the one where the weather was so beautiful that I spent most of the day outside daydreaming and praising God for the gift of FRIDAY! It’s been a long week, hasn’t it? We celebrated the end of another busy week with a girl’s night at Cheddars, laughing our heads off over Miss Congeniality, and savoring the last night of September by singing along with Mandy Moore (it was late in September!) and of course Earth, Wind, & Fire! Happy last day of September, everyone! :)
the one where we celebrated the feast day of the archangels (Saints Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael!) with a spontaneous mini AA92 leadership reunion after Mass! Dinner at the Shipwreck Grill + Project Yogurt for dessert + philosophizin’ about what constitutes a “bro” (and whether or not bro-fulness is an inherent quality or if it changes depending on the situation…very deep stuff, I tell you!) + driving around in Joe’s truck with the windows down singing this song at the top of our lungs = crawesome. So thankful for you all! :)
the one where I had to watch a fascinating movie called “Colorless Green Ideas” for linguistics, talked about confidence intervals in statistics, and spent some time with Dylan working on the schedule for our SMYRT retreat!! Only I didn’t get any pictures of that, so please enjoy this photo of my Zune (yes, I know I’m behind the times…but I love this thing and it hasn’t failed me yet! And hey, at least I finally upgraded from my old cell phone with an antenna, right? I'm getting there, guys!), and the song I listened to about 5 times in a row today!
the one where I studied a lot, met a girl from France in the WCL computer lab, and spent the evening singing harmonies at choir practice with this beautiful lady! :) Julia is such a sweetheart, and I’m so thankful that we get to hang out, laugh, and sing together every week!
Speaking of songs, I heard another one on KSBJ that nearly made my heart implode. SO GOOD.
the one where we celebrated Stephanie’s 22nd birthday! (Yes, I said twenty-two! I know, right? Is this real life?) As you can probably tell, this whole coming-of-age thing is still a bit surreal for me. I’m sure one of these days we’ll all be turning 83 and I’ll be freaking out yet again, telling everyone that age is “nothing more than a state of mind, for goodness sake!” And Steph, when that day comes, rest assured that I will call you up (or maybe teleport? We’ll see.) and sing to you the same way I sung to you in statistics today! Get excited. :)
Sharing a family-style dinner at Johnny Carino’s + celebrating Stephanie’s life + wonderful friends + lots of love + laughing our heads off + Paul bringing the birthday cake (with special sparkly “rocket fuel icing”) + treasuring our youth = splendiferous.
(Ummm…I had no idea that was an actual word until just now when the little red underline didn’t appear. And we thought we made it up, didn’t we, Thomas and Lucas? You learn something new every day!)
PS: I heard this song on KSBJ on my way home from class today. LOVE!!
the one where I got chills when we sang this song during Mass, went grocery shopping with Brooke, studied, and finally made up my mind and decided to buy this ridiculously awesome scented candle for my room! There is something about fall fragrances that just gets me. Something about the leaves turning different colors and the air getting cooler makes me realize that times are changing, pages are turning, and new stories are unfolding every day! It is hands-down my favorite time of the year! (And even though it doesn’t quite feel like it yet, fall technically began two days ago, so I couldn’t resist the urge to celebrate with a little bit of autumn in a jar!)
the one where I watched the A&M vs OSU game and freaked out when I saw GRANNY JO on the Bugle Call! I am so thankful to know this wonderful lady, and she probably doesn’t realize just how much I look up to her! :) I actually met her on the very same day I met Carolyn freshman year, and I’ve been extremely blessed to grow in friendship with both of them over the past few years! I’m so glad that you were honored in front of over 87,000 Aggies at Kyle Field today, Granny Jo! (And Carolyn, don’t worry—I made sure that Flat Carolyn saw the whole thing!)
the one where I finally got to celebrate the end of this crazy week! Having an almost 12-hour frate (“friend date”) with Brittany from 3pm until almost 3am, spending time shopping, laughing our heads off, discussing life and love, having dinner at Caffe Capri, craving Chocolate Molten Lava Cake from Chili’s after 9pm (and deciding that we’re young/it’s Friday/it’s been a long week/we have a giftcard; therefore, let’s do it), coloring a pepper and donating to St. Jude’s for cancer research, spontaneously deciding to go to Midnight Yell, and afterward driving around belting out Lady Antebellum and almost being moved to tears by this song!
SO GOOD! I’m so thankful for Friday nights in College Station, and for getting to spend tons of time catching up with Brittany! (I love you so much, my friend!!) Praise God for all of today’s adventures and blessings! :)
the one where I spent the entire day studying, and finally got my first A&P exam out of the way! Although there were many blessings today, my favorite one happened right after my test: I took the bus to campus this morning, and completely forgot that the bus schedule changes at night! When I left Heldenfels, I was positive I was going to have to sit at the bus stop, in the dark, all by myself, for 30 minutes to an hour until the next bus came. But once again, God was looking out for me! The next bus came literally RIGHT as I got there, so it worked out perfectly! However, I didn’t take pictures of any of that…but that worked out too, because I just so happened to get an email from the Terry Foundation today with this picture in it! So I’m going to go ahead and let this photo represent the official countdown to 2012!! Can you believe there are only 100 more days until Day 365?
the one where I studied for A&P all day long, and then drove out to Penberthy Field with Brooke (while jammin’ to this song) where I got to cheer on the men of Hail Mary’s and the Destroyers during their first intramural flag football games of the season! You all amaze me with your skills! And special thanks to George for teaching me how to get my swag on. Now all I need to master is the frat snap and I’ll be good as gold.
the one where I started off my morning with homemade French toast, strawberries, and a banana; stopped by Thomas and Lucas’ dorm in between classes for a power nap; started crying during choir practice when we sang one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard in my life; went on a 30 minute run to clear my mind; was surprised to find a note from Stephanie on my windshield; and got a postcard from Carolyn sent from Lourdes, France!! Have I mentioned how RIDICULOUSLY thankful I am to have such wonderful people in my life? Thank you for making me feel loved today, my dears! I love you! :)
the one where I was happy to hear this song while doing some morning grocery shopping at HEB, ate some Dunkaroos for good luck (on Brooke’s orders) before taking my first exam of the semester, and got really excited when I ran into Brittany in the library and spent some time hanging out in between our classes! Only I didn’t get any pictures of that, so I thought I’d share this devotional reflection with you today. Every word of it is beautiful.
the one where we had an Aggie Ring blessing after Father Michael Sullivan celebrated his 1000th mass! (There’s nothing like dunking a ring in holy water!) Spending the rest of the day hanging out with Perla, studying, eating Rocky Road ice cream, laughing at Brooke trying to give April a piggy-back ride upstairs, and listening to words of wisdom courtesy of Mrs. Roggow = just a few more reasons why Sundays are awesome. :)
the one where the Aggies BTHO Idaho 37-7! Whooping like crazy + enjoying the nice breeze and multicolored clouds during the game + TGI Friday’s with Amy Jo and her family afterward + “an astute observation has led to laughter” + “I know! We should have conversations that consist entirely of movie quotes! Oh wait…we ALREADY DO THAT!” + “that…is an armadillo.” = affirmative sheep noise. (Ten points to anyone who knows what any of that means!) Such a fun day! :)
the one where we celebrated another Fightin’ Texas Aggie Ring Day!! WHOOP! Congratulations to April, Katelynn, Brittany, Erik, Amy Jo, Will, Kelli, Angela, Natalie, Nancy, Angela, Will, and everyone else who got their rings today! Making the long, adventurous drive out to Vicks + cake balls + tons of awesome friends + dancing the night away + Will and Kristyn teaching us how to Dougie + hearing this song for the first time and LOVING it = happy Ring Day!!! Praise the Lord for blessing us with days like this! :)
the one where Elizabeth came to College Station! Morning Starbucks date + reminiscing about the good ol’ days in “potions class” (aka chem. 111 lab) + great conversation about life, joy, and peace + a mysterious case of mistaken identity = thanksgiving is the key to joy. And I couldn’t be more thankful for today!
the one where April started her first day of Kindergarten, and Brooke started her first day of 1st Grade! (Observing, that is! But funny story—Brooke actually skipped from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade, so technically this IS her first day of 1st Grade!) Breaking News: we’ve got some legit teachers-to-be on our hands. For real. All those kids are going to LOVE you two! So glad to call you my friends and roomies!
Hope you enjoy the song of the day! (Not to mention one of the coolest music videos of all time!)
the one where I introduced the Casa Agape kitchen to my favorite chicken spaghetti recipe, visited Thomas & Lucas after class, went to choir practice, and spent every moment in between studying anatomy! Man, this class is intense. I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty intimidating…and I’m pretty sure I’ll be sitting right here in this corner of my room studying every single morning and evening this semester. But with the help of Raisinets and Flat Carolyn to keep me company, I’m sure I will get by!
the one where I had a morning Skype date with Carolyn and a picnic lunch date with Robby, right before we ran into Kristyn, who then joined us in the 2 o’clock flash mob in Academic Plaza! Talk about the greatest study break OF ALL TIME.
the one where we remembered 9/11. Can you believe it’s been 10 years already? It’s hard to believe. I still remember sitting in my 6th grade science class, not understanding anything that was going on, but feeling very, very thankful that my family and friends were all around me, safe & sound. Not knowing if anything was going to happen to us, but fully acknowledging the gift of the present moment, and savoring the feeling of togetherness. It’s moments like these that force our eyes open—open to see things the way we should always see them: as momentary, ephemeral gifts that can be taken away at any time. Lord, may we always be vigilant, abounding in thanksgiving for Your gifts, and willing to forgive those who trespass against us. Amen.
Today was also the one where I found out that Katy and Colton got engaged (AH!!! I’m so happy for you both!), and I got some special surprises from Thomas & Lucas when they came back from home. Thanks for the banana bread and apple cake, Momsie! You’re the best!
the one where I had breakfast with Rachel (who is an extra on ABC Family’s “The Lying Game”…you can see her dancing in the background at the end of this promo!), had a surprise visit from Katherine and Adam, and had a tailgate party for Katelynn and George at the park! Homemade fajitas + playing on the playground + jumping out of swings + cupcakes + writing letters to the happy couple + singing and dancing + saying things like “what’s crackalackin’, boo?” = just because we’re technically adults doesn’t mean we can’t embrace our inner child. :) Rock on.
Aaand this just in: Coldplay still knows what’s up! I might just be a tiny bit in love with this song. Enjoy!
the one where I watched the sunrise over a cup of coffee, ran into Katy on the 7am bus, had my first A&P lab, took a midday power nap in the library, had a Yogurtland catch-up date with Kristyn after class, and officially became a volunteer photographer for St. Mary’s at The Revolution: Unveiling Reality! So. Beautiful. If you haven’t heard of Theology of the Body, you should check it out! It’s a revolutionary perspective on the beauty of man and woman, the mystery of God’s perfect love in the Trinity, and how true love on Earth should be a reflection of that love: a free, total, faithful, fruitful gift of self. For more information, visit http://www.theologyofthebody.net/ or http://thetheologyofthebody.com/
the one where I got free breakfast at Chick-fil-A, did homework, found a recipe for Hot Fudge Sundae Oreo brownies (whaaa?!), sold a book on Amazon, listened to this song on repeat, and celebrated the end of Week 2 with an epic dance party at the Lighthouse!
Tons of friends + discovering that the Lighthouse has a chapel upstairs + spinning around like crazy + wobblin’ (haha) + seeing all the guys from Padre Pio’s Pad decked out in boots and shorts + dancing to this song = that’s what’s up. So thankful for today’s blessings! :)
the one where I challenged myself to a 3-mile run, went to class, and then met lots of freshmen at the St. Mary’s Freshmen Connection dinner! One of the girls at my table (Madison!) had actually heard of Cyclone before…because she just so happened to go to high school with my cousin Rachel! This world keeps getting smaller and smaller! And afterward I was excited to meet another one of my distant cousins, Katelyn Hoelscher! Apparently she’s been asked countless times if she’s related to me—by my brothers after they met her in Sbisa, by people at church, and even by my step aerobics/kickboxing/yoga instructor from last year! Crazy, right? So I was excited to meet her! I can’t tell you how cool it is to have such a big family—every time I meet another Hoelscher, it absolutely makes my day! :)
the one where I enjoyed another day of beautiful weather, studied for my linguistics class (and wrote a secret message just for you, Jonny boy!), and sang lots of beautiful songs to Jesus with my sweet friends during choir practice!
the one where the weather was so beautiful, I wished I could kiss it! It felt so nice outside that I got to campus early just to walk around and enjoy the blessings of a cool breeze and crisp fall air! And to make things even better, we learned the International Phonetic Alphabet in Linguistics (which you’ll be seeing more of soon I’m sure), laughed our way through another STAT class (I’m telling you, my professor is hilarious!), and then I randomly decided to take the bus back home. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Because I ran into my sweet friend Priscilla, who I haven’t been able to properly catch up with since 2010! AH! What are the chances that we’d be on the same bus route, and the same bus, at the same time? God is too cool. Inviting Priscilla over for a catch-up sesh + eating freshly-baked cookies (thank you, Brooke & April!) + realizing how close together we live = so awesome! We’ll be doing this again I’m sure! (And I’ll actually think to get a picture of it when it does!) Ending the day by dressing up like Backstreet Boys with Dylan for our SMYRT Retreat Leader reveal = icing on the cake that was today!
the one where I got to talk to Carolyn on Skype (and tell her “goodnight!” at 4pm! Time zones are straaange!), and then go to our first Aggie football game of the season! WHOOP!! Watching the Aggies beat the H outta SMU 46-14 + first deck seats with my roomies + finding lots of Aggie Catholics two rows in front of us (what are the odds?) + whooping like crazy + breaking the attendance record again = it doesn’t get any better than this! So thankful for today!
the one where I went to a housewarming party for the ladies of Mother Teresa’s Village…on the right day this time! Allow me to explain:
Remember the first day I got the keys to Casa Agape…and then I embarrassed myself by accidentally showing up at the wrong house? Well, last Saturday I had a similar experience, except I showed up at the right house…just on the wrong day!
I kind of felt like this guy:
Hannah, Evelyn, Kendall, Rebecca, and Celine recently moved into their house, and I was really excited for their housewarming party last week…but was slightly confused when I drove up and didn’t see very many cars. “Maybe a lot of people already left,” I thought. I went ahead and rang the doorbell anyway, and the girls welcomed me with hugs and showed me their pretty home. It didn’t cross my mind until about ten minutes later when one of the girls pulled out a cookbook and said, “we should make this for our housewarming party!” that I realized this was not actually the housewarming party. And I just had to laugh and tell them about my little mix-up! You girls are so sweet; thank you for not making too much fun of me! :) And thank you Lord, for the lesson in humility. You always know how to keep me grounded!
Aaand these girls have such creative decorations all over their house--I especially love this quote on the living room wall! Catch phrase + cake balls + Empire = awesome. I love these girls and their cute house! :)
the one where I went to my Friday classes and then went on an adventure to find out who I will be leading a SMYRT retreat with this October! After untangling tons of string tied to forks, we finally found out who we were connected to—and I couldn’t be more excited to lead a retreat with Dylan!! Afterward we had to dress up in crazy outfits from the prop box and run around the church grounds searching for our hidden coordinators—and even though it took us about half an hour, we finally found Ryan tucked away behind stacks of chairs in a dark closet upstairs! Sneaky, sneaky. I’m so excited that we have the opportunity to plan a youth retreat together! So ridiculously blessed.
PS: I also heard this song today and fell completely in love with it. Enjoy!
the one where AA92 Leadership passed the baton to AA93! Talk about bittersweet. The memories I’ve made with all of you this summer will stay with me for the rest of my life! Getting our CMT Passdown completed…on the actual day of passdown + using our “album cover” for the front page + updating the instructions with our CMT lingo (e.g. “yes ba,” “butter,” “sheepish,” and “with EVERYTHING!”) + eating a delicious meal prepared by Father Will in the Rectory + reminiscing about our adventures together over the past few months + getting on the Awakening computer one last time = it’s crazy how time flies! I still can’t believe it’s over. Finishing off the night by going out to the Hall and dancing until 2am = a wonderful way to end the day!
