girlfriend) or just remain friends with them. You probably trusted them enough to meet said person, and if they approved then you felt comfortable to go ahead in the relationship.

2. God made us different:
As much as I love being married, I think I would pull my hair out if I wasn't able to see/hang out with another female. Don't get me wrong, I love Keven with all that's in me, but it's nice to chat with my girlfriends and talk about girl stuff. Any guy will tell you how much they enjoy a night with the guys, whether its playing basketball or video games, just being able to hang out together is so enjoyable. Same thing goes for girls.

3. When things get rough:
What happens if your and your new love have a disagreement, or get into a huge argument? Most of the time, you think you're right while the other thinks they are right. Most people don't know how to work through such a matter, and they like to take the easy route and call it quits. It's good to be able to vent about this frustration to your friends. This way you get an unbiased third party involved, and they can help you to take a rational approach about it.

4. Real ones tell the truth:
Your friends want you to be happy, and don't want to see you end up with a lame-o. Therefore, they will be able to surface your "loves" flaws and bring them to your attention. This is great because you may still have the love puppy goggles on, clogging up your vision. Now you can see if this flaw is something that you can work past, or if it's something that could be a deal breaker.

So, how can you go about making sure you don't lose two of your closest friendships when you become involved in a new relationship? Look at your calendar and set specific days/nights to hang out with your friends. If you go more than a week without talking with your friend, or more than two weeks without hanging out, then some red flags should be drawn. Your friends can only do so much with texting, calling, sending Facebook messages, etc. to get your attention, it's up to you to return the favor and set something up. If you don't, right now it may not seem like a big deal, but when you look back at your past all your memories will be filled with just going in and out of relationships, and not having steady friends by your side.

May Madenss

Forget about NCAA march madness, the month of May is packed full of events to keep Keven and myself busy!! Out of the 5 weekends in May, we are booked for 4 of them! We are so grateful to have understanding employers that are flexible with us needing practically every weekend off.

Here's the breakdown of our month:

May 3-5: Graduation weekend, time with all three families
May 10-12: Home to Winston-Salem for a much anticipated wedding of Jonathan and Emilie!!!!
May 17-19: Home to Greenville. Keven's home church is throwing a graduation celebration for all the high school and college grads -- it's so nice to have a small, loving church family!
May 24-26: NOTHING!! Here's to hoping for a beautiful weekend we can spend at the beach ;)
May 30-June 2: Traveling home to Winston late Thursday evening, then heading to Ohio Friday with my Dad for my cousins wedding!

Let me just take a moment to talk about our trip this upcoming weekend. I am beyond excited that Keven and I get to participate in Staff & Em's joyous day! Jonathan and Keven were roommates at CSU Freshmen and Sophomores year, and we had the pleasure of meeting Emilie when she would come visit Jonathan once or twice a school year. Luckily for Staff, his roommate had a girlfriend (me) that attended CSU, which allowed Emilie to spend weekends on campus with no hassle of an expensive hotel room! First meeting Emilie I realized how outgoing and inquisitive she is. The first night she stayed in my room I think she asked me 20 or so questions trying to get to know me, which was nice because it was a good ice breaker! They are both so sweet, every time Emilie would stay with me in the dorms, or now at our apartment, they would tell us "thank you" several times. We love being able to help them out, and help make their weekend visits smoother! (We know how dating long distance is a pain, so we completely understand what they have gone through the past four years). 

I'm very grateful God has blessed Jonathan and Emilie in our lives. They both have a deep passion for serving Our Lord, both athletic, both smart, and when they are around each other it's impossible to not feel the love they share. Dating long distance is no joke, and these two, through the help of God, have made it work over the past 4 years!! And in 2 short days they will never have to worry about planning weekend visits, spending parts of breaks with each other, skyping, or saying the dreadful goodbye. Marriage is such a wonderful thing created by God, and I'm excited that they get to share this experience with each other soon!

So, here's to you Staff & Em!

Amanda Castle Photography

I'm a College Graduate Babayyy

This past Saturday was one of the biggest days of my life (one being the day I got married to this stud I met at summer camp, and the other is when I gave my life to my Savior...those are both stories for another day). That's right folks, three days ago (May 4th, 2013) I graduated COLLEGE!!! This is a huge deal because I am the first person in my family to graduate college. My parents worked for the air force, and my older brother followed in their foot steps. Two of my cousins have their associates degrees, and I have two aunts who attended college, i'm unsure if they received their bachelors, associates, or if they completed. That being said, it feels great to be the first to accomplish something this big!! [Now, if the Lord provides me with the chance to go to grad school, then i'll be the first to achieve their doctorate degree as well!!]

This weekend was sort of pretty chaotic. The rough part about having divorced parents is trying to coordinate with an additional family, that's right Keven and myself had to do our best coordinating with three families! [insert stressful image of pulling out my hair here.] However, it all seemed to work out. My dad surprised us and came in late Thursday night, giving us more time to spend with him and his significant other. They treated us to Ihop for breakfast, and then Longhorn steakhouse for dinner! Due to the cruddy weather Charleston gave us, we spent most of our time indoors this past weekend. Later that night my mom, step dad, and siblings came in along with Keven's parents. My family was only staying friday night, so after dinner we said bye to my dad and headed over to my moms hotel to hang out with them for a few hours. My little brother wanted to spend the night with us, so he enjoyed playing Mario Kart on the N64 with Keven, until we realized Keven didn't have his black dress slacks here, resulting in a trip to walmart at 11:45 pm -_-

So, then we reach Saturday. It basically went like this: rush around to get ready, sit in traffice, rush to find where the heck our classmates were being stashed, take random pics with the iphone, walk out to a cheering crowd making you feel like you were famous, sit down, listen to boring speeches, and wait for 500 names to be called so you could walk across stage, focus on not  tripping, and sit down like a giddy little girl who just recieved a note from their crush. I'm sure I annoyed everyone around me, because my mom sat on the left side of the colesium, while my dad and Keven's parents sat on the right side. So while sitting and listening spacing out to the speeches, I kept constantly looking over and smiling (before and after diploma was in hand). Although it could've been worst, I could have been some of the people who played on their phones the entire time (what's the point of even attending then?).

Anyways, everyone knows the drill afterwards. Call your families and try to meet up somewhere to take a million pictures. The only thing that sucked about Saturday was the fact that we did have to coordinate between 3 families, I wish I would have been able to take pics with my friends that I didn't get to see while being stashed in a hallway, oh well, it's done and over with. After several pictures, and my poor mother in law trying not to catch hypothermia, we went out for a good meal at cracker barrel! Then, after my dad messed around and gave the waitress a hard time, we said our goodbyes to my Dad and Lori, and changed to go meet Keven's brother's family at the beach. [yes, I know that with every cloud possibly in the sky, and rain sprinkling it's not the most ideal weather, but hey, this family was deteremined to go to the beach, and Kristofer surprised us by getting his shift switched so he could attend!] So, after being splashed by the high tide and getting a good 3 inches of my jeans soaked, we said our goodbyes to them, and met Keven's parents to see Iron Man 3 (highly recommend)! Afterwards they treated us to taco bell, and then to Ihop the next morning before church!

Sooooo, yeah. That was pretty much graduation weekend! It's cool to know that my side of the family is proud of me, and that I can inspire my little brother and sister to work hard and to graduate college as well. I know Keven's family is proud of me as well, but they raised 4 brilliant kids who all graduated college with some sort of Cum Laude! Taking a moment to brag: I really pray that the Lord blesses our kids with Keven's smarts. This guy graduated Valedvictorian of his highschool with a 5 point something GPA, and graduated college with Summa Cum Laude (3.9-4.0 GPA) and through the honors program (only 3 of the 567 that graduated that day graduated with honors). So yeah, I'm pretty proud of him and wish I could have done just as well, but my GPA is still good enough to apply for Physical Therapy School so I'm happy!!

Here are a few pics from this weekend: (I will work on making these bigger later, the blog or my computer won't let me resize them at the moment!)

Lately this weather...

In previous years here at CSU spring starts in late February. Often students are wearing shorts and tanks to class by early-mid March due to the mid 70 degree weather that we are blessed with. Every year it is a struggle to not want to skip classes and spend the day at the beach, or skip being a "good" student and spend all weekend at the beach. Sure, there are days where it may rain crushing all these hopes. However, since being at CSU I haven't experienced this kind of spring that we are facing now.

This one semester I have finally taken a lighter load of credit hours, and there have been many weekends where I look forward to relaxing by either studying while laying out at the beach, going to the pool on campus, or playing some sand volleyball with my friends. But, mother nature has had a different idea for spring in Charleston. Sure there have been beautiful, sunny days with a high of 80 degrees, but it seems like those days a l w a y s fall on a day where I must study for a test, or when I'm working. Yet, there have been more yucky, rainy, cloudy days that have taken over our spring season, consisting of jeans and longsleeve apparel due to the lower temperature.

Now that I am done with classes, finals, and well college (Praise The Lord) I was hoping to use this week before graduation not only as time to look for a grown up job, but also to wind down and relax. Want to know the forecast for Charleston this week?? It falls under the yucky, rainy, cloudy days as I mentioned before. Here it is:

 

So, how in the world am I supposed to enjoy all the beauty of this town when I get weather like this? I planned on spending ALL day at the beach, walking around downtown and using our new camera to take beautiful pictures, and play countless hours of volleyball to jump in the pool in order to cool off. Perhaps I've just been spoiled the past 3 years. I just have a strong feeling that once we move out of Charleston, or if I get another 2nd job that the clouds and rain drops will go away and seldomly make their appearance. Oh well, I know the Lord has the weather like this for a reason (maybe to motivate me to actually use my time wisely). So, thank you Charleston for all of your beautiful sunny days, and for all the rainy days that we've been blessed with.

Oh, and one last thing, to whoever is reading this can you say a prayer for the weather Saturday? (GRADUATION DAY) It would be really nice if it was sunny, low humidity, and the clouds, or potential rain, held off until later that evening. Thanks! :]

Newest Addition

Back in August Keven & I heard some really exciting news about his oldest sister Kara!! Her and her husband (Alex) told us that they were expecting their second bundle of joy. We were beyond excited for this new blessing in their life (if you knew the back story to it all, and all the complications that occurred last time, you would understand all of our excitement). This past Monday (04/22) we woke up to a missed phone call at 7:31 AM, and when we called Keven's mom back we received news that Kara had her baby boy (6 days early!!). So after our last final on Friday, we packed up and headed up to Greenville, SC.

We made a quick pit stop and picked up a new toy as a graduation gift for ourselves. We are very excited and love our new investment! Seeing as how I lost my digital camera charger and have been unable to find a replacement, and we can't find Keven's, we decided to invest in a Nikon 3100. It was very challenging trying to make a decision, especially after I do my own research and ask for peoples advice making a decision for myself, then going into the store and the sales associate trying to talk us up to a higher camera (I'm assuming they didn't realize we were poor college students looking for a good deal). Nonetheless, we are stoked about our new toy and had a great time taking newborn pics for Alex & Kara.

taken via iphone

Ok, ok, enough small talk. The main point about this post is to introduce our sweet nephew, who as of right now is 6 days fresh from the oven. I'm no photographer, but these pics I'm about to show you are straight off our new camera without any editing! 

Introducing, Baby Ryan Dakota Shrum. <3 

That face!!

Seriously, melting my heart!

Frustration with Finals

Before my first-last final. 

I am very excited to announce that yesterday, Friday, April 26, 2013, I took my last college final ever!! I am beyond excited to be done with this stressful semester and look forward to getting so rest. However, I would just like to take a minute to give my thoughts on why finals frustrate me.

Final Exams frustrate me more and more each year. Maybe it was senioritis kicking in, or the stress, either way this year felt worst with this frustration.

Frustration numero uno:    Lack of preparation.
 All semester you learn all sorts of material that you are tested on throughout the semester. Then, some professors like to teach new material after your "last" test and A) either include that material on a final, making it feel like a usual exam, or B) they incorporate that material along with all the other material you've forgotten learned over the past few months.This wouldn't be as bad if professors gave you more inclination as to what was going to be on it. But, is it just me, or does anyone else get really frustrated when you spend countless hours studying something and maybe 1/10 of it is on the test...I mean let's be real, they could've been nice and informed us of half the stuff they didn't plan on putting on the final.  This would have ensured a lower stress level experienced by the student(s).

Frustration numero dos:    Back to back.
Most universities have their finals in a one (school) week time frame. That being said, if you are like me and a lot of others who typically take 17 credit hours (equaling to 5 classes and 2 labs) then if you are lucky you have a final on EVERY day, or if you are luckier (sarcastic tone) then they get grouped together on the same days. [[yayy more stress!]]

Frustration numero tres:    The Pressure.
Most Professors are nice and use the Final as a way to boost your grade above that B+ mark, but seriously, when you are one week away from sweet, sweet freedom, who even wants to think about doing exceptional? I love when professors give you the option of dropping your lowest test grade, so if you are a good student and make it to every test then they allow you to let your final be the dropped grade. Then there are professors who make the final 25% or higher of your total grade, this is the difference between passing and failing!

Frustration numero cuatro:     No more reading day?
Most campuses allow the students to have a day before finals start, to gather all their thoughts and make a game plan as to how to attack these monstrous tests, but not CSU. Apparently, students were taking advantage of reading day and local beaches were filled with college students on the day the University allotted us to spend chained to the desks in the library. So now classes are either straight review the day before, or a cram session to get every last drop of info into the students notebooks. But I see it differently, we are all grown adults and if some of us want to study on the beach so be it. They shouldn't allow a few peoples actions ruin something for the rest of the University...but oh well, welcome to 'Murrrica.

Frustrations numero cinco:    See ya later sleep!
Everyone knows that when this week roles around students can all say goodbye to sleep and start getting "jacked up on mountain dew". However, one of the main things we're told is to get plenty of rest...I don't think I have ever slept more than 6 hours before a final. Maybe it's better for the students that don't have to work, I made the mistake of still working both my jobs during finals so that probably didn't help.

Anyways, congrats to those of you who are done with finals, or almost done. And a even bigger congrats to those of you who are about to GRADUATE (including kev & I). I hope after all your finals are done you can get plenty of rest, sleep in, enjoy your summer and family, and maybe even work to save up moolah for the next semester!

(Side note: Highlight to being done is I'll probably be posting a lot more on here. It may not mean a lot since there are only 5 or so people who check this, but thanks for checking it if you do!)

Before entering our fourth final...kind of over it by that point. 

Secure In the Unknown

photo credit: Michelle Priester 

 

   As my senior year of college is wrapping up I have so much left to do before graduation. After today there are only 7 more classes left until finals start! (insert excited yet not ready for finals tone here) If trying to stay motivated to finish strong and not give in to senioritis isn't hard enough, I also have to do my best to hang out with as many of my friends possible before we all go our separate ways. Oh and did I also mention that in between all of that I'll be working both of my jobs, and trying to figure out what the Lord has in store for Keven and myself?

Trusting in the Lord, easier said than done.  After I realized that we would not be attending grad school right after graduating, and that taking a year off is what the Lord had planned all along, I knew He had plans for us to live somewhere and would provide us with jobs. However, now that I literally have 22 days left until I walk across that stage, grab my diploma (being the first to accomplish this in my family), and enter the real world of adulthood, it's hard to not doubt what God has in store for us. Don't get me wrong, I know He will provide, He has shown that for us time and time again, but when you barely have time to even look at places to live, and you have already applied to ten or more jobs it's hard not to wonder what we are supposed to do.

So far we have a few options. Option number 1 is to stay here in Charleston, find somewhere to live, continue working at our jobs (adding hours of course), trying our best to find a second job, and volunteer at physical therapy places. [this option is favorable because it's convenient, and we would still be around our closest friend..however, God doesn't call us to be comfortable] Option number 2, move towards my family in NC, and find jobs and a place to live. Until that happens bumming off my dad and living in his spare bedroom. Option 3: moving towards Keven's family and pretty much doing the same thing. [These two options are great so we can spend more time with our families, and not just when we visit for a holiday]       O u r goals are to get a Physical Therapy Aide or Rehabilitation Tech job, and live in either an apartment or a really small house. However, those jobs are not easy to come by, especially in this job market, which is a bummer since it would look great on our grad school applications and possibly get our name out to some companies for when we actually do graduate grad school.
[[Side note, I saw an article the other day that said 2013 graduates will have the hardest time in history trying to find a job in this economy...well isn't that encouraging?]]

But, for now, we have to focus on all the last minute assignments and doing well on our finals. Thankfully we have until the end of June in our tiny apartment at CSU, so hopefully by then the Lord will open the next door in our life. If you're reading this and would like to say a quick prayer about where we should live and our job situation, I would greatly appreciate that!

"In sickness and in health"

Charleston has been experiencing some pretty bi-polar weather lately. One day it's sunny high of mid 70's, then the next two days are full of clouds, rain, and a high of 50 degree weather. Since the weather can't make up it's mind a lot of people around our area, especially on campus, have been getting sick. Keven, just so happened to fall victim to weather's nasty spell.

Keven was sick for about a week, and it all started when it barely snowed here one night, causing it to get below freezing after we fell asleep. I had a big week ahead for me in school, I had a lab practical, quizzes, homework, and two tests. So this was no time for myself to feel sick, however, when your spouse is sick it's another task to add to the pile. For the first day (Sunday), he pretty much just laid around and tried to get a lot of rest. That did not do the trick going into the week. When I woke up Monday and rolled over to wake Keven up and felt his back really warm, and instantly I thought "oh no, he might have a fever". So I convinced him to get out of bed and try to shower to see if maybe he was just warm from the covers. Now, if you have ever been sick you know how crummy you feel and how you yearn for someone to take care of you, like your mom, roommate, or significant other. Thankfully, Keven had a pretty good care taker all week (not like I'm bragging or anything). Here are a few tips I've learned about taking care of someone you love, even when you may not want to.

1. Make sure they get some rest
There are two kinds of people when you get sick. One type are those who as soon as they have a sore throat immediately think they are sick and need to stay home to get better (when a cough drop, or hot tea could be the answer). Then there are those that want to fight through and don't want the illness to take them away from their schedule (aka Keven). I made sure Keven didn't go to any of our classes on Monday, (which is hard on him because we have quizzes everyday in English and his micro class takes A L O T of notes).

2. Think of how you would want to be cared for
It's easy to get wrapped up with what all you have to do in the mornings, and the easy option may just be to tell them to lay in bed or help themself around for what they need, just so you can make it on time. We don't have a tv in our bedroom, so I set up our ironing board at the foot of our bed, and brought in 4 DVD's I thought he would enjoy while not feeling well. (He chose The Little Rascals, and then home alone--good picks!)

3. Make sure they eat
That morning I was literally running around trying to make him hot tea and toast, and catering to whatever I could get him before I left for 4 hours (enter dramatic tone here). Even though he only ate half a piece a toast, that was still enough for his stomach to hold in order for him to take some Tylenol. (Not a good idea to take medicine on an empty stomach, especially if you are sick).

4. Sick come first, healthy come second
To me it didn't matter that I didn't get dressed or ready until 9:45 AM for my 10:00 AM class, or that I missed breakfast that morning (which if you know me, is a huge deal, I have to have something on my stomach before I start my day. If I don't, it could result in me passing out. Luckily, I packed a cup of Sunny D to have something in my system). While trying to study for my practical that evening, Keven said he still wasn't feeling well and thought he had a temperature. Well, since we didn't have a thermometer or anything besides Tylenol sinus, I told him I would go pick up a few things (at 10:30 pm might I add). I quickly went to Walmart and got a thermometer, covers, NyQuil, Advil, and a heating pad (his neck was tense). Then after getting him situated, again, I was able to finally continue studying sometime around midnight.

5. Patience, patience, and more patience
If your "patient" is sick for less than 24 hours, you have it made! However, if you are my "patient", you are sick for 8 days (all with different symptoms--who doesn't love a guessing game? not...). Constantly remind yourself that they are feeling worse than you, and are depending on you to get them through this mess. I understand after the __ day that you are sick of asking what they would want to eat, or if they don't answer you because their throat or head is hurting, TRUST ME. But, push through and make sure they are taken care of as best as you can, and then continue with your work, studies, and chores.

6. Reschedule items if needed
I tried to make sure I could get Keven well enough for a test he had later that week, and also for when he worked. However, Tuesday evening did not give any good indication that he would be able to work 8 hours, on his feet and talking to customers. I convinced him to call the night before so they would have plenty of time to find someone to cover his shift. So if your "patient" has any appointments (other than a doctor's), work shifts, or plans, logically think if it is best that they still partake in any one of those, or help them to see why they should reschedule any of them.

I have learned after taking care of Keven for a week that I am not ready for kids! I can only imagine trying to take care of all of us, and what it would be like if 1 gets it and spreads it to the rest of us! (Not looking forward to that) Very thankful I was able to take care of an adult, who if he needed to, could do some things on his own while sick.

Do you like my sweater?

Hey guys, sorry for posting this so late. This week has been full of tests that have kept me occupied.

Last week was full of excitement! On Monday (02/11), Keven & I reached the 7 month mark in the anniversary book [[time is flyyyying]], Thursday (02/14) was our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, and Friday (02/15) was the Sadie Hawkins Dance at school. For those of you who may be unaware, a Sadie Hawkins Dance is just like any other dance but with a twist. Instead of the boys asking the girls to go, the girls are supposed to "make the first move" and ask their crush. When I first saw the flyer's around campus I thought "hey, that sounds fun!", but then I started to doubt and think "well I don't know who all will go, and it might be full of freshmen". Then I found out that a couple of our friends had already been asked by ladies, and were wondering if we were going to go. So later that evening I asked Keven, and with a warm smile he answered that he would love to go. Our group decided to go out to eat at a place downtown called California Dreamin'. This restaurant is very beautiful and sits right beside the Charleston Bay [they are also known for their fresh croissants that are drizzled with honey...YUM!]].

So next came finding what to wear. I went shopping on Wednesday to get a new dress, because I knew my cute little Sunday dress's wouldn't do. After looking around I finally found a dress that was length appropriate (since all the dresses were booty dresses on me >:0 ). I bought a cute dark purple dress, that had a see through, lace back (only the very top half). As for the guys, they decided to take to heart the lyrics of Relient K's Sadie Hawkins Dance song, and wore khakis and sweaters. When the dance was over our group had intended to go over to some one's apartment and play games. However, it was super late and as soon as we all sat down it was better to just relax and watch a movie. So we capped off the night by watching Shrek (I know, I know, we can get pretty c r a z y ) Overall the dance was fun, and it was a great time to hang out with our friend and make another memory before we graduate in May. :(

Here is the link to Relient K's song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txy5wV42Hqo
(I couldn't find the real music video, so this is close.)



The Yummy Croissants!

At California Dreamin'

 

 

 

Valentine Mayhem

     Today is February 14, and whether you are married, in a relationship, or single everyone knows what today is. Most Americans have a skewed view of what today must be about. Many believe that you not only have to have a Valentine, but that you also have to worry about getting them a gift! These gifts often include: roses, chocolates, jewelry, cards, clothes, etc. Many people are so wrapped up in "spoiling" their loved one, that they go to any expense to do so. Don't get me wrong, I love gifts just as much as the next person, however, I don't think we should let society force us to think we have to have such items in order to show our love to someone else. Society has already done a great job making women think they must look like a stick to be "sexy", that we have to have the latest high-tech gadgets to be "accepted", that our clothes and looks make us who we are, etc. when in fact none of these things matter at all. What matters is that you are able to use today to reflect back on the days that you have shared with your spouse or loved one. To reminisce on all the joyous moments, and think about how you can try and prevent any moments that were not so great. It's not a day to compare your gifts to what others have received.

 As sad as it may be, I used to be one of those people who compared what I got to others. In high school it was easy to compare what I did or didn't get to the other girls receiving valentine's gifts. Since Keven and I didn't go to the same high school, or live in the same state, we were never able to spend Valentine's day together until College. But, back then I would always hope I would have a gorgeous bouquet of flowers waiting for me at home, or that I would have a new shiny piece of jewelry to show off to my girlfriends. It always felt like a competition, like you didn't have a "awesome" boyfriend if he didn't spoil you and empty out his bank account. [Now, I don't know about you, but Keven & I had to work in high school to get things we wanted. So when we bought each other gifts it was because we worked hard for our money, not because we took our mommy with us so she could buy it for us.] This being said, when you barely bring in $300 a month, it just didn't make sense to drop $50 on the cliche red roses, fancy chocolates, or giant teddy bear. What I'm trying to get at, is don't let people influence you on what you think you should receive on Valentine's day, appreciate whatever it is that you received. Keven is a great writer, and in high school would s p o i l  me with poems and songs. However, I never fully appreciated his writings because it wasn't something I could rub in someone else's face. How pathetic is that? Thankfully, I can still pull out one of those poems, read it, and the emotions I felt when I first read it flood over me all over again.  

 

     Now let me take a moment to brag on my man. Keven woke up at 8:30 AM (which is special in itself, because we don't have class till 11, and usually wake up at 10), cleaned part of the kitchen, and proceeded to surprise me with a Valentine's breakfast with three yellow roses (I don't care for the red ones, too cliche). This breakfast was so sweet because he made one of my favorite breakfast foods, pancakes! Not only did he make pancakes, he shaped the batter to look like a heart!! How cool is that? I was stoked to eat them, and the yummy (turkey) bacon on the side! He is also planning on a special evening, which includes cooking me some sort of yummy dinner, and then we may go see a movie, or get a redbox.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! :)