I ♥ This!

Lord, Give Me Patience, but Give it to me Now!!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase "Good things come to those who wait." or "Everything good is worth waiting for." Those type of phrases.  I am not necessarily arguing against those words of wisdom, but I just need to say . . . It's hard to wait!!

There are several things lately, that I've been waiting on and for.  On the outside, I may appear calm and patient and in many ways I am (patient anyway, not gonna try and claim calm lol).  You see, throughout my life, I have always had to wait for things.  I have never had things handed to me.  I've had to work hard.  It has not always been pleasant or easy, but it has taught me that I can make do without things.  So, even though I do not enjoy waiting, I guess you could say I am used to it.

Today, I was thinking, "Okay, Lord, if you're trying to teach me about patience, I get it!!  Let's move on to something else please!!"  And then I chuckled at myself.  Just the fact that I am having this conversation with God shows that I have actually not yet learned the lesson of patience that He wants me to learn.  You see, I'm already eager for God to commence with the instant gratification and leave off from the waiting game.  The Bible says:

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31

God has a reason that He wants me to keep waiting, so I will keep waiting.  I will use the time given to me to "renew my strength"; to prepare myself--mentally, spiritually, emotionally--for whatever it is that is coming my way--good or bad.  God already knows what it is and He is asking me to wait so that I will be best prepared.  He is ready to prepare me for it.  God knows exactly what I need and why I need it.

"One day at a time"  The older I become, the more this makes sense to me.  It does us no good to worry about tomorrow.  We need to worry about today.  Do what is necessary for today and tomorrow will take care of itself.  God gives us grace sufficient for that day.  He knows just what we need.

I can't help but be reminded of The Lord of the Rings.  (By the way, if you're unaware of my geekiness, then you've obviously never read my blog before) ;)  But it's something that Gandalf says early in The Fellowship of the Ring.

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins.  Nor is he early.  He arrives precisely when he means to."

The same can be said of God.  Maybe His timeline doesn't match ours.  But that doesn't mean he is late or early.  Whatever God does is good and right and His timing is perfect.  So much better than ours.  Our finite minds cannot see all ends and sometimes we cannot see how something in our lives can possibly be for our own good, but God sees what is coming and He knows better than we do.

So maybe you're sitting there and you're thinking "I am soooo tired of waiting.  I'm ready for my life to begin."  Well, you know what? I think someone once said "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."  So go on out there and start doing what you know to do.  Maybe you're waiting for a significant other.  Maybe you're waiting for a better job.  Maybe you're waiting for God's healing hand on you.  Maybe you're waiting for better times all around.  Just keep taking it one day at a time and praying and asking God to guide you and make the path clear for you.  He will lead you, if you let Him.  

One thought I wanna leave you with is this.  "God wants the best for your life."  Just remember that.  God loves you and wants what's best. Carry that thought in your heart and you will have a smile on your face. :)

Shows I Loved as a Child

♫ Picture pages, picture pages, open up your picture pages.  Time to let Bill Cosby do a picture page with you ♫

Does anyone else remember that little song? I used to watch Nickelodeon every day as a kid and Picture Pages with Bill Cosby was one of the things I loved.  I think it's time I make a list of these things and see if there are others out there who remember these long ago first favs of mine.  (These are not in any particular order)

1. Rainbow Brite:

 I LOVED Rainbow Brite.  I used to beg my mama to give me a "side ponytail" so I could be just like her!! I remember getting Rainbow Brite sheets for my birthday when I was 6 years old.  Wish I still had them.

2.  Belle & Sebastian:

  

This show was . . . EPIC!! I remember loving it so much.  It was about this boy (Sebastian), who lived in the Alps, and his huge dog (Belle).  I think this dog is the reason I want to own a St. Bernard.  I mean, seriously, with a dog this large, if your car breaks down (as mine often does) you've still got a ride to work!

3. Rose Petal Place:

 

Okay, so I confess. I can't remember if this was a tv show or just a doll that was out during the early/mid-80s.  But I remember I thought she was so cool and I wanted one.  She smelled like roses, if you can imagine. lol

4. Pinwheel:

Did anyone else watch Pinwheel? It was just one of those little Nickelodeon shorts.  I can still remember the words to the theme song!

5. The Little Prince:

This was a show I watched every day.  I just thought it was a great show.  It wasn't until I got older that I was introduced to the actual work by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which I now also love.  The show was about this Little Prince who lived on a tiny planet where he spent his time cleaning tiny volcanos and taking care of a very persnickety rose plant.  He would use his net to catch shooting stars as they passed by his planet and they would bring him to earth where he would have adventures.  Much loved by me is this old, lesser-known cartoon.

6. David the Gnome:

I remember watching this and Maya the Bee during the summers when I would go to visit my Mamaw.  I enjoyed this one a lot.  I'm trying to remember did Tom Bosley do the voice of David for the American version? Anyone remember?

7. (The afore-mentioned) Maya the Bee:

Another great Nickelodeon show!

8. Gummi Bears:

There's no other way to say this except that this show was the BOMB DIGGITY!! I loved this show.  I can still sing all the words to the theme song.  I also remember my brother, Eric, had a Tummy Gummi stuffed animal.  Just a teeny bit jealous of that. :)

9. The Bozo Show:

I remember being so excited when we first got cable.  I was 5 years old and my mom said "We're going to get cable and when we do, you'll be able to watch The Bozo Show." It only came on WGN and at the time we were living in TN and it was not a local station for us.  I remember thinking how I wished I would be an "at-home" winner for the Grand Prize Game.  Sure would've loved one of the Schwinn bicycles.  I still, to this day, cannot hear Schwinn bicycles without thinking of The Bozo Show. :)

Is it just me or are cartoons/kids shows not this awesome anymore!?  I feel sorry for the kids now who are growing up in the age of reality tv and shows like Hannah Montana.  They are missing out on some of the coolest shows ever!  Did you watch any of these shows? What do you remember about them? If you watched different shows, what shows did you watch? Inquiring minds want to know. :)

~ Taste the Rainbow ~

This is a rainbow cake.  I want to make (and eat) one.  I don't think I even need to say anything more. :)

Kutless - What Faith Can Do

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you're stronger
Stronger than you know

Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason
For someone not to try

Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright

Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can

I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do

Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

Count it Joy!

Remember when you were a little kid?  Life was easy as a little kid.  All you had to worry about was playing outside and making sure you picked up your toys. Also, making sure you didn't dump water on your little brother's head in the bathtub . . . could've used a heads up on that one. haha But seriously, it didn't take much to make us happy when we were kids.

We played outside!

We played in the water (any chance we got!!)

Fun was seriously exhausting!!

As children, we took great joy in everything around us.  We were fascinated by something as simple as a butterfly.  We would play with the packaging that our Christmas presents came in. There is an enviable innocence to childhood that we don't even realize or appreciate until it is gone.  Because then . . . we grow up.  We see the harsh realities of the world in which we live.  We experience hurts at the hands of people who are supposed to care about us, as well as those we don't even know. Sometimes life can become overwhelming and we don't see any hope.  All we feel is despair in our situation.  But let me tell you, friends.  Life does not have to be that way.  If Christ is a part of your life, he can bring back that joy that you once used to have.  He wants to.

You might think that as a child of God, your life will be easy and that the reason why Christians can have joy is because nothing ever goes wrong for them.  To that, I have only one word . . . Hah!!! Think again! 

Any of you who know me at all, know that my life is far from simple and easy.  I have had to work hard to get where I am and even now it's nowhere to brag about.  I'm a thirty-something who lives with her parents, drives a piece-of-crap car and can't pay her bills.  But I choose not to focus on that.  I choose to focus on the blessings that Christ has bestowed upon me.  Ok, so I'm living with my parents right now, but hey, I just graduated with my Accounting degree from Purdue and I'm finally doing the work that I've been trained to do.  I'm working on bettering myself.  

Rebekah: 1; Despair: 0.

Sure, I have a car that is a piece of garbage, but will I have it forever? No way!! I can look forward to the day when I will say adios to (not so) dear old Damian and say hello to something a little nicer and more dependable.

Rebekah: 2; Despair: 0

I can't write this post without mentioning the fact that I am, as of this moment, still a single girl.  There was a time when that seriously bothered me.  What could be so wrong with me that no one wants me? What did I ever do that would make me undesirable to someone as a life mate?  But over the years, I've realized, I can't base my happiness on a person, unless that person is Jesus Christ.  Because no matter how amazing that person is, they are human.  They are fallible.  There will come a time when they will fail you.  However, my God NEVER fails me.  In Joshua 1:5, God promises us "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  Even when we feel like no one is on our side; that no one cares for us.  We still have God's love and His presence.  So, am I alone? Absolutely not.  If at some point God brings the right guy along, then I am definitely ok with that, but until then I am happy to be with the people who love me and the God who has promised to always be there for me.

Rebekah: 3; Despair: 0

You know, the Bible talks about "joy".  James 1:2-4 says:

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

This verse says we should count it a little joy? just some of it? No, it says ALL joy.  God sends difficulties and trials our way, but He does it for our good.  God knows what He is doing.  He knows what we need.  If He sends something our way, it is for a reason.  Maybe you went through a horrible divorce.  Maybe you were in a horrific car accident.  Maybe you lost a loved one to cancer.  Those things were difficult.  There were days when you could barely put one foot in front of the other.  But you made it through, didn't you? And now there are others out there going through the same situations and they need someone who understands, who can just be a friend.  What better way to be a friend than to say, "Hey, you know what? I've been there and yeah, it's tough, but I came through it and you will, too." What an encouragement!

Trying.  It's not exactly a word that gets tossed around that often anymore, at least not in this context.  Dictionary.com defines it as an adjective meaning: difficult or annoying; hard to endure.  God uses trials and temptations to try our faith.  He wants to make us stronger.  And so often we fight against it.  We say "No, God.  This is too hard.  I can't do it.  Take it away."  But look at the next verse (vs. 4) But "let" patience have her perfect work.  Yes, it says let.  When God sends trials our way, we are to let Him do it.  It is necessary to make us into His image.

We are much like this clay pot.  God is using His hands to shape us into the person He wants us to be, but we resist Him.  And when we do so, our pot doesn't reflect Him, so He has to reshape us.  That's when it hurts, but the end result is so worth it.  So, if you are a Christian and maybe you are experiencing some difficulties in your life (or drama, as I have recently dubbed it), why not examine your life and see how you can let the joy of life in Christ shine through you to those around you?  You don't have to be a Debbie Downer.  You can smile in spite of your circumstances because the God who loves you has given you so much to smile about.

Let me also say, if you're reading this and you don't have joy in your life, and you don't have peace.  You can!!  Through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you can know peace in your heart and find joy in life once again.  Christ died for your sins, so that you can live victoriously on earth and so that you can live forever in Heaven.  He loves you more than any person ever can.  He wants to be a part of your life and He can be, if you will let Him.  If you'd like to know more about how to begin a personal relationship with Christ, please send me an email or message me on facebook and I'd be happy to explain to you in greater detail about my wonderful Savior and what He's done for me and what he can do for you.

And if you see me with a smile on my face, it doesn't mean my life is perfect (far from it).  It just means that I am choosing to claim God's promises and have joy. :)

p.s. Here are some other verses about joy. Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, Isaiah 29:19, II John 12 :)

Forever in Peace May You Wave

American Child

The following link is to a song that I love and particularly today the message hits home.  I do thank God for where He chose to put me and for the freedoms that I have.  I thank God for the people who came before me who were willing to fight and die so that I can have the freedom of speech to post this blog tonight.  I thank God for my brothers who serve our country in the military.  For Eric, who has served overseas in Korea and Iraq.  I'm so thankful for his willingness to serve so that the rest of us can be here and feel safe.  I love our country and I am proud to be an American. That's all.  Goodnight. :)

http://youtu.be/3c1x3wcbvAc

But Wait! . . . There's More

So after my post from last night, I feel this post is necessary.  So, This morning, I left my house with four dollars to my name.  (As you'll know if you read my last blog post) :)  Over the course of the day, I spent $1 (Thank goodness for Customer Appreciation Day at Jimmy John's!) and when I got home, I was joking with my friend about my $3, only to discover that I got a check in the mail today for close to $140!  I had sold some textbooks online last week.  I wasn't expecting the check to come until next week!! God is so good to me. :) So, after buying a few supplies that I needed at Target, I now have not just $3 but $123!!! Amazing! :)  "And now you know the rest of the story" to quote Paul Harvey. :)

It's All About Perspective!

As some of you know, I've had some financial troubles recently.  Things were not great to begin with but they got even worse after I had to take my cat to the Vet ER (That's a story for another time.).  Anyway, because of the ordeal with my cat and then some bills that automatically are withdrawn from my bank account, I became overdrawn.  So then even after I got paid, I still was left with hardly any money at all because I was stuck paying stupid overdraft fees.  So today, I braved all and went to my bank website to see if I actually had any money.  I admit I was too scared to look before.  (I haven't used my card since Saturday.)  To my surprise, I have $4!!

These days four dollars doesn't buy what it used to.  I could buy one gallon of gas (that IS depressing, ok moving on).  I could buy four Pepsi's from the vending machine at work.  I could buy four McChicken sandwiches from McDonalds or two sandwiches and two drinks.  I gotta say, I have never been so happy to see four dollars as I was to see that tonight.  No, it isn't much, but "Little is much when God is in it." and I am trusting Him that four dollars is going to see me through.  If He could increase the widow's oil, He can certainly sustain me.

This past week I've been noticing that the brakes on my car are really bad.  But due to the afore mentioned situation, I won't be able to get them fixed for a while.  I was actually getting a little scared driving my car, but felt like I had no other option, but to drive it.  So today, God took that choice away from me.  My car simply did not start this morning.  I sorta think it was God's way of letting me know I am NOT to be driving that car.  Is it highly inconvenient? You bet, but am I relieved not to be driving it? Absolutely.

Will I be financially "out of the woods" anytime soon? Probably not, but God knows what's going to happen and there are worse things than having no money.  Like having no job or having no food or no one who loves you.  It's all about your perspective. 

P.S. This last picture came up when I searched Google images for "four dollars" and it struck me so funny, that I wanted to share it.  Has anyone actually seen this movie? lol Also, my four dollars are not looking for vengeance.

Note to self . . . No, Really!!

Dear Rebekah,

It was lovely spending time with you this week.  Monday was such a gorgeous day and I really enjoyed the Memorial Service and the grilling out! It's true! Everything does taste better on a grill! And throughout the week, I appreciated how you wanted to spend some time outside getting some air and just being outside of work, but if you do not start wearing sunscreen, you and I may finally come to that parting of the ways.  Which would be extremely awkward at this point.

Sincerely, Epp E. Dermis

Simple Pleasures

I am sitting here with Kaia cuddled up to me (with Puppy of course) and Faith and Mama Wentz and we are watching Toy Story. I am reveling in the fact that I have no homework I have to work on.  It is amazing.  That's all I wanted to say. :) Hope all of you are enjoying such simple pleasures. :) G'night ~

Sixty Seconds Ain't Gonna Cut It!

For those of you who don't know, I listen to a particular podcast on a very regular basis.  What podcast is that, you may ask? Starkville House of El or SHoE as it is fondly called.  This podcast is dedicated to the television show Smallville that just ended its ten year run on the CW (formerly the WB).

First, I'll tell you about how I came to love Smallville.  My brother, Eric, recommended the show to me a few years back.  I am thinking it must've been in 2006.  He told me that the show was really good and that it was about the origins of Superman.  So going into it, that's all I knew. [I have to make a confession right here.  Prior to Smallville, I had never even seen a Superman movie. I know.  Shocking, isn't it? But I digress.] I went to my local library and got the first two seasons of Smallville on DVD.  It all worked out better than I thought because I ended up getting the flue that very day and so I spent close to a week at home in bed.  Hmmm what could I do for a week at home, laid up in bed? I know! I'll watch that show I got from the library! :) I think I got through seasons one and two during the time I was sick and I was chomping at the bit for season three!  I don't remember exactly how long it took me to get through the seasons.  Our library didn't have season five so I ended up borrowing it from a friend.  I then got caught up on what was the current season (season six) and ever since then I have kept up with it pretty regularly.  So that leaves me at about 2007.

Let's fast forward about two years to 2009.  I also need to mention that I am a Lost fan.  I had been listening to Damon and Carlton on the Official Lost podcast and I had the thought "Hey, I wonder if there's a good Smallville podcast?"  So, I went to iTunes and the first podcast it brought up was SHoE.  So, I figured I'd give it a listen and see how I liked it.  Well, I didn't like it . . . I LOVED it!!! I started with Episode 117 unedited for the Smallville episode "Hex"  Here's what I liked about it:

1.  These guys (just Steve and Derek at the time) had Southern accents.  My family has roots in the South and I, myself, was born in the mountains of Northern Georgia, so the podcast immediately had a comfortable, familiar feel to it.

2.  Steve and Derek were also HILARIOUS!! They had the same sense of humor that I did and I found myself chuckling often and outright laughing at the comments they made and/or observations.

3.  These guys had some real insights into Smallville and Superman.  They knew about the mythos and they could explain why things worked or didn't work for the show

4.  They never once believed that Chloe was Lois.  (This probably isn't that pertinent, but I never though Chloe would be Lois, so I was kinda surprised that there were people who did.)

5. (and some people might call this a negative, but I don't.) It was long!! I loved the fact that it was long.  I liked listening to podcasts while I was at work. The Lost podcast would sometimes go 25 minutes at its longest, so when I saw that these guys' podcasts ran anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours, I was like "Sweet! This'll keep me entertained at work!"

These are just a few of the things that I enjoyed about the show.  I also enjoyed hearing Derek going into Rainman mode and list all the episodes of Smallville in order.  I loved Steve randomly bursting into song (mostly because I am always doing that) and I just loved the overall format.  I saw some people's reviews on iTunes that were like "oh these guys know their stuff, but they get off topic too much." I'd like to slap those people, I LOVE when they get off topic, because that's usually when the hilarity ensues!! hahah

Listening to SHoE then led to my listening to Geek Out Loud (The official podcast of www.geekoutonline.com).   It also led to my getting a Netflix account, which has opened up a whole slough of television shows and movies that I have been able to enjoy.  But more than that, it led to a real love for Superman.  As I mentioned earlier, I had never really even seen Superman before.  I went out after watching Smallville and listening to SHoE and bought Superman: I - IV on DVD ($10 at Target, what a deal!) and watched all of them.  I have since grown to love those movies (okay, maybe not IV so much, Mark Pillow at his best) and have acquainted myself more fully with the mythos.  SHoE definitely broadened my geek horizons.

For the past two years that I've been listening to SHoE some really big stuff has gone on in my life.  My dad had cancer and was then diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.  We are grateful to God that his cancer is now gone, but my father's Parkinson's is a reality that we have to deal with every day.  It adds a lot of stress to my family and sometimes things get to be more than we can bear.  I am a Christian, so I know that God is watching out for me and my family and that He will not give us more than we can bear, but sometimes things can get discouraging.  Outside of my faith, this podcast (and Smallville) is one of the things that never fails to bring a smile to my face. For a little while, I can forget about the insanity that makes up my life and get lost in a fantasy world, where a man can fly and super heroes really do exist.  The guys over at SHoE asked for video submissions of 30 to 60 seconds where we could just say a quick thanks or tell them what the podcast has meant to us over the years.  I'm sorry, but 60 seconds just wasn't enough for me to say what I needed to say, so I decided to blog it. (Besides, I'm not that photogenic anyway lol)  So, here's to the guys of SHoE, not just Derek and Steve, but the guys who started it and the ones who stepped in when they were needed, Joe, Robin and Damien (btw, my car's name is Damien lol) I appreciate everything you've all contributed and for making this such an unforgettable experience.

I don't think there's any other way to end this post other than saying ♫ Thank you sooo much ♫ and of course "You ARE great!"

The End . . . But Really The Beginning . . .

So, this week will be the end of a lot of things for me.  It will be the end of my life as an undergraduate student.  It will be the end of crazy schedules that have me up at all hours of the night like some kind of lunatic.  It will be the end of my time in Virtual Showroom, the dept. that I've worked in for almost three years.  But in all these endings, there is something else; there are beginnings.

Beginnings, what a lovely word.  I roll it around on my tongue.  Beginnings, beginnings, beginnings.  It is such an amazing word because it is so full of possibility.  I start a new position next Monday.  I have no idea where this will take me.  I am both excited and scared at the same time, if I'm being honest.  Excited because I will finally be doing work within my field of study.  Excited because I will be working full time and hopefully, will be making enough money now so that I can start paying down my bills.  Excited because in this new endeavor, I will be meeting new people/new friends.  Excited because I finally don't have to spend all my free-time making power points! It seems that's all I've done this semester.  If you don't believe me, ask my family or the Wentzs.  They'll all tell you! haha

But then the fears creep up.  "What if I can't do this job?" "What if the other people in the department don't like me?" "What if this doesn't work out the way I hope it does?" Aghhh!! . . . and then I realize how silly I am.  My fears are unfounded.  I have a God who is so much greater than my fears.  He knows what is right for me and what I can handle.  He can give me the strength I need to do this job. Yep, that's right I'm claiming Philippians 4:13. :)

So, all that to say, I am coming up to a bend in my road and I can't wait to see what is around the corner.  God has been so good to me, so I have pretty high expectations. ;)

Shifting Paths

Anne's horizons had closed in since the night she had sat there after coming home from Queen's; but if the path set before her feet was to be narrow she knew that flowers of quiet happiness would bloom along it. The joy of sincere work and worthy aspiration and congenial friendship were to be hers; nothing could rob her of her birthright of fancy or her ideal world of dreams. And there was always the bend in the road! ~ Anne of Green Gables

Just Some Random Things About Me . . . In No Particular Order

• I like Superman.
• I eat my Skittles in a certain color order every time.  [Ask nicely and I'll tell you the order]
• Fight scenes in movies make me grin from ear to ear.
• I will laugh at almost anything, so if I laugh at your joke it doesn't necessarily mean you're funny.  Sorry, but there you have it. ;)
• I would drink Pepsi every day if I had the choice.
• Wearing socks to bed is for the birds.
• I have a fierce love for my friends.  They mean so much to me.
• My eyes are the same color as my mother's.
• I miss my Mamaw.
• I love God and I am so happy to rest in Him and see where He is leading my life right now.
• Singing is as natural to me as breathing.
• I have a mini-me.  Her name is Faith. :)
• I am a little obsessed with Bejeweled Blitz . . . 
• Some of my dearest friends are those I met during my time working at The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center [which is one of my favorite places on earth]
• I text A LOT.
• I like hanging out with my brothers.  They are all so hilarious in their own way and fun to be with.
• Words intrigue me.

From Thanksgiving . . . and BEYOND!!!

I know I haven't posted for a while, so before I pour my heart out to you about God's goodness to me, I'll give a general run down of the last couple of months.

Thanksgiving came and went.  We spent the day with the Mihich family and then ended up at the Wentzs.  What a fun day!

Then in December we had the pleasure of having my brother, Eric Drabenstot, here with us for almost 2 weeks. He had just gotten home from Iraq and we all really enjoyed our time with him. We also got to see his wife for a couple of days.  She is Korean and had been in Korea for the latter part of his deployment and had been spending some time with her family.  We are so happy that now they are together since Eric is stationed in Texas.  We had some good times while Eric was home.

We got A LOT of snow.  Eric really enjoyed doing donuts.  I, however, am not such a big fan of them.

Eric left around the middle of the month.  Our next big thing, was Christmas.  We had a very lovely Christmas this year.  We didn't have a lot of presents, but I think quality is better than quantity. :) We spent the entire day at home as a family.  It was really nice.  We ate, opened gifts, played games together and watched Toy Story 3.  I think I speak for all of us, when I say, we had a very good time.

We also enjoyed good food and family bonding at Aunt Audrey's celebrating Christmas.  We swapped stories of Christmas memories.  It was very special.  I enjoyed hearing some of the memories that my grandparents and those older than me shared about their past Christmases.

I always enjoy time off of school.  Sometimes my brain feels overloaded and I just become mentally exhausted.  I ended Christmas break with house-sitting for the Wentzs.  As usual, I can't take myself anywhere.  Only a day after they left, I proceeded to fall down the stairs and injure myself. lol
But I really enjoyed getting to spend some time feeling "independent".  :)

And then . . . . <drum roll please>

School resumed . . . to be continued