It's That Time of Year!

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

I am so thrilled to have white flurries EVERYWHERE this week! It has been so beautiful on campus...I think it is actually one of my most favorite times on campus because it it so pretty.

To make the season even brighter (not that it can get much better with break beginning at one o'clock tomorrow) we had Thanksgiving dinner last night! It is an annual tradition that we have a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner in the Caf, and several of the University's faculty and staff stay late in the evening to serve us. It is probably the only time of the year that there is a line clear into the commons from the doors of the Caf to get in, AND that the Caf is JAM-PACKED with almost every soul on campus! We enjoyed turkey, stuffing, PIE...all the usual Turkey-Day foods. It is one last chance to get together with all for your friends before Thanksgiving break.

I am so excited for the winter to finally be here. It seems like the weather can't make up it's mind - it's cold, it's hot, rain, sleet, snow - AHHH! Pick one! Either way, the Holidays are coming, and the one thing that I love so much about Waynesburg University is how it has taught me to serve others, especially during the Holidays. One of the greatest ideas that I have had for a Christmas gift is donating money on behalf of my mom. World Vision, a non-profit organization that creates relationships between people here in America and children around the world who are under the age of 18 and poverty stricken, offers a gift catalog to people who would like to give a gift to those children in honor of a loved one (Please visit: http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10024 to view the catalog).


We have SO MUCH here in America, and honestly, there is no material thing that I need at this point in my life. The entire Holiday season, we spend so much on people who HAVE and it seems as though we forget about the people
who HAVE NOT. We lose the reason for the season in the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and the Christmas tree lots. Giving a gift, such as a goat, or two chickens, in the name of your Mom, Dad, Sister, or Brother, is a lasting gift that provides for a family across the world. Some of these gifts cost less than a video-game...and they are saving lives. The World Vision Website says about this young boy and others like him, "The early-morning bleating of a dairy goat is a happy sound for children in countries like Haiti and Kenya — they know it’s ready to be milked. A goat nourishes a family with protein-rich milk, cheese, and yogurt, and can offer a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market. It even provides fertilizer that can dramatically increase crop yields!" (http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10024)

Please remember ALL of God's children this Holiday Season, not just your own. Waynesburg has really taught me to reach out to those in need, across the world, and around the corner, and we are all called to spread that awareness and love.

Live and Love in His name and glory!

Until Next Time...

Phew!

Finally, I feel like I can breath! This entire week I have had time to relax, get my work done, and keep my feet underneath me. Thank Goodness! We had a cold weekend at the football game, but it was well worth it. The boys ended up getting the highest score of the year with a 50-34 victory! Now this Saturday we have the last, and biggest game of the year - W&J...the enemy...the team that Waynesburg has only beat about 5 times out of the near 50 times that the two schools have met on the field. We need all the support we can get, so come out if you are near!




It is surreal that this is the last game of the season. Every weekend for the past two months I've been there cheering - my friend Kyley says I'll be a great soccer mom, and my mother says I have quite the pair of pipes on me - needless to say, I AM LOUD! And I love to be loud! It will be sad to see this last game...not only is it the last game of the season, but it is Ryan's last game EVER. After nine seasons of playing, he doesn't know what it is like to not be getting ready for the next year. He's excited for the next stage in his life, but at the same time slightly anxious about where to go from here. Today is his last practice, and I pray that all goes well. More importantly, I pray that the team gets their heads together to BEAT W&J!!! This is possibly the most important game of all, and it would be A-mazing to end on a good note.

The weather doesn't know what it wants to do yet either. I keep saying, it's NOVEMBER! GET IT RIGHT! But it seems that the air is not quite ready to stay cold. Waynesburg is the greatest area to be outside running, or biking, but when it gets cold, I get stuck in the fitness center. Lucky for me, I was able to go on an hour long bike ride with good friend, and fellow actor, Matt London. Do make a note though, our campus seems to be at the top of a hill, especially my dorm. So the ride out is great, but the way back is torture!

Fortunately, I was able to go back to my room, and take a load off. That has been the theme of the week - breath in, breath out - lay down, relax!!! One more week of classes, and I can continue to relax over Thanksgiving break! YAY! Family, friends, my little niece who I get to see for the first time, and great food - you can't go wrong with Thanksgiving. PLUS, my birthday is the last day of break, so it just ends on a fan-TAS-tic note.

Busy, Busy, Busy

What a great, crazy week it has been! Last weekend was the end to the show, and it was fan-TAS-tic! My parents were both able to come out, and also Ryan's parents were here too!
The five of us had a blast at the football game, Mom and Susie got to chat, my father being the amazing, nerdy papa he has always been, and Evan (Ryan's dad) with his peanuts and questions. Even though the boys didn't get the victory, it was a great day for Ryan. I can't imagine the joy he felt when he looked up and saw his Grandfather in the stands, along with his uncle and cousin. They came all the way from New York to catch his game - what a blessing!


Ever since my first show at Waynesburg University, and my role as a witch, I didn't know if I would ever have another part that would live up to the FUN that I had with that one. But alas, I was proven wrong as 'Tituba' in the Crucible. I was able to branch out, use a Barbadian accent, be really, really dirty as a slave, and also be slightly insane.
I guess I would say that I love those unique roles that challenge me, whether they are small or large, they are always the best! I also love to see Ryan's expressions with each show that he sees me in, or that we go to together. That is one thing that I have grown to love more, and more is going to see shows in the theater. Waynesburg is unique in that it offers SO MANY opportunities to see the arts for an inexpensive price. We are blessed here with a great activities program, and honestly no one can say that there is nothing to do on any given night.
It is great to have things to do on campus, but it seems like this past week, even though the show is over, I still don't have time to do them! It is soooo close to Thanksgiving, and I know that everyone is feeling the anticipation, and stress, of being done. I wrote a list on Monday of everything I have to do, and it seems like I keep crossing things off, but at the same time adding to it - let's say 2 things to do for every 1 thing I get done. Needless to say, I am slightly overwhelmed, and keep praying that I get caught up some day soon.
My job as a resident assistant usually doesn't help with my stress level, more likely than not it adds to it. But, last night we had an all staff meeting - it is a more casual event than you might think. Adam Jones, Resident Director and friend, lead the meeting. His topic was finding time to relax. So many of us get caught up in saying we are 'sooo busy' that often times it ends up being the main thought of our days. This mindset will keep taking away from our positive, God-loving attitude, and might end up driving us insane! So, my goal for today, and the rest of this semester, is to make sure my focus and my drive is in the right place. God is really, truly the only way to make it through our 'hectic' lives, and finding time to spend with Him is key.