10 Days of Thankfulness: Day 3

In chapel yesterday, Pator Aaron Bart let us explore and remember all the things God has done in our lives. I had some time to reflect on my year of good health for the entire family, for never giving up on me, for strength to face each new day with its new challenges, and for support groups to challenge and encourage me to stay on the right path. He challenged us to be thankful for things beyond the material things. It was a really great challenge. Around this time of year the things that usually fill my thankfullness list are things that I have given, material things I can hold such as friends, Scott, good food, a warm house, the clothes that I wear, etc... The list goes on and on. It is a good reminder to think about some of the things that I way too frequently take for granted. So day three of thankfullness is for God always chasing me down and bringing me back to the reality that He is God and I am not and I only have anything to be thankful for becuase He has given it to me.

10 Days of Thankfulness: Day 2

Yesterday I forgot to post. But, yesterday I was thankful for my roommates! I had some great conversations with them yesterday. I went to Walmart with Merissa and Brittany to buy stuff for Christmas shoe boxes. And, I went on a run with Brittany later at night which was so fun! We've also been talking a lot about our relationships and our issues and just about anything. They have been so fun to be around lately, especially now that I have time to be around with them now that soccer is done. It has been so great!


6 dyas left!
xo aubs

10 Days of Thankfulness:Day 1

Last weekend was such a joy. I had barely any homework to do and two whole days to do it!
Friday:
I went to Sioux Falls with some friends of mine. It was so fun to be with them. It was the first time this semester that I have had a girls night out! We goofed off so much and did lots of laughing. It took us a little longer to get there due a couple wrong turns but we finally made it and hit the mall. After we were all shopped out we went to Panera Bread and picked up bagels for breakfast Saturday morning and then we went to Cherry Berry!! Cherry Berry is a frozen yogurt bar with probably 20 flavors of frozen yogurt. You begin by picking the size bowl you want and filling it with whatever flavors you choose. They come out of dispensers like soft serve ice cream does. I got espresso, cookies and cream, and birthday cake. Then you move on to the toppings of which I chose oreo crumbs, cookie dough pieces, reeses pieces, kit kat bars and snickers, and of course sprinkles. Then you pay based on how much your creation weighs. It was unbeilably delicious. I need to find one around home to bring you all to. When we returned for the night to Sioux Center the girls came over to our apartment and we watched Soul Surfer. What a good movie! I can fulfill my dreams of being a surfer girl right from the tv :) It was very successful girls night!

Saturday I slept in and went to work out. Then Scott came over and we shared our Panera bagels. Then we parted to do some homework. After completing what little homework I had to do, we went to the final Dordt football game of the season vs Northwestern. We were actually winning at one point, but Northwestern countered with 4 more touchdowns by the end of the first half. So, we decided to leave at half time. We made supper together later. We had tacos which are always good :) and had a relaxing evening watching a movie and chatting.

Sunday, me, Merissa, Ryan and our friend Chris sang in the praise team at church. It's so fun!
For dinner we cooked up Grandma Kloosterhouse's Mexican Lasagna. It was DELICIOUS! and I proceeded on to a lazy Sunday full of Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family and snoozing and chilling with Scott at night.

This weekends joy was RELAXING! It was my first weekend to myself since school started in August.

Starting today I want to begin  a series of posts dedicated to what I'm thankful for that day instead of what brings me joy in honor of Thanksgiving. Today is the first day, and today I am thankful for sunshine and a cool breeze as I walk across campus. It is the epitomy of beautiful fall days here today (minus the colored leaves on the trees because they have all blown away already). Despite the leaves it could not be a more a perfect fall day.

only 8 more days now!

11-11-11

Today is 11-11-11!! The ultimate wish will be made at 11:11 today for world peace :) haha jk but there will be a wish made for something that I can't tell you or it won't come true. In honor of the date 11-11-11 the Dordt College bookstore sold sweatpants for $11.11 :) Me and Merissa got in line at 8:50 (the bookstore opens at 9:00) this morning and the line was all the way back to the entrance of the campus center! We were maybe 30 people back and just barely each got a pair of sweatpants. You can NEVER have too many pairs of sweatpants :) It was a successful beginning to this monumental day in history!

Tonight, I will put the icing on the cake of this 11-11-11 day by going to Sioux Falls with the girls to go SHOPPING!! I can't wait! :)

AND ... 11 more days!!

xo Aubs

Family is forever

Last week Thursday Scott's Grandma passed away. We came home Friday after classes to spend the weekend with his family and go to the funeral on Monday. It was good to come home, but not under the circumstances. Saturday I slept in and went to the Ssader sale with dad to get sweatpants for Alyssa for Christmas, then I met Alyssa for lunch at Wendy's because everyone was working. At night we all went to Holland and met mom after work and went out for dinner with the whole family. Grandma's and Grandpa's came over for Sunday dinner after I experienced my first simulcast Church service. Then we had the visitation from 2-4 and 7-9. It was good to be with the family and to share with them during this hard time. I felt like I really got to know the family on a deeper level in sharing with them in this. I also got to be with the family for the funeral. It was a very nice service in which they compared Grandma Van Wylen's life to that of John Calvin through her contentment in her life. It's always difficult when we lose a loved one from this earth, but we know it isn't over. We have the hope of life after this life in Heaven. Heaven IS for real! Eric Billin sings a song for his Uncle about swimming in the rivers and scoring tuouchdowns on the saints. Scott decided she is scored home-runs and pitching no hitters like she never has before ♥

It was so good to be home. Now I'm back at it again this week. My joys today: I had a nice lazy afternoon today and we had another roommate meal that consisted of breakfast for dinner :) It was very nice.

Tomorrow I am going to Sioux Falls with Merissa, and Brittany, and Mary, and a few other girls from campus that we know from classes and track and from Wisconsin. GIRLS NIGHT! It should be pretty fun!

12 days and counting!
xo Aubs

Back Massages

I am taking this funny class as an elective this semester. It's called "Voice and Body Warm Ups". Me and Merissa are taking it together hoping it would teach us to breathe correctly since we both have some breathing problems. It is only a half semester course so we thought it couldn't be too bad. Well, the course is full of theater and music majors and our professor isn't even a professor. He is a theater major who graduated last year. It's pretty funny. We do things like "sun salutations", Thi Chi, and Yoga for beginners. And today, we got to give back massages. I was so thankful Merissa was there with me so we could be partners :) This class is at 8 am so it was a great way to start my day. Our "professor" has also talked about learning the dance to Thriller... I'll keep you posted :)

LOVE YOU!
20 Days!
xo

Fall

Today is a beautiful fall day, with a gentle breeze and warm sunshine, and leaves crackling under my feet as I walk to class. It has been a lazy day with not much homework to do today, so I've been relaxing and enjoying the day. I had work and class this morning. And I made a delicious lunch of a salad with lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and cheese, and noodles with salsa because I actually had the time to put it together. It has been a wonderful day!

I wanted to share my outfit with you today. It was pretty cute :)

 I LOVE my leather jacket! It's perfect for fall days like this.

And my Thanksgiving Break Countdown :) I hung it up today next to our door so I can be reminded that it is coming soon!! I am so eager to come home!

21 days from today I will be coming HOME!!

Love you all!

xo Aubs