i will rejoice and be glad in it

I'll be completely honest ... I didn't feel extremely joyful this morning. I've got two hard weeks ahead of me (just realizing that I'll be done in two weeks is exciting and panic-inducing all at the same time). I'm going to be stuck inside with my books 24/14 (that's 24/7 x 2). And for the first time in 23 years, my family is decorating for Christmas and I'm not there.

We've done our Christmas decorating at some interesting times. Last year our tree was up and the house decorated by November 3 (since I was home for Homecoming but wasn't coming back for Thanksgiving, I suckered my family into doing it then). And in 1998, we decorated our house on Christmas Eve ... after all, we had only moved in that morning! But I've been there for all of them.

This year, it just wasn't realistic to decorate at Homecoming (because L & I had gotten there a day earlier, we each were leaving a day earlier than we had last year). Plus, my dad had more to do during the weekend than he ever had before. And we were all utterly exhausted by the time we got back from the football game. It wouldn't have been fun for anyone (even me), and I wasn't about to ask my family to do it.

But then I realized what I was missing out on today. So instead of focusing on what I'm missing, I want to rejoice in the day(s) that the Lord makes for us. And first I'm going to say thanks for my yesterday.

I woke up early to try my hand at Monkey Bread. I messed up the recipe a little (I was reading it in one room and implementing it in another, so naturally I made a few mistakes), but it still turned out well. Sara and I prepared the turkey (we made this herb butter rub that involved me sticking my hand all the way between the skin and the meat), put it in the oven, then settled in to watch the parade (let me tell you, DVR makes cooking while parade-watching so much better). After Santa made his grand entrance (you can't miss Santa!), we finished up our preparations and Garrett (our friend from school) arrived. Dinner turned out really well, and we had a good time just hanging out around the table talking and laughing together. I've included a few pictures of our handiwork.












After cleaning up (my least favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal), we headed off to see Four Christmases. It's not my favorite movie of all time, and there's a lot of people I wouldn't recommend it to. But it was okay, and there were some really funny moments. Once we were back home, we brought out our homemade pies (apple and chocolate meringue) and ate as we watched the last half of Home Alone (one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies). We followed that up with Christmas Vacation (and a little more pie), then I headed upstairs for the night to read and relax.

It was a really good day. I missed my family occasionally, but I was so blessed to have such a fun and relaxing day here in Williamsburg. I'm looking forward to decorating our house for Christmas (we'll do it - quickly - once Myra gets back from Fredericksburg), and then hopefully finals will fly by (in a good way) and I'll be winging my way back to Texas.

So now I'm going to rejoice in the day(s) that the Lord has made, yesterday, today and in the future, and I will rejoice in the days in which -- someday -- I'll put all of this studying to good use : )

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name them one by one

I don't think that it's news to anyone that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. And since I doubt I'll be blogging tomorrow (after all, there's a lot of cooking and parade-watching to partake of on Turkey Day), I thought I'd go ahead and count my blessings on this Thanksgiving Eve.

I am thankful for:

• people who challenge me. Some don't even know that they are an example to me, but they encourage me to strive for more in every area of my life.
• my education. I wish I could say that I never take it for granted (I do), but I am humbled when I remember how blessed I am to have had all of the chances to learn and grow.
• family, both in the biological sense and within the body of Christ. Though I am far away from many of those whom I love, I am still one of the lucky ones. Though I get frustrated, lonely and hurt at times, I know that I am loved. It was truly a gift of God that I've grown up in both a earthly family and a spiritual family that calls Jesus their Lord.
• the beauty of His creation. And the way that it causes me to stop and appreciate His beauty in my life.
• God's provision in my weakness. So often I worry about my needs, and yet He gives in abundance.
• the reminder that we are not meant for this earth. We are placed here for such a time as this, but we have a greater purpose than can be measured by the world.
• hot showers, good books, encouraging friends, Christmas music, and words of affirmation. All things that have the power to soothe, uplift and bring joy to my soul.

I'm not sure who reads this blog, or who might stumble across it in the future. But to all those who have held me up when I am weak, laughed with me in moments of joy and prayed for me as we've gone through this life's journey together -- may you be blessed as much as you have blessed me. Thank you for your precious gift of love. And Happy Thanksgiving!

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two equals eight and three equals five?

*updated* finals schedule:

tuesday, dec. 9 (9 am to 2 pm EST) -- Business Associations
thursday, dec. 11 (8:30 am to 12:30 pm EST) -- Evidence
friday, dec. 12 (9 am to 5 pm EST) -- Legislation

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ps I just turned in my Note! Thanks to anyone out there who reads this and prayed for me. I'm so happy to be done, and now I just have to make it through the next three weeks ...........

ode to a whirlpool tub

When I'm stressed out with a lot on my plate (typically due to long days of studying), I have a number of guilty and not-so-guilty pleasures to cope with the stress. One of my favorites is taking a warm shower or bath to relax and escape from the books, the deadlines and the pressure. Last year during Write-On I was the cleanest I've ever been, averaging 3 to 4 showers a day.

So fastforward to tonight. When we were shopping for houses last spring, we settled on this one for a number of reasons. But the amenity that was the metaphorical icing on the cake was the whirlpool tub in the "master" bedroom (aka my room). Back in July, I promised my mom that no one would use it until we had gone through the recommended "sterilization" procedures. I thought about breaking my promise once, but I decided that somehow all-knowing mom would know (or that I would sheepishly admit to it once upon a guilt trip). All of this is completely over dramatizing what would actually be a fairly unforgettable subject, but you get the picture.

Life ultimately got in the way and the craziness of a jam-packed semester kept me from cleaning the jets. I never thought much about it until this week ... when the stress of my PPF paper and Note sent me into the shower at least twice a day. Alas, today I obeyed my mother and finally got to use this special perk -- and my newest guilty pleasure was born.

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the art of procrastination

In my lifetime, I've known my fair share of professional procrastinators. People who can put off the smallest task until the very last minute, type up a 40-page paper in just one night or juggle ten deadlines at once without sweating a drop. I've never been a very good procrastinator because I break the cardinal rule of procrastination: thou shalt never stress out over what you've put off 'til tomorrow, because tomorrow's not today. See, I'm great at dilly-dallying and occupying myself with various other things if I want to avoid a task. Currently, I am working through an aversion to my Note. I don't even like to open the document on my computer, much less figure out how to make it a coherent work of legal scholarship. But as I avoid this task at the top of my to-do list, I am still concerned. Concerned that I won't finish. Concerned that my editor will think I'm a brainless fool who should never have made Law Review. Concerned that the longer I procrastinate, the more stressed out I will become.

I'm going to try to do better as I prepare for finals. Not necessarily at being on top of things because that's no fun. But to adopt a que sera sera methodology. That's the true art of procrastination.

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humbled

I found out some heartbreaking news about a sweet friend yesterday. I'm not going to share it here, because it's her story, not mine. But the thing that has absolutely blown me away is the absolute trust and joy she has in the midst of this trial. In a situation where I would absolutely crumble and where I can't help but ask "why?," she has unfaltering faith.

I am so humbled by this example. Here I've been complaining about my schoolwork and stressing out over things that have no eternal value. Yes, I believe it brings glory to God when I work hard and use the talents He's given me, but ultimately it doesn't matter whether I get an A or a B+ or even whether I graduate. It's supposed to be about Him, and so often I make it about me. I put my plans ahead of His, for the day, the week, the year and my life. I tell Him where I want to go and then ask Him to make it happen, instead of walking in childlike faith down whatever path He lays before me. I say that I'm stopping to listen, but then I race on ahead and wonder why I've lost the peace that comes in trusting in Him.

Today I thank the Lord for this sweet woman of God. I praise Him for the way she loves and follows Him, and for her radiant example of what it means to seek after Him. She truly stores up her treasure in Heaven.

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saying thanks ... four months later

Tonight, the roommates and I had a little Thanksgiving celebration. It wasn't the traditional Thanksgiving dinner; although there was turkey, it was ground up and seasoned as part of taco stack. Yummy.

Anyway, the point of the dinner was to say thanks to all of those who helped us move out at the end of last year or helped us move in this summer. I finally met two of the five people (I know the other three) who moved all of my stuff in this summer. It wasn't anything super fancy or formal; we sat around in our living room, talked about random subjects and ended up playing BuzzWord. But it was important to me, to all of us, to let these people know that we really appreciate them, and I hope that they were blessed, even just a little, by it as well.

It was a good evening. It was the first attempt at combining Myra's friends with Sara's and my law school crowd, but with the infusion of discussion about the pregnant man, and entertainingly embarassing subject, everyone really got along well. There were a couple of moments of awkward silence, but nothing that you don't experience in any big gathering. It was fun and refreshing to entertain, so I think we'll try to do it again ... after finals, of course.

Tomorrow is a day of hard work! I'm going to try to write my Presidential Public Financing paper so that I can take it off my to do list and focus 110% of my energy on my Note. Sarah and Diana are coming tomorrow night, which I'm so excited about, so I've got to be super-productive during the day so that I can enjoy the Mariah Carey, cookie dough and laughter that will be flowing freely. They'll head out early the next morning, but it will be a wonderful refresher in the midst of a study-filled weekend.

Until next time ...

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why i hate the paper chase

So today I was offered the chance to do a group outline for my Legislation class. Which is great for the following reasons:

1. Of all my classes, Legislation is the one for which I have the fewest class notes. So it will be good to get other peoples' opinions on what they've gotten out of the class, too.
2. Legislation is only 2 credits (my other graded classes are 3 and 4 credits each), so I would probably spend the least amount of time preparing for it.
3. We've had A LOT of reading for this class, and it would be somewhat overwhelming to have to outline all of it. Although I won't rely solely on the group outline, it will be nice to have that as a "baseline" and then supplement with my reading and class notes.

So with all of those wonderful reasons to join in, why would I even hesitate? Because of the Paper Chase. The horrible movie and the way it depicts group outlining. I've already had to deal with the way it portrayed law school classes. And then law school exams. So now I have to overcome my fear of group outlining. Which wouldn't have even existed ... if it weren't for the Paper Chase.

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praying for daylight

deadlines/finals schedule:

Nov. 21 -- Presidential Public Financing Paper due (my "final" for a seminar this week)
Nov. 24 -- Law Review Note due
Dec. 9 -- Business Associations final (8:30-12:30 EST)
Dec. 11 -- Evidence final (8:30-12:30 EST)
Dec. 12 -- Legislation final (this is an all day exam, probably 9:00-5:00 EST)


that's all the time i have to post for now. more later. or perhaps not until december 13.

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we'll march forever down the years

Last weekend was incredible. To be completely honest, I was exhausted about halfway through the weekend. There were some early mornings, late nights and a lot of energy expended in between, but it was so good to catch up with special friends and be reminded of the blessings of those people who've touched your life.

THURSDAY:
After my wonderful friend Kate dropped me off at the airport, I made my way to Waco (via the DFW airport and Chick-fil-A) to start off the weekend's festivities. When we stopped by 7th & James to get the house keys from my dad, we ran into a few BRHers so the reunion began a little early. I'll leave someone out if I attempt to list all of them here, but I'll just say it was such a fun surprise : )

That evening was Pigskin! It was a weird feeling to go to Pigskin without knowing every detail of the acts that I'd be seeing. Liesl had done a pretty good job describing the various acts when she went to Sing last year, but it's not the same as being there in person. I was disappointed in a few acts (the guys never seem to prepare as much as they should for Pigskin), and I was pretty impressed by a couple. TriDelt's act was a lot of fun, really sharp and high energy. It got me so excited for Courtney's act this spring; I'm hoping to make it to the show in February, so we'll see ...

I saw so many friends at Pigskin. There's nothing like the hug you get from a friend after it's been awhile -- and in most cases a year -- since you saw them last. It's absolutely precious, and reminds me of the many ways I've been blessed.

FRIDAY:
My one complaint about Friday involved the weather. Although some would say it was a beautiful day, I was disappointed in the temperature -- it was too warm! I had a cute outfit all picked out, but luckily I had done some last minute "just in case" packing. It wasn't the outfit I had planned, but I think it was okay ; )

My mom, Les and I decided to go out for breakfast in order to spend a little time together as just the girls. Although it took a little while to settle on Cafe Cappuccino (we didn't know that the Olive Branch had moved), it was such a wonderfully refreshing time with no agenda, nothing specific that had to be discussed, and just us. I love my family.

Probably my favorite event of the weekend was my small group lunch that afternoon. I was shocked when everyone showed up to Teriyaki Park. I never forget how much I love them, but it's nice to be reminded why I love them so much. They are an amazing group of women with beautiful hearts and each is unique and precious. I caught up on their lives, caught them up on mine, heard stories from Trinidad, talked about the future and of course laughed a little in the process. Love them, and can't wait for our Christmas party when I get home (to Waco -- that's weird!) for the break.

The main event, of course, was Singspiration. If I even tried to list all of the people I saw I would fail miserably and inevitably leave someone out. So I won't try. I will say that the BRH Alumni Choir sounded awesome. There were a number of former BRH directors there to lead worship, and I was incredibly humbled to be counted among that group. Unworthy, yes, but humbled. It's a great family and tradition to be a part of; it's the best part of Baylor to me, and the place where I continue to be most blessed as I come back each year.

Bonfire was loud -- I'm getting old : ) But I saw a few people, then headed back to the house for some hangout time with the extended family (a.k.a. the Machens).

SATURDAY:
An early morning. DDD Breakfast. I'm a little too old and too young for the breakfast; too old to know many current members and too young for my alumni friends to sacrifice sleep to get there in the morning. But I saw Carrie and Emily, my mom ran into a number of her friends, and then we made our way to the parade. After grabbing the traditional kolache and Dr. Pepper, we stood on our typical side of the street and cheered on my cousin's winning float (good job Blake!), the BRH trolley (<3) class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">DDD/PhiChi float (love you Catherine). It was fun, I was tired but it was thoroughly Baylor.

We had a BRH Reunion lunch that was a lot of fun. The current choir sang and they sounded AMAZING. They actually are recording this weekend, and I can't wait to hear the finished product. After some great catching up with members past and present, it was time to say goodbye to BRH for the weekend. Off to the football game for fellowship with the Bushes and Machens, a really good effort by the Bears (we got edged out in the last two minutes) and more Homecoming tradition.

Saturday night we crashed. Nana had given Liesl and me some "Trick-or-Treat" money (her words, not mine), so we treated to pizza delivery and I was in bed by 9:45. Plus we had the time change, so life was sweet.

SUNDAY:
Back to the airport and back to the real world. Laughed a lot on the way to Dallas, watched Mom and Liesl cry as they said goodbye, gave my own hugs and goodbyes, then boarded the plane. Kate was sweet, again, and picked me up from DCA, dropped me off at my car, and I was on my way back to Williamsburg.


As always, I got tired of typing the longer I got into my post, so I'd be impressed if anyone in the universe - even some crazy Internet stalker - made it through the entire post. I might post my musings on the election sometime in the near future, but then again I may not. I'll probably let you know my finals schedule, and I might even let you in on the exciting life I'll be leading in the 'Burg for the next few weeks. But if you don't hear from me for awhile, don't fret; you're not missing much anyway.

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dallas 2009

It's officially official and all that jazz ... I will be at Baker Botts in Dallas (downtown to be more specific) for summer 2009. I'm really excited about my decision, and I'm even more excited to be around so many friends and family for the entire summer!

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PS Homecoming post coming as soon as I have the time to give it the attention that it deserves ...