It seems like an appropriate time --

I haven't written a blog in so long. I used blog almost daily, but this past year has been so insane, it's all just stopped.

So, I'm writing to commemorate this being the LAST DAY of my junior year in college. Without a doubt, this has been the most stressful, emotionally trying year of my life so far. I'm sure I'll have hurdles in the future, but all I can say now is that I am SO happy this year is OVER!

It started with a move from a beautiful, spacious, fun apartment with my best friend in the whole entire world, to back home in Katy. This meant long drives, long days, and most of all less time with the BFF. But, I guess I got used to it and so did Aij. It's not awful, but it's not a cake walk either. I'd choose Amli over Katy any day. It's not the company, I love my family, but geographically - Katy sucks. I heard Miley Cyrus' "The Climb" today - it was my theme song during this time.

After the fall semester I thought I was going to die. I thought THAT was a hard semester. That's why the Christmas cruise was especially amazing. I could not have asked for a more perfect week spending time with my favorite members of my family. Laughing with Emily is one the best things I remember about my childhood, and there was lots of that during the trip. It was also really cute how much Daniel missed me! =)

January was pretty amazing; getting engaged! Totally thinking we didn't have the money, Daniel figured it out somehow and managed to buy me the most perfectly beautiful ring. After a delicious dinner at '"our spot" Grand Lux Cafe, and before a free dessert he popped the question in the cutest, most appropriate way.

From there - school almost just swallowed me whole.  Like Jonah and the whale. I don't know what it was about this semester. I took 4 classes instead of 5 and it was still the craziest, most busy, hardest semester ever. Video Production was confusing and unfair. Databases was a joke. I almost got intentionally dropped by the professor for Graphic Production. I missed the freaking MIDTERM for Graphics, also. In addition, I became appointed to Dir of PR for SGA, and it started taking a lot of time. Well, not really any more than it did before, when I did it unofficially. (Not complaining about this really -  I love being Dir of PR.) But also, Aijah didn't get Speaker, that made me sad.

However, for my birthday, I received a little taste of what the summer will hold. My awesome family (they are ALL family) conspired together under the direction of Daniel to buy me an iPad!! It's in Hong Kong right now. I will get it on the 17th!

Aijah and I have declared this summer to be "The Summer of Fun" to make up for all the stress, tears, worry, and everything bad that was this school year. (And last summer - all we did was work. Ew.) So, we made a list of things to do and places to see. We'd like to go to the beach (maybe several times), Schlitterbahn (New Braunfels), Fiesta Texas @ San Antonio, Shopping in San Marcos,  the Drive-In Movie Theater in Magnolia, and get massages. There might be more, but this is our tentative list. I am SO excited for this summer - more than I ever have been for a summer.

So, let's hope and pray for good finances and schedules so it can all happen!

i hate hate hate hate politics

i love serving UH through student government. I like having a voice and getting great things accomplished. but i HATE the politicking that occurs with election season. that part of it is just not in me. i want a certain position, but it's not as easily as attainable as i imagined at first. which is totally fine. a little competition never hurt anyone... it's just i want to be strategic, but at the same time not over necessarily strategic and have an affiliation look negatively later.

the college of technology seat is a somewhat easy win. i don't know of anyone else that is running. but i want to move up to director of PR. it's a presidential appointment. the candidate most likely to win president already has someone in mind. the other candidate would most likely appoint me, but they probably cannot win against person #1. however, in very recent elections it has been proven that the popular guy doesn't always win.

ahh, we'll see how it goes. whatever happens is meant to happen, anyway.

 on the other hand, maybe it's bothering me because i am not used to losing and very much like when things go my way. which they usually do. could it be bigger than an SGA issue? is it an internal spiritual thing?  C'mon G-man, what are you trying to teach me?

my blogs usually hold more than one main idea.

i hate strep throat and i am sick of it taking over my life and making me miss class.

i have a presentation thing at work tomorrow and do not know if i'll be able to talk during it. awesome.

my project 2 for video production is done. it's such a relief, but i have another one due soon and NO ideas!

our engagement party is moved to sometime in may. hopefully may 15th. we'll see.

i want to graduate on time and i am considering taking 6 classes for both fall and spring next year. but, the trade off is that i might die. ehh i don't think thats logistically or realistically going to happen.

i have no idea what has happened with my finances. when i lived in my apartment, i had rent,  electricity, water, gas, internet, etc... many many more expenses than i do now. however, now that i live at home i am broke as a joke! i am getting a 2nd job. it's an enjoyable one, but at tomorrow's meeting I will be installed as SGA's Director of Public Relations. The other girl was forced to resign. It will require a bit more time out of me than senator does, but it's paid. Hopefully all that money can go towards something productive and daniel and i can start having dates again!!

joomla is frustrating me to no end. the beginnings of my new site are coming (check it out www.thegrafixx.com) but i cannot get the links to work, the footer to show up, etc. it's annoying!!

new everything!

i have a lot to blog about today. bear with me. feel free to read as much of this as you feel i am worth. haha just kidding! read whatevaaaa

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-


-when you're walking with god, when you're praying regularly, when you are living in a faithful way according to His plan, etc.. truly amazing things happen. daniel and i have made a goal to read the bible chronologically in one year, and we started january 1st. granted, both of us are behind.. but even "more regular" reading of the bible has been an astonishing improvement. im rapidly starting to chip away parts of myself and of my own sinful human character and replace them with how i am suppose to live, act, react, and obey. im not sure that makes sense. but like, when you become more aware of who God is, and you learn more about His character, your filter for the secular influnces becomes much stronger. Pretend my past spiritual life is like a window screen. I have a very loose tolerance for the non-christian aspects of my life. As water passes through a screen freely, I let indulgences, temptations and other sins get in my heart and mind a take the reigns. However, as I grow and mature as a Christian, that screen tightens up. Let's say - now I'm dealing with a denim barrier. Water still gets through, but it takes longer and it get's heavy. I am more AWARE of the sin (water) that is weighing me down (because it's heavy.) Haha, in the future, I want to have a chain mail-like filter.
Anyway - what this all boils down to is a few experiences that happened this week that just make me appreciate God more and more. I act surprised when he does stuff like this - but seriously, it's God - I really shouldn't caught off gaurd when the creator of the universe steps in my meager life! lol.

Sooo - here's the application. I listen to Roula and Ryan on 104.1 faithfully everyday. I start my morning with them, instead of starting it with God. I think there show is generally amusing and humorous. However, this week, as I have been really good about my spiritual life, I have become increasingly more annoyed with the content of the show. I think they do have some good segments, with somewhat useful information. I totally see why their entertaining, and I get why they're popular. However, why do I need to waste my drive to work or class listening to sad, sinful, lying, cheating, people complain about their latest upset? I could be worshipping God during that time!! Every single day they talk about cheating, sex (marriage, optional), or some other form of pleasurable yet harmful thing in regard to relationships. This is exactly why Daniel and I live the way we do! We are not plagued by the ailments these people are suffering from. I sooo pray that through our faithfulness in God and in each other people see something different in us. I pray that they realize that the ONLY reason we work so well, love each other so much, and are in a committed and fun relationship is that we love God first, and he runs the rest FOR us! I know it's a difficult concept to understand: to let a supernatural being guide your hands and feet as you make decisions - but I hope from the way I'm writing about it you can tell how passionate I am about the greatness of a relationship like the one I have with Daniel is. God is the only way you can get that. HE created marriage, people!! If you don't do it HIS way - it doesn't work the way he intended it to work! Why are so many people divorced and hurting? Because they're not being obedient!  - - - -Back to Roula and Ryan - I don't need them. I don't need to listen to them everyday and sit and wait in my car for an extra few minutes (worshipping) a freaking secular radio show!

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-


In other news, 2010 has been going tremendously well so far. I haven't eaten at a single fast food restaurant - still! I am still eating healthy, still working out 3-5x/week. I feel great. I haven't a physical difference yet, but I know it's coming. The numbers are working out, and the loose clothes are to follow!

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

In addition, school is good. Tuition and books are as always too expensive, but it comes with the territory. I'm only able to afford 4 classes this semester, but it will be okay. I found out that if I can get into 2 classes this summer and next summer I can graduate in the summer and not december, so I am SUPER excited about that..

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

it looks like my schedule is finally more flexible than it has been lately. I'm free almost all evenings, and even if I have a meeting, which I usually do, I'm home around 9 or 10. Weekends aren't always booked, either!

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Emmalie is about to turn 18, which I cannot believe. How did my little sister grow up so fast? (How did I grow up so fast?!)

 

conviction

let me tell you what i hate the most.

l-i-e-s

just sayin'.

the truth has set me free. i think it's time you learn the skill. k.

the moment

it was the first moment it really sank in.
...when the drop of sweat off my forehead dropped to the mat i was doing push ups on.

i'm really going to lose this weight. ah, i haven't eaten fast food all year. i haven't eaten anything even remotely bad except 2 cookies on the 7th, and 10th - one on each day.

someday, sooner rather than later, we'll be jillian and bob.

just sayin'

UTIs suck.