Updates of the Day

Helllooo World!

Well, at least that's how I felt for the day...I haven't been out of the house for 2 days since I got sick. It was nice to get away from my computer for a while and enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas. I woke this morning and did my hair. It's getting super long! :) Our church was having a Christmas pageant tonight and I was really excited! I discovered that I like a new song by Amy Whinehouse called "Stronger than Me"...it's quite comical at times while letting guys know that they should the head of the relationship. Take a listen! Anywhoooo, we went to Panda Express for a quick dinner before the pageant. The pageant was wonderful! They had several acrobat artists and great singers. It's really starting to feel like Christmas!

After the pageant, we went to Walgreens...which was fun because Alex and I went ga-ga over pictures of Tay Lau Lau (you know who!) in the magazines. After that, we got pretty hyper...so we did the right thing and got ice cream. Haha, well I got yogurt, but still ;) We danced in the car for a bit...jamin' to those tunes, you know how I go! It was a really fun night! .....you had to be there :)

Have a blessed day!

Mommy and Alex at the Pageant

Me and Mommy

A Cup of Tea

Okay, so my previous post was called "A Cup of Coffee"...mhmmm, I love my coffee. But as I type this, I'm drinking chamomile tea. Its 1:30 in the morning and my Facebook status has just been updated and I’m listening to the rain. I'm almost done with my classes before Christmas break. And, needless to say, this week has been pretty hectic. On Sundays, I usually work in the nursery with infants, but due to some staff members who were out sick, I had to work with the 2-year olds. Thus, I was wiping donut crust off the faces of little children, wiping their running noses, and passing out cookies. I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it...even though I knew I was going to catch a cold from coming into contact with their tiny germs. Monday started the week before finals and I had several finals to complete in this week alone. On Tuesday, I picked my D.L.F from school and we ate lunch together where we had an in depth discussion about Spock and Star Trek :) On Wednesday morning, I woke up with the cold I knew was coming...but I had been prepared! I took several Vitamin C tablets and some Nyquil the night before. But still, I typed up a super long paper and chilled out at home. Thursday marked clean-up day...I was able to finish most of my schoolwork, which was lovely. Yes! The weekend's almost here!

I'm thoroughly looking forward to Christmas. We'll be getting our tree soon and putting up lights. I've had at least 10 cups of peppermint tea/coffee/hot chocolate. And my Christmas music has been playing nonstop :) Everyone, let me know how the holidays are going for you! May you all have a blessed day! And don’t forget to drink some tea and listen to rain…I highly recommend it :)

Enjoying my cup of candycane cocoa

A Cup of Coffee

It's November 21...just 5 days away from Thanksgiving. It was mid-term week for me this past week (I'm on an 8-week course schedule). So I had a crazy week with almost double the assignments. I'm enjoying Fall; it's cool weather and warm colors. As I write this, I'm drinking a cup of coffee and I just finished some string cheese. The day seems to be rolling by really slowly, but I don't mind. I'll probably play hide-and-seek with my dog :) Watch Up and Star Trek again (which are two of the best movies ever!), finish schoolwork (because I'm just good like that), and drink more coffee :) Let me give you a play-by-play of my morning, only because I know you all love hearing about it, right? ;)

1. Jumped out of bed when I heard my phone recieve a text message because I thought it was my alarm clock. But its Saturday so I don't need an alarm clock...
2.Go back to sleep
3. Wake up to take care of my neighbor's dog.
4. Come home and watched a bit of the Mummy Returns
5. Eat breakfast
6. Walk around the house
7. Type this blog post

So as you can see, I've had an eventful morning. So I must go relax. I'll write more of my adventures later :)

Blessings!

Fall (Love) Fall

It's just a few days until we hit November and I'm already craving the things of Fall and Winter! The weather just turned really cold...like teeth chattering cold! The winds are blowing like mad. But the good thing is that the cold makes me want to:
1. Snuggle up in bed for an extra hour after I wake up.
2. Turn on the heater and fall asleep to its hum.
3. Turn on the heater in my car and listen to it make weird cat-like noises.
4. Listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies.
5. Go to a Winter Formal.
6. Drink lots of coffee and tea! Preferably peppermint mocha coffee or peppermint tea.
7. Buy a really nice, fuzzy sweater or coat to wear.
8. Wish that the super winds bring super rain and snow.

So, yes, the cold really does bring awesome stuff with it! I drank a cup of tea and two cups of hot chocolate today...its affecting me! But I know that Fall means the beginning of the holidays and in a month I'll be stuffing my mouth with Thanksgiving foods. I love it! Thank you, God, for each season!
Have a blessed day :)

Alex does a really good job :)

Raking up the leaves, Sunny loves to help :)

The Death (and Revival) of Chivalry

You've probably heard the old adage: Chivalry is dead. Ever since I heard the phrase many years ago, I've examined the world around me (and myself as well) to see if that statement is true. And I've found that it is not true. While some people have killed chivalry with a knife and left its bloody pieces for all of us to see, many people still hold firm to a chivalrous state of mind. Now, I'm a firm believer that men should hold the door for women, boyfriends/husbands should help the woman to her seat, and (my personal favorite) order for the girl if she would like them to. I also think that all younger people should help the older folks cross the street, hold the door for them, and give them your seat if they do not have one. Chivalry is a BIG deal to me. It shows that you care enough to help someone and to go out of your way for someone. It bugs me so much when someone doesn't hold the door for me...and it’s not me just being "stuck-up". Once, I was carrying out some smoothies from a store...about three, which is too many for me to open the door. A teenage boy walked in and saw me approaching the door, but just let it close behind him without offering to help me with the drinks or open the door for me. Another lady who was walking held the door for me and I thanked her. I was livid, though...so livid, that I almost walked back in and lectured the boy! But I've also experienced chivalry. Guys often hold the door for me even when I was far behind the door. People have let me go in front of them in line when I only have 1 item. And it feels good to experience chivalry, while also participating in it. So always mind your p's and q's. Hold the door for someone and offer help if they need it. Don't stand around and help hack chivalry to death! Revive it back to life by giving it CPR (Caring Persons Requested)!

Have a blessed day!

Girls Trip to AZ :)

This past weekend, my mom, sister, and I drove down from California to Scottsdale, Arizona. My parents were invited by CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) to a partner retreat. They get invited every year, but AZ is close to us so we decided to jump in the car and go this year. We also went in 1999 to a Virginia Beach retreat. So my dad decided not to go at the last minute and my mom took Alex and me instead. The drive down was amazing! We had so much fun! It took us about 6 hours and we stopped maybe once or twice for food. We stayed at the Fairmont Resort! It was ammmaaaazzzzing! It was huge! Our room was in an area called the "Casitas", which means little house in Spanish. The next day, we slept in, and then got up to go to the seminars that CBN was hosting. We got to see Gordon Robertson and Terry Meeuwsen! God was really moving in that place. You could definitely feel His presence. We met new people and enjoyed the luxuries of the hotel :) (The food was delicious!) I can't wait for another partner retreat! We drove back to CA on Sunday. It took us longer to drive back because we stopped so many times! But we enjoyed out girls time together :) It was an amazing bonding experience with each other and with God!

Have a blessed day!

My mom, Alex, and I at dinner

Me in front of a nice tree

Our awesome casita

As Fall Gets Closer, I Reflect on Summer

Oh my goodness! Summer's almost over!!!! This calls for a "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" But I am truly looking forward to Fall and Winter…even though I will miss my summer break. As we approach the coming Autumn season, I look back on what a wonderful summer I had. I visited the beach more than once (and more than twice!). I spent wonderful amounts of time with my family and friends! I blogged up a storm about all my summer activities! New friends were made and I was reacquainted with family members. Birthdays were celebrated (mine, Alex's, and my mom’s). I finished several books that I was reading. I got my driver's license...for those of you who didn't know, I didn't have it before. Overall, it was an amazing summer :) When summer first started, I made a list of things that I wanted to do over the summer. Here's the list and a rundown of whether or not I completed everything on it.

1. My 20th birthday :) Yay, bye bye teenage years...
- Of course I turned 20! :)
2. Look for a new job, one that'll help me build up my journalism and writing experience
- I sent out apps and looked online, but for now I'm still at my old job. There's a job fair coming up soon, so I pray that that will introduce a new job to me.
3. My sister's birthday
- Yepiddy do! My sister turned 17! She's still my little sister, though :)
4. Lots of beach days & a wedding (not my own :D but its gonna be fun!)
- I went to the beach three times and they were each amazing! I wiped out really bad during one trip and I was so dazed, but it was awesome! The wedding was fun, too! It gave me a chance to reflect on true love and got me excited for my own special day!
5. Try new things...let's see what they are... hehe
- Let's see...some new things...driving (oh yeah!), making new dinner recipes, new dance moves, playing RockBand, seeing a play on Broadway (it was my second show, actually, but it was still amazing!)...these are just a few ;)
6. My mom's birthday
- Yep, my mom has a summer birthday, too! We saw a scary movie on her birthday (of all things!), but it was so much fun!
7. Being a great friend to my friends and family, near and far...you know who you are! :)
- And yes, I believe that I was a great friend to all whom I love! I met new friends around the country. I was glad to have spread the love! And I'll continue doing so :)

Now, I'm going to have to make a "to-do" list for Fall! Wow, how time flies! Enjoy the end of summer my friends and look forward to Fall. God has new things in store for us!

Have a blessed day!

Here are some pics taken over the summer...Enjoy! :)

Alex and I at Six Flags on her birthday (you can tell which ride were about to get on!)

Alex and I on my birthday

Mommy and I at the beach

Alex, mommy, and I in front of the Pantages Theater for Legally Blonde: The Musical