80 years and counting

Twenty-Two of us headed up to Geneva, Wisconsin to celebrate the life of Grandma Biegel this past weekend. It was there that we created beautiful memories; Gram said that it was one of her best birthdays! For a gift, each one of us wrote her a letter of appreciation and giving her praise for her impact. These were each put into a scrapbook for her to treasure, Greg has some creative cousins, that is for sure!

While we were there we took a walk through the town of Geneva. It is filled with fun shops and restaurants. One of Greg and I's favorite stores was I Love Funkys. It was filled with beautiful antiques and like the name implies many of which were quite unique.

Some of us girls decided to spend the night giving our faces a treat with the mud mask Aunt Janice had purchased in town. We played banana grams while laughing and chatting while our faces slowly stiffened. After words, we were all concerned because our faces were bright red, but fortunately, we woke up the next morning and  felt like our faces were radiant and clean.

County Line Apple Orchard

A Year Ago I Heard Her First Cry

McKenzie Marie

I can't believe she is already 1!!! She is walking and running around like a little monkey and has a big personality. I can only image what life is going to be like when she starts talking! Her beauty on the the inside and out reminds me of her mother, my dear friend Christa.

God Gave Me a Gift Yesterday

In the midst of my senior year I am responsible for many things that include a section in the school newspaper, my floor of 27 girls and 4 big final projects, amongst all the other responsibilities of living. The past two weeks I have found myself feeling incredibly overwhelmed by this. School is a foreign thing for me to feel stressed about. And to be honest, I have become a frazzled person.

 Please do not assume that I am over committed or that I need to just take time to breathe each day, because I'm not and I do. Those are not the solution to this nor my point in writing this. I am writing about this because I want to publicly state how grateful I am for God blessings even in the midst of chaos.

Yesterday, I had an unexpected chance to see my sister, my niece, and my mother. It was just what I needed. There is no way that I could even begin to feel frustrated or tense while holding Nora, she is so beautiful and her coos while she drifts off to sleep are precious enough to melt anyones heart. God gave me an extra special gift right when I needed it.

When I see her I see the glory of God, I see His image, I see His miracle. Thank You Lord!

Wouldn't It Be Nice

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together 

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through

The happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Oh Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true

Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do

We could be married

And then we'd be happy

Wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it

It only makes it worse to live without it

But lets talk about it

Oh, wouldn't it be nice

--The Beach Boys

A Windy Day in Chicago

Today, a large group of us communication scholars spent the day touring Chicago and the artwork that our beloved city has become iconic for. We looked at the rhetoric and essence of things such as Picasso's baboon looking sculpture or the famous Bean. I was mainly focused on the advertisements we are bombarded with daily and all the beautiful photogenic people around me. Here are some of my favorite snapshots from the day, enjoy!

Nora's First Official Photoshoot

The little darling Nora Elizabeth who made me an auntie

Published in The Courier (Trinity's School Paper)

According to DonMilleris.com, age 20 is the new junior high. Not everyone is in their 20’s yet on campus, but you are all close enough to it that this pertains to you. College is an easy time to slip into a habit of laziness and carelessness. In the midst of trying to create new habits and friends, naps, computer time and insecurities tend to take over. Sounds like junior high all over again.

DonMilleris.com gives some ideas to keep us out of this junior high frenzy and I happen to think that if you take heed to these things you will be on your way to a “successful” or at least promising future.

Lose your friends: I know you just made new ones, but seriously take a look at who you are hanging with. Is that what you want to be identified with? Are your friends lazy? Are your friends what you came to Trinity not to be? Are your friends’ gossips? It is okay to be picky with friends; after all, they are a big influence.

Read Books: Start with actually reading your text books; after all you did pay a lot for them. And if you want to be extra ambitious pick one book and make it your goal to finish it within the semester. Books make you smarter and wiser.

Write down your goals for the next 5 years, 1 year, 1 month, and 1 week: If you don’t have anything to reach for you probably won’t go very far. Just keep in mind that all of these things may not come true, but if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Plus, there is something wonderful about physically checking off something you have accomplished.

Ask your parents/mentors for criticism: We need to be a people who are willing to take instruction. Although we may be offended with their response, it is a great way to find out what others really think about you and where you can improve.

Accept Hardship: I will just take the words from Don, “Hardship is part of every life, and God intends it to purify you and prepare you. If you reject hardship, you reject life.”

Accomplish Something: Take a look at your major or your passions in life. Make time to do a mini project of this passion. Don gives the example,”if you want to make films, then make a short film and enter it into a contest.” If you want to be a writer, write for the courier. If you want to be a teacher, volunteer to teach Sunday school every once in a while; the regulars would appreciate the break. Just accomplish something that you are passionate about, you will feel more like an adult.