So Much Stuff!

I'm cleaning out my room so I can paint and redecorate, and I'm wondering, where did all this stuff come from????? 

I will admit, am a bit of a pack rat when it comes to sentimental things such as cards, letters, newspaper clippings, etc. But I still have WAY too much stuff. 

It's only day one, and I have a whole trash bag of clothes that are in perfect condition that I never wear to give away, and I haven't even gone through my dresser or finished the laundry. 

I am major purging things that used to mean something but don't anymore. 

New goal for new room: Don't hang on to stuff I don't need, and don't buy clothes that I don't need. 

I did get a beautiful new quilt for my room. Here is my inspiration: New Bed Spread and Pillows

Let me know what you think. 

Need vs. Want - Life Choices

So, I know I have been talking about my new house FOREVER. That would be because we have been working on it FOREVER. But. Today, I had a bit of an epiphany.

This economy has been really tough on my parent's business, so tough, that my mom had to get a different job and leave dad to it. Problem is, my parents have always shared a vehicle since they worked together. Now my mom is stuck driving the "blind van" so dad can drive his truck and work. They heard about a seriously fantastic deal on a car that would be perfect for my mom, but they had no idea how they were going to pay for it.

Insert epiphany.

I decided to completely redo my current room in my parent's house. Save loads of money. And in turn, give my school refund check to my parents so they can buy the car.

It was a bit of a tough decision, but my mom needs a car, my sister is getting married next summer so there's a wedding to pay for, and honestly that didn't leave any time or money to devote to my house that I've been working on for 3 years. I am sad about it, but I think its the right thing.

I will eventually move in, but not until after the car and wedding are paid for. By then, I'll be walking into the world with a degree in my hand and hopefully a good job to go with it.

Speaking of jobs, if you hear of anything that an almost college grad with a history and english concentration would be perfect for, let me know. I'm already on the lookout.

Izzy

Izzy is the love of my life.

She is a 9lb Miniature Dachshund.

She is the cutest little dog a girl could ask for!

She's still a puppy, so she LOVES to play, but her favorite thing to do is just sit in your lap and be close to you.

She is so excited when I come home every day.

My poor baby got attacked last Tuesday by a dog ten times her size.

After $200 in Vet bills and 3 trips later, she is finally feeling a little bit like herself. She had to get stitches and be put on antibiotics. Then she started swelling. Doctor said it was nothing to worry about, but by this morning, she was swollen so bad that her stitches came open. They did some surgery and put in a drainage tube and she is barking and wagging her sweet little tail again!

Thank goodness for my wonderful Vet. I have no idea what I would have done without my sweet baby!

My Friends Are Coming Home!

Today was the last day of camp for them, and while I know they are so so sad, I am very very happy. I've missed them!

I do think that things will be different, since they have spent the last 3 months together without me, so the new dynamics will probably take a lot of getting used to.

Also, I think my best friend will be moving away soon. To where, no one knows for sure, but I feel that it is coming. I'm happy for her, because I know that her and her husband are doing what they feel led to do, but at the same time, I feel kinda alone.

Coming toward the end of my college career, it is getting harder and harder to find people to hang out with that have the same beliefs and values as I do that are single. It's so weird to think that just 3 years ago, all of us were alike, but now in such a short time, most of my friends are married or having children or moving away.

Maybe this year will be the year I get a date and I won't have to deal with being a single woman in a church and community focused on marriage and children.

My Sister is What???

My little sister got engaged this morning. Engaged. As in she has a ring.

I have a few problems with this, but I'm trying to be happy for her.

Problem 1: I can't stand the guy. I literally can't have a conversation with him or be in the same room with him without EXTREME effort.

Problem 2: It's her first serious boyfriend. I don't want her to make a mistake.

Problem 3: She's 18. And she's my younger sister.

People of the world, stop getting engaged, getting married, and having babies. That's really all I ask.

Reasons to Love Harry Potter

I will admit it, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Seriously. Since I was like 11.  I know a lot of Christians would say that this is a majorly terrible thing, but here's the deal. They've never even read it.

If you have read it, you would know what an amazing story it is. I just finished re-reading all the books for probably the millionth time, and I cried through the entire series. This was the first time that has ever happened, and I think that the older I get, the more I understand about the story and the more it hits home.

Its a story of courage, bravery, friendship, perseverance, over coming your past and accepting your future, treating others that are different from you with respect, sacrifice of the greatest kind, forgiveness, and the fight of good against evil, but most of all, its a story about love. Pure love that can change the world.

If anyone can tell me something wrong with anything listed above, please do. Before you ban yourself or your kids from reading this series, take another look. Look beyond the "magic" and see the true meaning. You might just become a better person or change your outlook on life once you've finished reading them.

Just Checking In

I"m still here.

My reading hiatus is over.

I'm helping out with VBS this week at church.

I'm super excited to see Harry Potter this week ( yes I'm going to the midnight release)

I started working out, and I can barely move.

More to come on all of those subjects later.