Wonderful Weekend With Lil' E!

First, off...Lil' E is my little sister Erin.  Sometimes I refer to her as Lil' E because she loved writing little "e"s over and over when she was little. 

So Erin came and stayed with me this last weekend for the first time since I've been at college.  Yes, she has come with my parents for the day here and there, but this is the first time I have gotten to have her for a whole weekend.  It was such a wonderful one, too!  We had lots of good sister and girl time. 

Aren't we just the cutest?  We were ready for a day out.

Here is what kept us busy for the 43 hours we were together.  We went for milkshakes.  Twice.  I got vanilla and she gotten chocolate strawberry.  YUM YUM!  We also watched three movies that made us laugh.  We also made a midnight run to Wal-Mart where we bought some makeup items.  On Saturday, our friend Rachel joined us for the day.  We went to consignment shops downtown, had lunch, and got our nails done.  When we got back to my dorm, we ordered pizza and watch two of the weekend's three movies.  We also laughed, giggled, and talked a lot.  It was FUN!  We went to bed close to one and didn't get up until ten!  We were tired I guess from our busy day of enjoying ourselves.  Erin and I spent Sunday morning just laying around and talking before she left.  It was much needed.

Above and below are pictures from the weekend.  Erin in her camo onzie that she found at a consignment shop along with her aviators from our trip to Wal-Mart.  Above are our pretty nails after our manicures.  Below, Rachel jumps into a picture with Erin.  So fun, so cute, and so need another weekend like this one again very soon!

We had such a great weekend together.  I am already looking forward to having Lil' E come again.  This weekend made me realize that I need to make more time for weekend fun and little adventures.  Erin also needs to come more often because I miss her!

Clinque Make Up

Clinque products are my favorite.  I use all sorts of their stuff.  My favorites are their moisturizer, white eye shadow, cream shadows, lip gloss with SPF 15, and barely there powder with SPF 15!  I use all this stuff nearly everyday.  It's the best!  I could not live without the Clinque stuff I have, and thank goodness it lasts so long.  But do notice that I didn't mention eye liner or mascara.  Well...that's because I use a lot of those two things and go through them quickly.  Mascara and eyeliner that do not last long with me.  I do not go out in public without either.  

Last week at work I had a conversation with a coworker.  She said that when she has a "real" and "grown up" job she wants to get pedicures once a week!  I thought "WOW...that's expensive and your toes aren't visible all the time."  But your face is!  After talking to her, I got to thinking.  (Oh no, right!?)  During my thinking time, I decided that when I get a "real" job I will have Clinque mascara and eyeliner and moisturizer with sunscreen.  I think those would be good products to spend money on.  After all, your eyes for making eye contact are on your face along with the lips you use to communicate.  You don't use your toes for those things. 

I suppose I'll let my coworker do what she wants when she grows up, but I do thank her for sparking my thought about what I want when I grow up.  Clinque!  BUT I do know that there are more important things to want in life.  Good health, family, friends, food on the table, and a roof over my head are what I truly want.  I want them more than all the makeup in the world!  However, when I can afford the good mascara and eye liner, I think I might buy some.

Honor Roll, Oh Yeah!

I made the President's Honor Roll at WSU for the fourth semester in a row!  (I took a class online during the summer semester in 2010.)  That means I have had good grades every semester since I have been at college.  I work hard at school and am very proud of myself for making the honor again.  Last semester was tough.  I worried  my grades would not be as good as previous semesters.  It was a HUGE relief when my mom called last week to say I was listed in the local newspaper for making the honor roll at WSU for Fall 2010.  It is reassuring to know my hard work and hours of studying paid off once again.  I apologize if this sounds like I am bragging, but grades are very important to me.  Grades truly do matter.

I am one more semester closer to being done with school.  EXCEPT...I do not know how long I really plan on being in college.  Four years total?  Seven years?  I do not know how long yet because I do not know what I want to be when I grow up, or what degrees I want.  Either way, I am closer to be done, and my goal is to continue making the honor roll!

A Little Inspiration

Last night my friend, Laura, and I swapped fitness magazines.  She took my Women's Health and I took her Shape.  Both are great with good and healthy information.  I read these types of magazines for inspiration and motivation.  This morning Laura and I went to the gym.  She ran while I walked on the treadmill and read through Shape. 

While reading, a set of words jumped out at me.  It is was an inspirational quote said by Audrey Hepburn.  It goes like this:  "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."  I think this is a good reminder of how we should treat others and even ourselves.  All I know is that I really love the message it has given me and I am going to try to be the person the quote describes.

A Few Pictures From 2010

I just wanted to share a few pictures of mine from 2010.  They aren't in any sort of order, and I hope to start sharing pictures more often.  I love looking at photos, therefore, I assume people will enjoy mine.

My parents and I with my first car-a 2010 Subaru Legacy I call Subby.

Tim McGraw concert in Spokane.  Tim is one handsome country star!

My beautiful baby Daisy.  She is actually a BIG horse, but she's my baby.

We got sooo much snow one day during Thanksgiving break.  There were drifts up to poor HotRod and Daisy's knees!

Watch out!  My baby sister turned 16 and can legally drive!

My family got to go boating a couple times over the summer and we had a BLAST!

More photos to come once I figure out how to get them off my hard drive and into a post.  Some times technology is just beyond me!  Oh well.

Sunny Day, But Not For Long

The sun has been out all day here in Pullman!  It's quite strange.  But I know I like it a lot!  It just makes everyone and everything happier and brighter, which is quite refreshing!  Since I've been back at school, all four seasons have been experienced.  In fact, it isn't uncommon for all four seasons to make an appearance in a single day.  The weather in Pullman is very unpredictable and cannot be counted on.

Most days I wish the weather could be a person so that I could boss it around and tell it to be warm and sunny.  I think most people would agree with my weather preference.  It's funny because every conversation about a nice sunny day in Pullman ends with someone saying "Don't get used to it...it'll be cold again."  That is the truth...it always gets cold again.  So maybe Pullman weather can be predicted?  We know that coldness will seems to follow all weather patterns here, but we don't know from one day to the next if it'll be sunny or rainy.

Anyway, I'm going to keep my blind up and let the sun in because I don't know what tomorrow's weather will be.  I'll take a guess, though.  Cold and overcast.

Growing Up...

or going back in time.  I'm not sure how to think about the changes in life that come with college.

Right now I am a full time student who works part time and is on the hunt for an apartment.  Seems like I'm a young adult, right?  Except guess what my Stats homework was tonight.  I had to make a cute little card with my name on it to set at my desk during class.  When I got back to my dorm this afternoon, I got out my paper, scissors, glue and markers and got to work.  I thought I had left craft projects and name cards for desks behind when I went to middle school.  Guess I was wrong!

The funny thing, though, is now that I am at college I crave making crafts and projects more than ever, but I have homework.  I think part of my craving is that I don't want to do my homework.  I think the other part is that I want to stay young and little kiddish forever.  Some days I wish I could just stay at home in my dorm, eat fruit loops, color, and watch cartoons, or play with my horse all day long.  But there is a funny thing about that too!  Just a couple years ago, I could hardly wait to grow-up, get out of Royal, and be on my own.  I have that, but I want everything I once had too!  I do have it all, though! 

Yoga!

So I went to my first yoga class ever earlier this evening and loved it!  I loved it so much that I came right back to my dorm and signed up for a class that will take place once a week at the Rec.  I'm so excited to take it, and I have two girls from my floor to thank!  They were kind enough to invite me to go with them to a free class.  I accepted their invite because I have wanted to take classes at the Rec since I've been at WSU. But, no one has ever wanted to go with me, and I certainly didn't want to go alone since some of the classes are at night. 

So just like that I fell in love with yoga tonight.  No I wasn't perfect at it, but I've learned that I don't have to be perfect at everything and that it's great to give new things a try!  I just felt so good during the class and feel really relaxed right now.  Yoga has been suggested to me by people who know I am uptight and always worrying, and now I know why.  It's relaxing and makes you feel really good! 

And Another Semester Begins

In the morning, I will be starting my fourth semester at WSU.  WOW, how time flies!  I'm so excited for all the new coming my way.  I'll be taking three classes that each have a lab, which means I'll be taking 12 credits while working.  It'll be tough, but I'm ready.  I'm going to learn lots and lots of new information that I will be able to take with me and apply to whatever I decide to be when I grow up.  I'm also super excited to continue working.  I'm looking forward to working with and meeting more great people.  It'll be fun! 

BUT, the thing I'm most excited about is making more friends.  I have a great best friend here at school, but she and I are always looking for other friends to hang out with us.  After the dinner we had tonight, we are positive we have a new friend.  Actually, she is a kind girl that is a friend of my sister's from back home but she goes to school here at WSU.  After my sister bugging me to text her and now that I've really met her, I'd say I have a another friend!  We are going to have a good time spending more time together.

So tomorrow I'll get up and workout quick.  Then I'll start the craziness off with horticulture 202 at nine.  Between horticulture and organic chemistry at one, I'll work a couple hours.  That will be my schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays except I'll also have a lab Wednesday evenings.  I'll start my Tuesdays early because I'm working the opening shift at work.  Once I'm done with work, I'll hustle over to lab.  Then I'll have an hour break before Statistics 212.  Thursday will be similar to Tuesday because I have a lab and STATS class again.  Friday will be great because I'll only have two classes, and after two in the afternoon my weekend will start.  This will be my life for the next 16 weeks and in my free time I'll hang out with friends or make a quick trip home.  So with new classes, a fun job, and more friends, I have a lot to be excited about and to look forward to!  Let spring semester 2011 begin!

Love and or Dislike?

I love breaks from school but I also dislike them. 

It all is because of my mother whom I love very much and am thankful for.  The last two years she has sent me an early Christmas present at school.  Both these gifts have been wonderful cookbooks because she knows I enjoy cooking and baking very much.  I've gotten these cookbooks the weekend before finals week.  She does this so that in my "free" time I have something new to read.  Like there is "free" time during finals?!  Not!!  Haha!  Well, I make time anyhow, and come up with a huge list of things to make while home on break.

Making these things is where the love and dislike truly begins.  I love making these new recipes and I love eating all the yummy things.  I dislike the weight that comes with eating everything I make and having to lose it again.  It's the same story every break.  I come home and I cook, cook, eat, eat, gain, gain, and have to lose, lose.  Every time. 

While home this last time I made several things (some more than once) from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 15th edition.  This cookbook is great and my favorite!  I made Star Mint Meringues, Yummy No-Bake Bars, Cream Cheese Mints, Cinnamon Rolls, Powdered Sugar Icing, Noodle Casserole, Chicken Enchiladas, and Coffee Coolers.  My mom also used some recipes from it.  Everything was sooooooo good!  The family favorites were the cinnamon rolls and no-bake bars.

Overall, I love breaks from school more than I dislike the extra that adds on over break!

A New Year, A New Blogger (Me!)

Well, after having dinner with a friends a couple nights ago, I decided I would start a blog. A little way to add something new to this new year ahead of me. I made this decision after one friend mentioned she had started one. I have been thinking a blog would be fun, but wasn't sure what I would write about or that my life would be interesting to write about. Now I'm just going to go for it! My hope is to blog about once a week and keep my readers up-to-date on my life in 2011. But first, I want to recap on the great year of 2010! 

Twenty ten was a busy year for me. It started off with a new year's resolution to work out more since I had failed to do that my first semester at college. I accomplished my goal by working out four to five days a week. It was tough to fit working out into my already fun and busy schedule that was mostly school related, but I did it! I also finished my first year of college at WSU! Some days at school just flew by and others seemed like they would never end. However, when I moved back home last May, I felt like I had just moved to Pullman the day before. When I sit back and think about it, time at college goes by really quickly! Almost too quickly! As I finished up spring semester, I applied for and got a job at the Student Recreation Center on campus as a service attendant. I am so proud of myself for making it through the application process, which included two interviews! I thought it would be this simple process, but it was the real deal! I'm glad, though, because now I know I'll be ready the next time I apply for a job. I really enjoy my job at the SRC. I work about nine hours a week, and it is a nice way to escape from school for a few hours. Not to mention the few extra bucks are nice for shopping trips, paying for groceries, and making my car payment.  That's right, I got my very own car this year too! It's a dark grey Subaru Legacy, and I absolutely love it! Subby has been a great car for me because of it's gas milage, the amount of stuff I can cram into it, and it's AWD. It's great having a car, and getting a car was a fun way to start my summer. Summer, as usual, was not long enough, but it was a good one. I took an online class and did very well in it. I also spent a lot of time riding my horse, Daisy. I went to riding lessons once a week with my sister and her horse. My whole family went to Montanta in June to my cousin's wedding. It was nice, and we got to go to Yellowstone.  Yellowstone was so neat and I can't wait to go back! My family also went boating a few times, and we had a blast. It was so fun to escape the hot days of summer by spending it on a lake. I was very busy over the summer between going places, farming, studying, riding horses, boating, and relaxing. Then summer ended in August when I went back to Pullman to start another year of school and my new job. Fall semester had it's ups and downs. My classes were so hard, but I am happy to say I made it through with nice passing grades! I have also made new friends through my job and through living at the dorm. I am very glad to have these new and wonderful people in my life. Fall semester was busy with school, work, and trips home. The best trips home, though, were for Thanksgiving and Christmas Breaks because I got to be away from school for at least a week and spend time with my family. In fact, last night I got to ring in the new year with my family. It's such a good feeling to be with family and say good-bye to the old year and hello to the new!

I am looking foward to the new year! I know there will be tough and fun times, and I am ready for it all. As a new followers to me, a new blogger, I hope you are ready to keep up with me in 2011!  Happy new year!