Black Friday

Black Friday... what a glorious day of waking up early, not showering, and heading off to stores to buy merchandise that you clearly don't need and most definitely don't have money for. But, regardless, there I was early Friday morning clad in wool mittens and hat heading out in the cover of darkness to seek out unbelievable values; and what's better is that I was able to talk my best friend, older sister, and mom in joining me on the Door Buster-Bargain-Sale of a life time that they would not soon forget. Of course my only real desire to venture out on such a frigid and breath freezing morning is for the free give aways. I mean come on, they give away some really cool stuff...I'm talking teddy bear quality here. So, we decided that Kohls would be the first establishment that we would grace our presents with. Eagerly I approached the smooth glass doors, my mind raced with anticipation "what would we get"? So many images of soft plush teddy bears, hot cocoa, Chirstmas pins, and glass ornaments dance through my head. Steady I continue on, but what's this... a group of older ladies speeding up behind me, there ain't no way they are getting a free gift before me. I quicken my steps, shout to my co-shopper, and push forward to beat those overpowering ladies. I whip open the door, breeze through the entrance...and...and...how could it be. There was no one to greet me, no sales associate to smile happily and thank me for making this my first stop of the day, and the biggest disappointment of all NO FREE GIFT! Disappointment fell like an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, covering and consuming all as it makes it's destructive path downward. Luckily I was able to recover, find some great deals, and move on to other establishments that also lacked the true spirit of Christmas and the idea of giving back to the needy. By this time I was slowing downing, my feet were tired, my mouth dry, and my tummy grumbling for food. So we decided to stop for breakfast and thing immediately started to look up. Egg Haven is the best place for a tourtured and hungry soul. After a hearty breakfast and some fresh squeezed orange juice we again felt confidant enough to brave the rippling sea of humanity. With low expectations we decided on J.C. Penny. Was it me or did there appear to be a shining light around this anointed shopping ground? Slowly we enter the Christmas clad building and...thank goodness the Spirit of Christmas is alive. There before my wondering eyes stood a red and santa hat dressed associate. Her smile was big and bright and she greeted me with a warm hello and a thanks for choosing to be with us today. And with a caring gesture she handed me my very own red box, tied most perfectly with a sparkle gold ribbon. MY FREE GIFT! It didn't matter what was in the box all that mattered was that I found myself the lucky owner of the most magnificent free gift in the world. Thank you J.C. Penny for making my day the truly wonderful day that it turned out to be!
Tina

Turkey Day! Thank-Goodness I'm Not English!

I am so excited that Thanksgiving Break is finally here! I think what makes me so happy is to think that after I get back from Thanksgiving break I will only have two short weeks and then I am off for 5 weeks for winter break! You just have to love the idea of no home work, no work, no school, no papers, no teachers, and all lazy! I am totally pumped. But let us deal with the present break before we go counting breaks before they've hatched. Today is Monday and I totally had the hardest time getting up, I took some medicine the night before to fight this awful cold that I have so I blame that for my late start. But regardless work went well, and I only have to finish writing a procedure paper for Hemostasis, study for an exam, and finish my CLS journal and I am set for Tuesday. Tuesday will be a forever long day because I have class until six, (pooh!) but as soon as class is done I am off for home! I plan on getting to Dixon around 7 or 8 so all you dixonite we should do something. I get to spend a wonderful lazy thanksgiving day at my Grandmas and I totally look forward to spending time with my family. Most the time I hear people complain about the holiday because it means hanging out with people that you are related to, but I must admit that I really enjoy my family (for the most part) and my Grandma totally rocks. Her and my Grandpa have this totally huge house that has enough room for us all and we get to eat, relax, play card games, talk about who down the road is doing what, and just have a good old time. I never like to leave, but the day does go by so fast! Well I can be thankful that America has such a great holiday because as I have learned certain country are deprived of this holiday (England, India), and wouldn't it just stink if we had to stay in school over the 4th week of November (yuck!). So to everyone Happy Thanksgiving and if you have nothing else to be thankful for be thankful that you are not English! Tina

Victory never tasted so sweet

My week has finally come to an end and to finish in style we (when I say we I mean Trish, Jenny, and myself) headed to lifestone cafe for little game of nerts!! Ohh what a glorious game! After my cinnamon blast coffee and a little warm up round, Rachel and I were off and running. Now I must admit in the first round we kicked butt...but then everything fell apart and we totally got our butts kicked! Nine left in our hand and nine in the center, if they gave a gold metal for getting the score of zero in consecutive hands we sooooo would have been winning! But after a wondrous announcement that a table was open and we were able to relocate, we so got our game on and let me tell you how it came down. After one hand of sweet victory (victory only taste sweet after a streak of bitter loses), we came up with the "pray high five". Upon implementing this prayer high five into our ritual victory smack talking we found that it was indeed quite easy to...How shall I say...clean up rather nicely! So after a bitter lose in the first hand Rachel and I were able to walk away this Friday night as Nerts Champions! Until next week that is!! Tina

An empty bottle of vicks 44 and a heart full of hope!

My weekend beings on thursday night because I don't have class friday and monday (some would think this good, if you like everything packed into just three days of the week and then you get to spend four days out of the week worrying about all the things you have to do the next week in your insanely long three days!). But this week I was priticularly excited because I was going to a concert (two of my faviorte bands Newsboys and Rebecca St. James) and I was going to take three of my four younger brothers (yeah). So we get to the concert, right on time and it is awesome. They songs, worship, and message just totally blew me away. God can be right on so many times. So I had a blast yelling my lungs out worshiping God and jumping around like a maniac. It was all so fun...untill the next morning. My thoat was so sore I could barely talk and my calfs felt like I had added a shot put ball on each leg. So there I was half mute and half cripple and who should come for a visit but the friendly virus man. So the rest of the weekend I slowly traded in one set of afflictions for another. So this fine monday morning I woke up with stuffy nose, grogy head, fatigued muscles and oh the realization that I had done zero homework all this weekend and Thursday I have two very large exams! Just when I think I would like to pull my brains out with a plastic spoon a friendly knock on the door summons me to Bible Study and...my tiny little burdens are lifted. God is good and is working constantly in my life to show me that through everything He will be with me! So I gladly take home His message of faith, love and loyalty; empty the last bit of vicks 44 that I have been milking all weekend and with raise of the medicine cup I say "Cheers, there ani't nothing in this world bigger than my Jesus"!

My First Blog

So I decided that my sister was having way to much fun on her blog, and that I should also get one so as not to let her have all the fun! So begins my first blog
So I am in the Clinical Labratory Science program, and I must say most of the time that I go I walk away with some kind of interesting story, and today was no different. So one of my professor's daughter was selling wrapping paper and being the kind hearted and overspender that I am, I decided to purchase two rolls of paper. I found this great double sided froggie paper and the real clincher of the whole deal was this exotic elephant wrapping paper, gold trimmed and everything. So for the past 2 weeks I have been all about "I wonder when my elephant wrapping paper is coming" (of course I was made fun of for not only purchasing wapping paper, but also for getting the elephant paper). Then today my professor tells me (to my joy and excitment) that my paper is in. At our first break I run to the break room and much to my dismay I find froggie paper and...christams paper? I quickly inform my professor, in which her response was a shrug of the shoulders and a "I checked to make sure it was right so...your stuck with what you got." So with disapointment I go back to my classmates. I voice my displeasure and show them the results of a missmatched order. They lament with me and together we discuss the mystery of the wrong paper. Just when we are convinced that the professor must have ordered wrong, one of the girls leans over and says "the name of that paper is elegant holly paper?" I quickly squint my eyes, confused...then enlightened. Elegant...Elephant I am such a spaz. Oh well bring on the Elegant Holly paper.