oh how the time goes by!

So basically I've been way preoccupied lately. I'll just sum up my past two weeks quickly for everyone.  I got a niece! and spent pretty much as much time as I could at my sister and brother-in-law's house to visit her and help them out (they were unexpectedly busy what with about 3 hours to prepare for their baby) during my spring break. Basically this story of adoption has made me realize God really works in mysterious (kinda creepy) ways.  I've been telling everyone back at school the story because they've all been praying for them for a while now since the last adoption that fell through.  Each time I tell the story I get chills because everything just happened to fall perfectly in place in a really eerie kind of way, but a very Holy Spirit kind of way.  It just really shows how much God has plans for everyone.  The rest of my spring break was spent being a "real" college student by staying up half way through the night.  I'm used to being a "lame" college student and going to bed by midnight every night, including weekends- I really like my sleep! I've missed my friends so much so it was great to see almost all of them! I ended spring break helping out with NK 42 at ISU's newman center.  I had a very powerful experience in adoration while there and it was just really great.  I celebrated the solemnity of St. Joseph, who is such an awesome dude!! The saint for the koinonia that I went through was St. Joseph and the Holy Family, so then I came back to koinonia on his feast day- again with the God works in mysterious ways.  Not to mention I've been praying to St. Joseph a ton for his intercession regarding the adoption process for my sister and brother-in-law. I mean he had the ultimate family, so I figure he's a good one to pray to when it comes to family matters. The timing of everything was just perfect! Anyway then I came back here to SLU. The weather has been absolutely fantastically amazing!! I'm pretty swamped with work, but trying to stay ahead of it.  The bridge to the med campus is under construction for the next year and a half so the shuttles have to take a new route.  This new route was supposedly going to take an immense amount of extra time- it's actually almost quicker than the route we took before, so that's awesome!! I went to a prayer meditation thing tonight and learned about centering prayer- it was really awesome! I also ran into a couple girls that encouraged me to join the Daughter of something, the girl version of Knights of Columbus.  So I think I might do that!! My parents are coming to visit this weekend sometime which is really exciting!! Basically that's my life in a nutshell for the past two weeks! I can't wait to go home for Easter and see my baby niece (she'll be two months old by then and way bigger than when i left her!!!) and to see my future brother-in-law and a couple friends enter the Catholic Church!!, but i have so many things to look forward to between now and then- a retreat, a dance, Relay for Life (ASK ME HOW TO DONATE!!), and other things here and there!! These last few weeks of my freshman year of college (i put high school then realized I'm old and I'm actually in college...) should be a whirlwind, but I'm so excited about it all!!

Answered prayers!!

Today was one of the most stressful days I've had all semester... until about 12:30.  I've only had about 7 hours of sleep in the past two nights. Today I had to turn in a 5 page paper and a take-home midterm for literature. Then I had a psych test that was very tricky- not necessarily difficult but the answers could have been more than one but you had to choose the best, very tricky! Then I began to cram for my anatomy test during lunch.  I casually checked my phone while studying and saw the most amazing text I could have ever imagined from my dad!! He told me that my sister and brother-in-law were bringing home their baby daughter this afternoon!!!! I started balling (in the middle of the cafeteria) and ran outside to call my dad and sister to get more details.  After waiting for such a long time and going through an emotional rollercoaster, my sister is finally a mom!! We are all more than ecstatic about our new angel!! Welcome to the family Anna Clare Head!! She truly is a blessing and I am so thankful for her!! I'm pretty positive I failed my anatomy exam, but that's ok because I can make it up with the next two exams.  All I've been able to do since lunch time is smile and think about the little baby girl that I get to go home and see tomorrow afternoon!! My spring break happens to be this next week!! I've looked at all the pictures of her hundreds of times and just can't wait to actually hold her and see her for myself!! Truly this Lenten season will be a great one!! I'm off to the chapel to give some thanks to God for his magnificent gifts, then off to bed! Just a few hours of sleep, one class, a 3 hour drive home, then I will get to see my baby niece!! Can't believe I'm an aunt!! Thanks to everyone for all the prayers you have said for my family!!

so much to do so little time!!

i have less than 11 hours to: learn every muscle in the body and where it originates and inserts and what nerve innervates it, write three 1-2 page essays, and study for a psych test, and sleep... I've been working constantly these past few days getting everything done, and yet nothing has gotten done!! I can't figure it out. It just doesn't add up, I've gotten SO much accomplished, how do I still have so much to do!? I just have to get through tomorrow then I can get ready to head home and relax with my family and friends in my own comfy non- claustrophobic town, and get out of this tiny cracker box of a dorm!! I've been locked in here for way too long now!! I'm definitely starting my Lenten season off with some suffering. I'm excited for Lent though, it should be a good season! I'm gonna go de-stress by saying a Rosary in the chapel, then back to the long night ahead of me! St. Joseph Cupertino and St. Jude pray for me!

Procrastination

I'm trying to get into the groove of writing because I have to write a 5 page paper tonight that I should have written two weeks ago. I figure what better way to feel like writing than to write in my blog since I haven't done that in a week.  It's been quite a long week. I have tests in anatomy and psychology this week, along with a take-home midterm for my literature class that involves writing 3 1-2 page essays and 10 definitions with examples from books.  I also have this 5 page paper and three online quizzes for psych and 2 online quizzes for statistics. All of this due Thursday.  And a quiz in Human Development on Friday. I had absolutely nothing planned for this past weekend except to do homework and study all weekend!! Instead of actually carrying out these awesome plans of productivity I did absolutely nothing.  I was sick with horrible allergies all day Friday, so that was an excused day of sleep.  Saturday I was definitely well enough to work, but instead I went to the last SLU men's basketball game - the Billiken Blizzard White Out game- then sat around doing nothing all night.  Today I went to an anatomy study session, but other than that no progress on my homework.  The Team That Must Not Be Named won our intramural volleyball league today, because the other team in the play-offs didn't show up... but nevertheless we are the champions! So after that I sat around some more then got dinner and now I'm finally making a little progress on my paper.  I have outlined most of it, now I just have to actually put it all into real sentences and paragraphs.  Then later tonight I'm hoping to go watch the seventh Harry Potter movie in the Billiken Club.  I know I probably shouldn't, but I know I'm also not going to get anything done because I'll be thinking about the movie the whole time.  My procrastination has officially reached it's peak.  I know I work better under pressure and I always get everything done, but I really wish I wouldn't do this to myself.  The extra stress in my life because of my procrastination is totally unnecessary.  Life could be so much simpler if I would just use my time wisely and be productive!! Anyways, I really have to get to work. I can't wait for this week to be over and for it to be spring break!! I'm so excited to be at home with absolutely nothing to do for an entire week!! It will be so nice!! St. Joseph Cupertino pray for me! I should also mention that it was my sister's 24th birthday this past week!! So happy birthday to her and I can't wait to celebrate her birthday and my brother-in-laws birthday with my whole family later this week when I get home!!

So much to Say!!

I have a lot to catch up on about my weekend and week so far.  Friday was the most productive day of my life.  I sat in our little coffee shop called The Bean for 3.5 hours Friday afternoon and did some legit studying of anatomy.  It was so successful! Then my friends and I watched 4 hours of Criminal Minds, so I'd say it was a very productive day.  Saturday I rode Megabus home with a friend.  I ate at Pub II with my dad- so delicious- for lunch and had Avanti's for dinner- so delicious!!! Then I went to the IHSA girls basketball state championship game to watch my high school play for the title.  The girls lost but it was a great game!! Sleeping in my own comfortable amazing bed Saturday night was awesome. My bed here at SLU is not comfortable at all compared to my bed at home.  Anyway then I woke up and went to mass with some of my family! I got to see my dad lector which was pretty cool.  Then back to SLU I came.

Monday's are my days off, but usually I wake up at a decent time and get to work on homework or other stuff I need to do.  This Monday was a little different. I slept in way too late.  I gave blood at a blood drive in our student center, then I babysat at the parish center for our church on campus.  I babysat for a group meeting of moms that are also students here at SLU.  It is part of the Pregnant and Parenting Students Association (PPSA).  I put my name on a list so that when these moms need an emergency babysitter on campus during class or a meeting I can meet them and watch their kids.  It's a great organization on campus to support parents that don't want to have to choose between being a parent or a student, they get to do both! After that I went back to my normal Monday night schedule of CLC and adoration.  CLC was really entertaining this week. We played a fun game and got to know each other better.  Then we were forced to think about our future.  We had to make up a facebook status for 1 year from now, 2 years from now, 10 years from now, etc.  It was really interesting to see where people saw themselves in the future.  It was scary though to think that in only 5 years from now I'll be in the real world with a real job and a family (or in the convent, who knows?). It's a crazy thing to think about!!

So that brings me to today.  Today was a really long stressful day.  I went to all my classes and realized just how much I have to do in the next week and a half before spring break.  I have an essay, 3 tests (one being anatomy), and a take-home midterm that has 3 short essays as part of it.  Along with these tests and all I have a lot of busy-work to do for the rest of my classes.  I'm so stressed about it all, but the stress makes me really motivated to work hard and get everything done.  I want to prove to myself that I can handle everything and do well on all the tests.  I also know that as soon as I'm done I get to go home and celebrate my sister and brother-in-law's birthdays and see almost all of my friends and have nothing to do for an entire week!! Can't wait for spring break!!

I ended my stressful day going to the Students for Life meeting.  We had elections tonight for the executive board for the coming school year.  The other nominee for the internal vice president dropped out so I was automatically elected as the internal VP.  I'm really excited about this opportunity, but it also scares the crap out of me!! I don't usually like to be the leader of things, I like to follow and do what I'm told. The thought of being one of the leaders of such an incredible group of people is extremely intimidating.  I also am having major doubts because I want to study abroad next spring.  I feel bad that I'm committing to a position knowing that I might only be doing it for half the year.  The job of the internal VP is to keep track of the members and take care of the events calendar for the group.  I also would be overseeing the planning of the Pro-Life Trip in January.  (at least I think those are the duties...) I get to start going to some of the executive meetings to observe how they work and and what goes on. The other executive elect are such great people and I'm so glad I'll have the opportunity to work closely with them and get to know them all better.  So I am excited, but I'm going to need a lot of prayers trusting God with this plan of action.  We'll see what happens!!