I'm dreaming of a White Christmas...

It's been since 1882 (I do believe) since we've had a White Christmas. This morning I slept rather late, 11:30 to be exact. That's the latest I have ever in my lifetime slept on Christmas Morning!! I mean I'm 26 I guess I don't get THAT excited over Santa anymore. However, he still brings me presents and fills my stocking :) This afternoon (since it really wasn't morning) Mom, Dad and I sat in the "great room" and had mulled cider while we watched the snow fall over the back portion of our land. Absolutely beautiful! Then, we decided it was time to get ready to go PLAY in the snow. Of course Mom took this as a photographic opportunity. I'm so glad she did! We've some pretty fun photos to frame and they will definitely spark our memories when we look at them! After I got finished rolling in the snow like a blooming idiot I darn well thought I had frost bite. So I camped out in front of the fire for a while. We all watched our FAVORITE Christmas movie together: A Christmas Story, and then Christmas dinner followed. 
So, you ask: Did I get everything I asked for? Plain and simple: I got more. Why? Well, because I didn't ask for anything. I got to spend WONDERFUL time with my AMAZING family. We enjoyed a beautiful gift sent down on our Lord's birthday. We had a delicious meal together. We LAUGHED together and just enjoyed each others company. The gifts were very nice in every way!! As a child we celebrated a "retail" Christmas just like most other families, but it wasn't a hugemongous affair. I'm really thankful for that now. Mom and Daddy really taught us what Christmas should be about. Christmas shouldn't be about breaking the bank, maxing out the credit cards or keeping up with The Jones'.  It's about something much greater than that. 
So in my 26th year I witnessed my first White Christmas. I'm so in LOVE with the snow. I'm one of those people. After our little "snow photo session" I had another first time in my 26 years.... Mom was putting the pictures on the computer and she said to me "Summer you are absolutely beautiful. Do you know that?" My response? Complete shock. And duh I said "No, I really didn't, and thank you." I'm not saying this is the first time ever in my life that she's said that, but it's the first time in my adult life that I remember her saying such. I've never really considered myself to be absolutely beautiful, beautiful, or even pretty for that matter. I've always just considered myself to be just me. Anyway, it's approaching the last half hour of Christmas - so Happy Christmas Friends. I hope you had wonderful days, and got all you asked for and more!!!

Deeper Still - Day 1

This weekend I am attending the "Deeper Still" conference in Birmingham. Now, in May/June when I signed up to attend I was absolutely ecstatic, I could not WAIT for December to get here. August rolled around and I was still thrilled. Then, hello December. Guess what? Not thrilled. I was actually DREADING it. I have finals next week, and to be honest I really thought that I'd feel insanely guilty for neglecting the "study time."  Forget getting "Deeper Still" in my Christian/Spiritual Life. Then, this morning Momma and I had a really great discussion about it. She gave me a new perspective on the weekend away. "Look at it as time to get away and get yourself a new perspective. You'll come back REFRESHED and ready to go." I'd looked at it that way in June, but not so much in the recent days. Now, as I sit here in the wonderful hotel room (I'm really not joking it's a pretty nice little place. Except I'm having to wait on sheets for my fold out bed. No linens for the bed here.) I'm so excited and glad and so many other things that I came. For so long my mother has RAVED about how terrific Kay Arthur is. Tonight I got to experience it first hand. WOW. I mean DOUBLE WOW. This 70 something year old woman rocked my socks right off my feet. I've really been struggling over some issues as of late, and I know I KNOW that this is the time for them to be resolved.
Look for some much more in depth ramblings later in the weekend. Like tomorrow night when I get home.
This weekend (in 2.5 hours tonight) has been POWERFUL. Tomorrow 13,900 women get to hear from Priscilla  Shrier and Beth Moore. Maybe I should take some tissues?
Well, my sheets are here and my bed is made. I lost my zone when the sheet delivery person knocked on the door. Just know that I'm having an amazing time and I'm in a wonderful place.
I'm getting refreshed and renewed for finals, and life.
As I think about how SILLY it is that I wanted to stay home and overload myself with studying for finals I can't help but to think how just silly I was about it all. There IS a life outside of college. One day I will be a wife, a CHRISTIAN WIFE. What better place to engulf myself? What better time is there? Right now my vocabulary can not do this weekend justice. I'm so glad to be a part of this. I am so THANKFUL to be here. I'm so blessed to have my mother's words of encouragement.
Good night friends.

work work work

I am such a procrastinator in certain instances. The first day of classes I was handed a syllabus that stated I had a project due Nov 30. On November 29 (today) I started and completed the thing. I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I submitted it, and no less than two hours later had my grade - 200/200! So thrilled. I may do some tap dancing.
It's been so long and I have SO much to say. Look for other posts to come. Especially since this semester is practically over. :)

I've been so busy lately. This photo kind of sums up what I feel like some days. Not all the time, because I realize that this could be interpreted as very depressing, but it isn't :) I'm a very happy girl. Dead kittens and all :) :) :)

Daddy.....

So this weekend I threw my Daddy a SURPRISE 60th birthday party. From what I remember he's never had a birthday party. I asked one of his brothers, and he said that he didn't remember him ever having one either.  Well, needless to say the party went over with a huge hit. It was a small family affair with just a few of his close friends. Nothing fancy, pretty modest, but with a big SURPRISE!!!!!!! Only those that really have a relationship with my Daddy were there. I mean after all it isn't about my friends, or Mom's friends - it was about my Pops. Anyway, he was so surprised and said we "lied real good"! LOL! The cake was FANTASTIC. A local lady made it, and did a WONDERFUL job. I saw surprise, shock, and happiness in my Fathers eyes. Thank you all......

Really???

So, today was a rather stress filled day. I decided to do a very small amount of retail therapy. So I'm in my FAVORITE clothing store tonight, and the lady asked if I was a Junior or a Senior.
I said I'm a second year Junior (thinking HEY they give student discounts, who knew?).
She said at RHS or CHS?
I said at Jacksonville State University.
She asked how old I was, and I replied through smiling lips and clenched teeth 26.
Sales Lady #2 says, "WOW you look really good for your age!"

FOR MY AGE??? WHAT is that about? 26 is not old. As a matter of fact, I'm younger than both the ladies. I take it with a grain of salt as a compliment. It's still my favorite store, and she's still one of my fave sales ladies. I guess I'm just in shock over "looking good for my age......"

in 17 credit hours....

Now, let me just go ahead and say: I know that I have HORRIBLE punctuation grammar. I was never taught. Take it or leave it.



I'm a college student. I'm taking 17 credit hours. Now, not everyone realizes what all that encompasses. Let me break it down for ya: 2 labs, 2 online classes, and 3 lecture classes. 17 hours of my week are spent in a classroom. Now, there's a formula that's taught in all freshman level courses that breaks down your studying and the time spent....blah blah blah.... I don't remember it. I have, however, made my own little breakdown. For every in class "class" I should spend about 2 hours a day studying for it. 6 hours. For one of my labs I should spend an easy 1 hour a day. That's an hour. For online classes - that's an easy 2 hours a day per class. 4 hours. Now, I've established that I should be spending, oh, 11 hours a day studying. Not including the other two days that I'm IN class. Is this making ANY sense at all? Are you seeing that my time is thin? On a weekly basis that's 77 hours I should be studying.
Now, let me add this into the equation, I work! Not a full time job, but I sure as goodness try my best to work 2 days a week. That's an easy 14 hours.
I also teach a Wednesday night class at church. That's 2 hours that I'm there. There's prep time for that too by the way.
I attend bible study one night a week. That's another 2 hours.
I sing in the choir and have practice. Again, another 2 hours.
Oh, I also have parents that I don't get to see all the time (and I LIVE with them) because of all my school work. Don't forget that family is an integral part of my life.
Friends - well I don't get to see them nearly as much as I'd like to.
So PLEASE do NOT make me feel guilty when I don't have time to do anything. Because guess what? Sleep hasn't even been factored into this equation yet.
There are 168 hours in a week.
17 + 77 + 14 + 8 = 116 hours
8 hours of sleep times 7 days a week is 56 hours. Oh and I'm LUCKY to get that much sleep a week. Because I've been exceeding the homework and studying scale on a daily basis very much.
Oh and by the way - if you haven't figured out - I'm already on a deficit in hours........

I drive about three hours a day total when I have classes. Just throwing that in there.....

Now, do not get me wrong. I am NOT complaining. However, I would like a little understanding every now and then. Ya dig? I praise and thank God EVERY DAY that I'm able to keep going like that little pink bunny banging on its drum.
That's another topic for another blog....... God and church....... probably coming soon.
Now, I have to put in a few more hours of studying tonight. As the cookie crumbles I have three exams this week.

Remember     "When the waves are over your head they're under HIS feet"................This means that the Lord never gets in over his head, he is always in control... Are you letting him help you?????

Beginning

After many years of putting off blogging I have decided to give it a go.  My life is crazy in that I'm currently taking 17 hours worth of classes, teaching my sweet Sparky babies, working, friends, family, and trying to maintain a normal life. Sometimes I feel that people get neglected along the way, but I only hope they understand. My one wish would be that non-college people would realize just what the heck taking 17 credit hours entails, and stop making me feel so guilty for not being able to "make plans." Anyway, it's late and I have much to do before I sleep. I also have TONS of things to do in the wee hours of the morning. Happy blogging....