Mission: So, So Possible

There are 6 days, 11 hours, and 30 minutes before I officially start Christmas break.

Approximately 26 days of break.

Goal: Read 6 books during said break.

Actually, not just any 6 books. But the 6 books I have bought and been dying to read since school started at the beginning of September.

Plan of Action:

1) Finish "The Master and Margarita".

2) Read "Lineage of Grace".

3) Re-read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

4) Read "Gone with the Wind".

5) Read "Mere Christianity".

6) FINALLY! Read "The Red Queen".

This gives me about 4.3 days to read each book. Considering I do want to also have a life, my plan is to read each one in 2-3 days. Wish me luck, fellow bookworms!

5 Things I Love About My Roommate!

God has blessed me in a wonderful and unique way with my roommate this year. Yvonne is not only a roommate, she is there to help me physically- but most of all she is an amazing friend. Hence, I'm dedicating a post solely to 5 of the many things I love about her!

1) She has an awesome taste in music, movies, books, food, and friends. So much of what we talk about is that much more fun because she is super smart and knowledgable.

2) She makes me laugh all the time- literally. In her own words: "If we don't stop laughing, we're gonna grow a six-pack on our face!"

3) She is pretty much up for anything. You will find no complaining, rigid, negative bone in her. Rather, she exudes openness, flexibility, and just the right amount of spontaneity. Midnight Taco Bell or doughnuts anyone?

4) She is one of the few people I know who are truly and honestly caring about others. She means her "How are you?"s and is always open to listen, cry with you, and help in any way- even when she thinks you're having a seizure. ;)

5) Simply, she is a living example of how Christ wants us to live. She is by no means perfect (sorry to burst your bubble everyone!), but she loves God with all her heart and it shows in her life.

Before I go back to my usual avoidance of mushy gushy nice stuff, I just wanted to say love you Yvonne! You are epically amazing. :)

Christmas Traditions: The Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful

Last Saturday, my mom, brother, and I decorated the house. This is probably my favorite part of the season- the magic of Christmas just beginning as we once again unload our precious Christmas memories. Then for the whole month, I get to enjoy what we created!

This night of unveiling has its own set of traditions, little things I wouldn't miss for the world. And this time I recorded some of them to be preserved and remembered forever. Some of them include:

-The most obvious putting up the magnificent tree. Every year my mom tries to convince us to get a fake tree, which is easier to handle. Only amidst threats of running away from home do I get my real tree- dropping needles and all. ;)

-Another tradition is putting up the absolute best ornament we own- my preschool tie-dyed coffee filter. I know you're now jealous, but I'm sorry it's one of a kind!

-Our actual best decoration is probably the stockings. Each one is custom to our personality and I love them.

-To finish off a hard-working day, we make grilled cheese sandwiches, drink Martinelli's apple cider, and watch an epic Christmas movie under the lights of our new tree. Can the holiday season possibly get any better?

Happy Christmas, everyone! I pray that it will be as warm and memorable as my anticipation of this fantastic season! :)

They ♥ Them

I'm starting to realize that 90% of people absolutely love to talk about one thing: themselves.

Whether on the phone or in person, when someone is talking to you- listen! Do not text someone else, do not work on papers, do not look mindlessly around the room. If someone just spent 2 hours listening to everything that's happening to you, now it's your turn. Sadly, this is not the case. Now that it's not all about them, they suddenly develop a chronic case of ADD.

My spiritual gift is encouragement, and I love to use it. It makes my day when I can cheer up someone's day. My love language is quality time, and I love nothing more than the one-on-one time I get with people. But sometimes it's me that needs the quality time and encouragement. Please remember that before you spend an hour talking about your boy problems and hang up before even asking how my day is going. Try talking to your cat next time, they don't talk back.

Sorry for the dripping sarcasm, and this post is not about one person in particular, I swear. It's just that lately I've noticed a trend and it's getting to point where I don't want to care. My prayer is that I will continue to encourage despite opposition and frustration.