Chilled to the bone

Well, I am finally at home in Michigan for the next 3 weeks for Christmas break! I must say, it is FREEZING here! I don't think my body has ever taken this long adjusting to Michigan weather. At times, it can be almost unbearable. My mom had to give in and give me one of my Christmas gifts early, a pair of slippers, because pretty much the only time my feet are not numb is when I'm in the shower. It's crazy!

On a better note, I'm so excited for Christmas this year! I'm probably one of those really annoying people that have the Christmas spirit right after (or before) Thanksgiving. I usually start listening to Christmas music about a week before Thanksgiving and I watch Christmas movies all during the week of Christmas. Today I watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol," which is my favorite holiday movie! Tomorrow my aunt and uncle are coming into town and are staying with us for the next week. I'm excited for everyone to get together on my mom's side of the family on Saturday and we'll have Christmas with my dad's side next Tuesday. It is the first year I've had more than one Christmas day! We're baking our traditional Christmas cookies in the morning, which consists of sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, and possibly shortbread cookies. What are some of your family Christmas traditions?!

~Merry Christmas~

Almost home free!

These have to be the absolute 2 worst weeks of the semester every year. We get back from Thanksgiving break, which is always great, and have 2 weeks to cram everything we haven't learned into the curriculum and study for final exams. I actually think 2 last couple weeks have been more stressful than next week is going to be. Since I only have 1 final a day and none of them will be that difficult, I will actually have time to sleep! YAY SLEEP!!! But lately, I've been studying for pre-final tests, working on group projects and giving presentations. What I don't understand is why we have to take tests the week before finals. Why can't the teacher just tell us that we won't have a regular test on the stuff we just learned, but know it for the final? In my mind, this would be so much easier for the students because we wouldn't have to study the same material twice and for the teachers because they wouldn't have to grade the same stuff twice. Call me crazy, but it would be easier on everyone! Once I get through tomorrow and Friday, I'll be almost home free. I still have to make my last video (thank goodness) tomorrow and edit it this weekend to turn it in on Monday. Then I just have 2 exams and I will be back on a plane to Michigan next Thursday. I cannot express how much I am looking forward to not having to set my alarm to wake up every morning and being to just sit around. Knowing me, I'll get bored in about a week because I'll have nothing to do, but for now, it sounds wonderful! I'm just praying that God will get me through the next week in one piece. He always does!!!

Goodbye to a good friend

The day before Thanksgiving, my family lost a good friend to cancer. Sean O'Brien fought colon cancer for 7 long years. He was only 41. Today was his memorial service and it was one of the most touching funerals I have ever been to. He was one of my parents' best friends so it's been difficult seeing them grieve. I must say Sean's family is one of the strongest families I will ever know. I can't imagine going through a second of what they've gone through. We could always tell when he was having a good day and when he was having a bad day. He always enjoyed hanging out with friends even if he wasn't feeling well.

One of my biggest regrets was not going to visit him when he was living in Tulsa doing experimental treatments. Sean lived there for a few months and I probably made the excuse of being too busy or not having his phone number to go visit with him. I know my visiting wouldn't have cured him, but I would've been able to be a friend when he needed one the most. Now I know better. I also know that Sean is no longer suffering here on earth, but it completely healed and happier than ever. I pray that if I were to ever get sick, that I would fight as hard as Sean did. And whether Sean had beat the cancer or not, he still won in the end. Thank you, Sean, for being a wonderful friend to me and my parents and an example to us all!!! We miss you and we'll see you soon!

Holiday Poundage

The time of year has come to...gain that extra weight. I'm already feeling it. My friend and I were discussing at lunch how it is almost pointless to begin watching your weight now when Thanksgiving is only a week away. On top of that there are 2 other Thanksgiving dinners to go to before the actual holiday. As soon as that is over, Christmas season is here. I cannot begin to explain how much I LOVE Christmas! Happy people, good music, shopping, and, of course, food! Really, really good food!!! My weaknesses are Christmas sugar cookies, sweet potatoes and anything that has pumpkin in it!!! YUM :)

I've actually begun gaining weight besides the holidays. My freshman year I lost a little weight so pretty much all the clothes (especially pants), which I got for Christmas, had to be taken back for a smaller size. Now I have the opposite problem. No, I don't think I'm fat, but I'm not very happy with my metabolism speed. I have a pretty fast metabolism, but I can definitely feel it slowing down on me this year. I tend to skip the salad bar in the Cafeteria and stick to Ramon Noodles for lunch when I'm in my apartment. Probably not the best idea. I don't snack a whole lot, but I do try to avoid walking to any of my classes. When I lived in the dorms, I would walk anywhere I went unless it was off campus. For some reason, it seems like the apartments are further away from the academic buildings than the dorms, but honestly, it's most likely not true. Now that it's getting colder outside, that just gives me more of an excuse to drive everywhere. What's wrong with me? I know that walking is good for you, I guess I'm just lazy. My friend said that we're actually supposed to exercise 7 days a week, 60 minutes a day on top of our everyday walking routine. Who made that one up??? I don't know anyone who exercises that much, seriously!

Anyway, maybe I should start walking to class when it's nice outside. Maybe I should cut back on the pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes this holiday season... Then again, maybe next year!!! :)

Sick as a dog?

Have you ever heard this expression when you're really sick? I've never really understood it. I mean, what if your dog isn't sick at all? My mom used to say it all the time when one of us would have to stay home from work or school. "...Jennifer isn't coming to school today. She's sick as a dog!" I've been thinking about this expression as I've been lying on the couch the past couple days "sick as a dog." The more I think about it, the more I still don't understand it.

Anyway, I freaked out Sunday night at work when I felt a tickle in my throat and suddenly feeling the urge to drink a gallon of water in about a 30 second time span. This is how I can always tell I'm coming down with something. And knowing my interview at WBTC was coming up in just 5 days, I really freaked out! This is the one thing I didn't want to happen. I would rather go in there having not showered, wearing hobo clothes than go in there sneezing on everyone! It reminds me of a scene in "The Devil Wears Prada" when one of the girls, Emily, is delivering something to the editor-in-chief with a Kleenex in her hand, coughing like a crazy person. The editor-in-chief asks if anybody needs anything else after Emily has left the room and says, "...anti-bacterial wipes, perhaps..."

Luckily, I'm getting over this bug fast. I took off a couple of classes in order to rest and got someone to cover my shift at work last night. I pretty much only have a runny nose left and I'm hoping that will go away at least long enough for the interview, let's hope! Heaven knows nobody wants to hire someone who has infected the whole company with their germs. It's not really a good first impression, needless to say! Also needless to say, I will be bringing hand sanitizer with me to the interview!!!

It won't be long

...before I have to start dressing like this lady Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. As a kid I always dreamed of the day I would work full time, be a wife and a mother to 3 to 5 children. Now the only thing I am still looking forward to is being a wife, but I have yet to find the perfect guy.

This weekend is our homecoming weekend, where alumni come and see how their Alma Mater has changed and how it has stayed the same. Last night while watching the homecoming musical, I realized that this is the last musical I will see at OC as a student. Next year I will be an alumna. Do you know how scary that is? Well, it's really scary. This semester I have taken a lot of time to work on my resume and portfolio to make them look nice and professional.

On Monday I got an email from the CEO of World Bible Translation Center asking to meet with me for an interview. I have connections to this company through my grandparents. They had a meeting with the VP during fall break and since I spent my fall break with them, I had to go. What I wasn't expecting was to get a lead on an internship/job. They asked me what my major was and the moment I said PR they were asking me what I know about social media. They now want me...ME...to look over some of there work and make suggestions as to how to encourage the younger generation to become more involved with WBTC through social networking. I was completely taken back by this. I honestly thought it would be like any other internship or job I've applied for and flop, or not go anywhere.

So I now have this interview next Friday in Fort Worth to tell them my ideas. I have been trying to think of every question they are going to ask me so I can have the answer ready to go, but I'm so afraid they're going to ask me that one question that I would've never thought of and not have an answer for it. Nervous? I would say so! I'm not only nervous about whether they're going to like me or my ideas, but if they do and want me to come work for them after graduation, that means moving to Ft. Worth. Moving from OKC to Ft. Worth, I think, would be a bigger move than it was from Detroit to OKC. When you go to college, most people make friends instantaneously and if I do end up moving to Texas, I don't know a single soul in the Ft. Worth area. I would have to make new friends, find a new church, live in my own apartment (I think I'll get a dog...), and work full time. Talk about growing up. I honestly am not sure if I'm ready for this, but then again, it could be an answered prayer. I've been praying for a job to come my way where I can do what I love, which is PR and social networking, and not have to worry about it interfering with my morals and values. I mean, this is sharing the Bible with the world and I think that is very important.

So through all of this venting, rambling, and babbling what I'm trying to say is, please pray for me! Pray that they like me and my ideas and that I could possibly have a job after graduation. And that no matter what job I get, I will please God through my work!

"You give & take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, Blessed be Your Name."

These past couple of days have been pretty rough. My friend, Stephanie, had a miscarriage and had to have a D & C this morning. Everything happened so fast. This was definitely not expected and is really heart breaking. I feel so much for her, Robin and Gabby, but I have never been in their situation and, honestly, hope to never be. Even after praying and thinking a lot about it, I still have no words that would make them feel better. I think I am asking the same questions they are... Why them? Why now? How can this be a part of God's plan? I know that God has a plan for everyone and I also know that good will come from this. But it doesn't always help the pain.

Just Monday Steph and I were talking about the size of the baby and 3 days later there's no more baby. I've known people and even family members who have gone through miscarriages, but I've never experienced it in this way. Needless to say, it's very sad. I pray throughout the day and at night that Robin and Steph can get pregnant again soon. But they are troopers and are handling this better than I ever could. They have so much faith in God it's incredible! I look up to them so much spiritually and as a couple. These situations can tear relationships apart, but this has definitely made theirs stronger. So, if you could, please say a prayer for my friends.