House Hunting

I asked Matt if he would like to help me find a new place to live once our lease is up. Eryn is working full time over break, so I knew she wouldn't be able to help me. However, I know Matt is always very helpful in major life decisions, so I chose him to aid me in my search. 

To backtrack, Eryn and I have been quite unhappy with our current residence. We are too far to walk to Drake on cold days, so we have to drive to make it to class. The apartment is not in the best condition, with a faulty heating system, creaky floors, and outdated appliances. In addition, we have dealt with a major bedbug problem recently, that has tipped both Eryn and me over the edge. 

I scheduled two appointments for newer apartment complexes today, mostly to get an idea of what we may want in May when we move out. I forgot how much I enjoy "house hunting." It's exciting to see what else there is in Des Moines, for an affordable price. 

Both complexes had fitness centers, 24 hour maintenance guys, large kitchens, and pools, among other amenities my current apartment does not have. Not to mention, these apartments were nearly the same price Eryn and I are currently paying, so it is a much better deal. 

Today was also a gorgeous day to go look at apartments. I believe it was in the 50s today. Matt even took off his jacket! 

I can't wait to search for more apartments in the future. I know starting this early will help us get a great deal, which is the ultimate goal. 

To Nap, or Not to Nap

I just got back from Springfield this evening. It feels so nice to be back in Des Moines. "Home is where your heart is" is very true. My heart (Matt) is here in Des Moines, so that is where I call home. :)

Anyway, I have a question to ponder at the moment. After unpacking, I decided I wanted to rest my eyes of a long day of driving. I finally woke up again at 9:57 thinking it was much earlier. So what if it later in the night, it still qualifies as a nap, right?

Eryn just calls me ridiculous, because she knows me so well. She told me yesterday that she knew I was looking forward to my 9:00 p.m. naps. Little did she know I'd take advantage of that right when I got home.

I always thought a nap qualified as such because it was a small length of time. I don't think it matters what time this nap begins or ends, does it?

According to dictionary.com,  to nap is to:

v: to sleep for a short time; doze.

I only found one definition that involved a certain time of day, and it referred to a baby getting his nap in for the day. I do not fall into that category.

My verdict, it is 100% acceptable to take late-night naps. Especially if you are not ready to commit to the act of sleeping, but would like rest during the night. A perfection solution.
These are important topics I worry about at 10 p.m., right after waking from my nightly nap.

"The One"

As I was on Post Secret again, I found another secret that I found interesting. It's something I think we all fear, as humans. We are never satisfied and always want what we don't have. We always worry about finding the "perfect person" to marry, when that person doesn't exist. Here is the secret: 

I'm afraid my fiance isn't the one.

Since I was little, and growing up in a single parent household, I was convinced love didn't last. I was afraid there was a beginning, middle, and end to love. I just couldn't understand how I could love someone so unconditionally for the rest of my life. 

Reading this secret reminds me of a younger me. A me who had not fallen in love before and a me who didn't know what unconditional love was. Granted, I am only 21 years old and I have many more years to learn about love, but I do know that God will take care of our hearts. If He places a person in our lives to love, He will make that relationship turn out as He planned. 

"Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:8, sums it up in three words. Love. Never. Fails. There is a beginning and a middle, but no end. Because once we leave this Earth, there is unconditional love waiting for us on the other side. What more could we ask for?

Feminism or Ignorance?

I am a fan of the website Dear Blank, Please Blank, where anonymous people send in funny blurbs of fictitious letters. I found one I particularly liked and I feel is worth discussing:

Dear Lady who told me that me making my boyfriend a sandwich just sent the feminist movement back to the 50's,

In return he opens my doors, pulls out my chairs, pays for my food, movie tickets AND gas, surrenders his coat when I'm cold, cuddles, buys me presents, and acts as a personal body guard whenever we're together.

Sincerely, I feel like I'm ok with that.

Before attending Capitol City, I always had the mentality that husbands are supposed to respect a professional wife who wants to work full time. That men are supposed to be home just as much as women and spend just as much time with their children. I had these thoughts because I was planning on becoming a doctor and bringing home the bacon.

But after seeing how other families raise their children, I believe I have also changed my mind on how a family should be raised. I wouldn't mind working full time until I had children, then part time once the children were born. I have no problem putting my family before my career, especially if that means spending more time with them.

I also like the idea of being a "housewife" who cooks and cleans when she is home. I don't think that makes me "old fashioned." I think it makes women show their love and appreciation for the men in their lives. Plus, like the letter above says, guys like to do things for women, so what's wrong about doing nice things in return? Nothing.

CHRISTmas Decorations

Now that finals are completed, the only thing left to do is decorate for Christmas. Granted, it is only ten days away...and I am leaving for home Saturday, it is nice to have the decorations up for a short while.

I avidly searched through the boxes of Christmas decorations my mom neatly packed for us. One box, however, was a complete secret. I opened it to find ornaments my sister and I had made before we had to use two hands to count our age. Ahhh the memories. :)

I finally put up our mini white Christmas tree and placed our stockings above the tree. It's the perfect size for our little apartment. :)

Here is the final product:

And if you are wondering what is under the tree...there are two stuffed animals from when we were younger, along with a box of candy canes Eryn won at the Clarity white elephant party on Tuesday night. 

I'm finally in the Christmas spirit and I hope you are as well!

6 Months, 1 New Person

This semester has been different than all others in the past. 

Maybe it is because the weather feels more like a Missouri fall than an Iowa winter. 

Maybe it's because I'm finally 21 and boring now.

Or maybe it is because my last two weeks of classes have entailed 52 pages of written papers and 3 finals. 

Or maybe, just maybe, God has worked in my life differently in the last 6 months than ever before. Yep, I believe that is the one. Well, allow me to correct myself: I have noticed God present in my life in the last 6 months more than ever before. 

6 months ago today, I was in the hospital for multiple blood clots in my left lung, which was a shock to all of us. Not once was I scared of death, because I finally realized I would finally meet my Heavenly Father and that would be just fine with me. After making it out alive, I noticed a difference in the way I approach life. 

I went from stressing over getting a B in a semester, knowing it would ruin my GPA to realizing that I am not perfect and there are so many bigger things to worry about in life. I went from thinking I would have to settle to find a boyfriend to finding a guy so wonderful, I know he is in my life because of the workings of God. The biggest thing that has changed in my life, though, is the way I approach relationships in my life. 

I know I've said this before, but it doesn't make it any less true: God places people in our lives for a reason. We can either ignore their existence or take advantage of every moment we have with them. I choose the second.

Here's to living another day, breathing another breath, and enjoying the company of my friends and family. 

6 months ago today, I realized Matt was something special in my life when he visited me in the hospital, unannounced. Even if it took a hospital visit for me to realize how great Matt is, I'll take that as the work of God. 

Dondi Scumaci

I just finished my first final of the week. Just two more to go and I am finished for the semester. What a loooooong semester!

Of course I forgot to turn off my phone during the final, so it just had to go off when we were all taking our test. Whoops...I have no clue how I didn't get in trouble. Everything happens for a reason.

The last page of my test had a message from my professor. I feel like I should share it with you:

Have a wonderful holiday. Congratulations to you seniors. I leave you with this blessing:
May God prosper the work of your hands and the work of your heart;
May you be surrounded by people who will encourage your dreams, celebrate your victories, and if you should forget, remind you who you are;
May the difference you make and the value you create be remarkable; and as you design your life, may the blessings of God overtake you. -Dondi Scumaci

She has been a wonderful professor and I'm sad that I won't have her next semester. However, she is my advisor, so I know I will see her again.  Just like the quote says, "May you be surrounded by people who will encourage your dreams." I think I have that one figured out to a T. :)

I encourage you to do the same. Surround yourselves with those who build you up. Those who will hold you accountable and those who will help you grow in your faith. But never forget to surround yourself with those to whom you can be a Godly influence.

I feel so inspired after that test. I hope you have a blessed day! I know I will. :)

Contentment and Compliments

Today has been a surprisingly great day, even with the way my morning started. Now, I don't like to complain, but realizing I don't have heat in my apartment has been a major buzzkill. I, like most of society, do not enjoy being cold. That is all I'm going to say about that, because I am so fortunate to have a roof over my head, that I shouldn't complain. I am so lucky to be alive, that I have nothing to complain about.

Waking up freezing wasn't ideal, but it put me in a not-so-great mood. Sometimes I let things get to me too easily. Sitting through my first, which was also freezing, was also less than ideal. Great news, though, this is the first time I didn't even doze off while in class. Maybe he should keep it overly cold more often.

My next class was enjoyable, as usual. I just love learning about the psychology behind marketing. :) Anyway, after class, the guy next to me told me, out of the blue, that I am "the perfect size." I understand many guys will tell girls what they want to hear, but this is one of my closest friends. He is always brutally honest, which is great to have in a friend. It made me feel oddly nice, because I struggle with my self image daily.

Shortly after class, I received an email from the girl who sits next to me in my psych assessment lab. She said she was struggling in class and wondered if I could help because I am "so nice." That email brought an immediate smile to my face. Not because of what she told me, but because she chose to seek me out for help; someone who she has never spoken to outside of class. She is such a sweet girl.

The third thing that made my day much better than it began was at work this afternoon. I helped record an event on November 15 and I sent it into Drake's IT to convert it to DVD. I found the IT department, who then sent me to the correct guy. I picked up the DVD today and the guy who copied it briefly spoke with me.

"I know one of two things about you," he told me as I walked in the door.

"What?" I asked him. He is quite laid back and very easy to talk to.

"Well, first off, I only work with faculty. When I got your email, I had to ask around campus to make sure you were actually working at the job you said you work for. Generally, I don't work with students. In fact, in 5 years, I haven't worked with any students. That means either your boss is beyond lazy or you are an exceptionally great student."

I didn't tell him that I had done this on my own, because I knew by boss wanted it. It really wasn't a big deal at all. In fact, it was super easy to coordinate and I enjoyed being part of the process.

What this odd, yet good day has taught me is that God always finds a way out. I really wasn't having an awful day, but I have had better days. Then a couple of people, whom I wouldn't have expected, blessed my day by giving me compliments. There is a lot of weight carried in a compliment. My challenge to myself, as well as you, is to find reasons to compliment someone everyday. You never know whose day you may make. :)

You and I Might Just Be the Best Thing

Reasons today has been a great day:

1. The paper I worked on two weekends ago for a total of 19 hours was graded and returned to me. I received a 96 on it. I finally feel worthy to be in the psychology field. I can do this.
2. I also determined I can have a 4.0 semester, if I play my cards right. 
3. Matt came over to my place to meet me for lunch. What a nice guy. :)
4. Matt helped me with my pigeons today. You know, he isn't too bad with them. Maybe I should get a pet pigeon for him for Christmas. 
5. I found a job for the winter working at the law library on campus. I also inquired about a babysitting job next semester.
6. I'm in waayyy too good of a mood to work on my next paper. I realize it is due this Friday, but I am almost halfway finished. I am just too hyper to sit and work on it. There's always tomorrow. 

For an unrelated list, here are the top reasons why I am currently obsessed with Marianas Trench:

1. Mr. Lead Singer (I have no clue what his name is) has the best voice in the music industry. He sings with so much passion. It's amazing. 
2.  They're Canadian. Matt is half Canadian. They're pretty much brothers.
3. The lyrics are beautiful. 
4. The music is also very well put together. Just overall, amazing. 

I can't say enough great things about Marianas Trench. I really can't. So I will give you an example of their amazing work: 

Enjoy!