There is a book that has saved my life on more than one occasion. This book is written by Robert Fulghum, it's called All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I will be writing some passages here and there from the book for your enjoyment. Reader beware this book was written in 1986. This book was simply written in his free time about whatever random things came to mind or he read about. This is just food for thought. I hope you enjoy it

This first one is one of my favorites and is very touching. It speaks about how much we have to separate the "enemy" and ourselves. Maybe this will help remind people that we aren't as different as we would like to believe. Funny how the Russians in this story could be taken out, and we could simply put in today's "enemy's" instead.

 "The Russians are a rotten lot, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and generally evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles in this world. They're not like us.
That's pretty much the summary of the daily news about the Russians. But sometimes something slips through the net of prejudice, some small bit of a sign that is so clean and true and real that it wedges open the rusting Iron Curtain long enough for us to see not an enemy but fellow travelers, joined to us by membership in the Fellowship of Joy-and-Pain.
See Nicolai Pestretsov. I don't know much about him, I don't know where he is now, but I'll tell you what I know.
He was a sergeant major in the Russian army, thirty-six years old. He was stationed in Angola, a long way from home. His wife had came out to visit him. On August 24, South African military units entered Angola in an offensive against the black nationalist guerrillas taking sanctuary there. At the village of N-Giva, they encountered a group of Russian soldiers. Four were killed and the rest of the Russians captured, as we know because the South African military communique said: "Sgt. Major Nicolai Pestretsov refused to leave the body of his slain wife, who was killed in the assault on the village."
It was as if the South Africans could not believe it, for the communique repeated the the information. "He went to the body of his wife and would not leave it although she was dead."
How strange. Why didn't he run and save is own hide? What made him go back? Is it possible that he loved her? Is it possible that he wanted to hold her in his arms one last time? Is it possible that he needed  to cry and grieve? Is it possible that he felt the stupidity of war? Is it possible that he felt the injustice of fate? Is it possible that he thought of children, born or unborn? Is it possible that he didn't care what became of him now?
It's possible. We don't know. Or at least we don't know for certain. But we can guess. His actions answer.
And so he sits alone in a South African prison. Not a "Russian" or "Communist" or "soldier" or "enemy" or any of those categories. Just-a-man who cared for just-a-woman for just-a-time more than anything else.
Here's to you, Nicolai Pestretsov, wherever you may go and be, for giving powerful meaning to the promises that are the same everywhere; for dignifying that covenant that is the same in any language-"for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor and cherish unto death, so help me God." You kept the faith; kept it bright-kept it shining. Bless you!
(Oh, the Russians are a rotten lot, immoral, aggressive, ruthless, coarse, and generally evil. They are responsible for most of the troubles of this world. They are not like us.) Sure." (Fulgum,1986 p29-31) :) yay for half citations!!

Check out the book, it is pretty awesome. 

Hope you enjoyed that

Have a good night 

Cheers

Man are things going by so quickly! On a good note thought I got my computer back! THANK GOD!! Man it was so hard not having my computer! Now I have to buckle down and get a lot of work done!!!! I have this huge lit review due on Wed and I have no idea what I am doing. This is awful!! I really don't know what I am going to do. Oh well I mean I can only try my best and see how it turns out. It is scary to think that there is only like a month left of school.

On a different note I am looking at moving out my house. I am trying to find a subleaser. Sometimes roommates just don't work out. I am moving out because it is time for me to be on my own. I live to differently to stay here with my roommates. I also don't want our living situations to hurt our friendship anymore than it has. So hopefully I will find someone to take my room and I can get my own apartment....so send out good vibes!

Well thats all for me

hope all is well

 Cheers

Quote of the day:
"Life is a road. You'll get over the potholes, even if you have to pull yourself out. Yes, those hills go up and down, but you'll always level out."

Hey all, so a little update on my life....NO COMPUTER FOR THREE WEEKS!! UGH!!! I cannot belive it! My computer will not turn on! I had to take it to Best Buy and they sent it off for three weeks...I think I might die a little bit! I have so much on that computer that I don't know what I will do if they cannot get it to work. I am pretty pissed about it. It adds so much stress to my life that I really don't need at this time. I have almost all my really important projects in my classes due in these next three weeks. So I am in some real trouble here....  Also this whole gradschool thing is really weighing down on me..gosh lets hope things fall into place here real soon!!

Anyways seeing as how I am stuck using the debate rooms computer here are some pictures that are on here.  

In the first picture we Have Carrie McCurray right after we won nationals

next we have Scott Loy, Kaytee Byrns, Carrie McCurray, Ashley Griffith and Sam Sallee. Both Sam and Scott graduated last year so they are no longer here. But that was also after winning all of our awesome awards.

Then we have Joel Franz and Lauren Bade right before their debate round!

I know these are old and some I have put up already but this is all I have to work with until my computer gets fixed!!! haha.

Hope all is well

Cheers

Quote of the day
"A photo says, You were happy, and I wanted to catch that.
A photo says, You were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch. "
-Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

MY MOM IS CANCER FREE!!! We found out on Halloween night! I could not be happier! They are going to keep watching her and making sure that nothing comes back up but for the most part everything is looking good! BTW NEVER GO TO University of Chicago! It has been awful! They were really rude to us and my mom was not treated well at all! The Doctors were great but everyone else was awful!! If you have to go to a Hospital go to Loyola that Hospital was great! We were there with my grandpa for his cancer and it was really wonderful there. But at least she is cancer free and now my family can take a big sigh of relief, that is until whatever else comes our way haha.

A big thank you goes out to all my teachers, friends, and the debate team for helping me through all of this. They have been really great and I am so thankful for them! 

Onto some not so great things, I am so frustrated that teachers all have major projects due around the same time! I have been so stressed out! Do teachers not even realize that we have other classes also?!!! It is just to much sometimes! I have been so busy it has been crazy! These next three weeks are going to be HELL!!! Ugh oh well I just want to make it through this semester. It has been so crazy it will be nice to just make it to December!!! 

Okay that's all for me folks! 

Hope all is well! 

Cheers

Quote of the day:
"just keep swimming"

As some of you know I took a week off of school to go home and be with family and it was very much needed. To start off my mom had her surgery on Thursday and now we are just waiting to hear back from test to see where we go from here. Thank you all for your support in this difficult time!

To move on to better and happier things I loved being with my family these past ten days. We all came home and were just together and had a great time. One day my sister Paige and were going shopping and we drove past a pumpkin patch and we stopped and got four pumpkins for all of us. We spent that night carving all of them and it was a really great time!

 Here is my brother Sean working on his wonderful pumpkin that he just ending up carving from his own mind because the outline was to much work haha

I was really into this and was the last one finished...it took way to long hahaha

Courtney's pumpkin was a really cute little guy haha

Paige and her really awesome scary tree!!

Here we are all done!!

My AWESOME pumpkin!!!!!

Paige's tree!

Courtneys little guy!

Sorry no picutre of Seans haha

Well thats all

Hope everyone is doing well!

Cheers

Quote of the day:
A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.

So I am at home now hanging out in bed with my mom-e! It is really great to hang out with her and just relax. Let me tell you something though about what it took to get here. Last week was such a crazy wild week. I Had two five page papers due on Monday. A midterm on Wednesday, five two-page papers for soc, and a HUGE midterm on Friend in what could be one of my hardest classes. And then when I come back from being at home I have two more midterms after that. My mind is just going to shut down soon and stop working!!! I am going to get pictures up here this week! Sorry for being such a lame blogger for right now :(

Hope all is well 

Cheers 

Quote of the day, 

I get by with a little help from my friends

Monday starts one crazy week. I have so much to do I really don't know if I am enough time in the day to do it all. I have three five page papers due (two are done just need to be rechecked) two test, a quiz and I have to sign up to take the writing exam and meet with teachers and get homework for the week that I will miss..and I know there is more I just keep forgetting.

But I did go to Indy on sat night to see my sisters and it was one of the best nights that I've had in a while. There is nothing like laughing with them. I really don't think that I laugh that hard with anyone else. It is just so great to be around them. I did a really stupid thing the other night and I watched the Family Stone (great movie!) but in the context that I was watching it I was just crying and getting so sad..that Family reminds me so much of my own we are so wild and crazy and loud oh my I love them oh so much...keep sending out positive thoughts!!!

So I am going to use you guys to help me write my personal essay for grad schools. I am going to start posting little bits and pieces here and there from my essay and I want to hear feedback on what you guys think.  I want you to be really honest and let me know what you think works and doesn't. I should have a few parts of it done in the next week or so. My entire life has been thrown off course with all this family stuff. I really think that life stops when you hear the word Cancer and even more so when you hear it applied to someone you love. Everything else gets pushed aside even if you don't mean it to. Everything becomes and little different. It's about getting through it a lot of your life gets pushed to the wayside.  I guess the only good thing that comes from it is it puts things into perspective for you..it really shows you what matters and what doesn't.

 Well that is all for me. I have to be up in about five hours...long day!

Hope all is well 

Cheers 

Quote of the day:
Meredith Morton: What's so great about you guys?
Sybil Stone: Uh, nothing... it's just that we're all that we've got.

I would like to thank all of you for all your support though this difficult time. I can not say thank you enough. It means the world to my family and I. So keep thinking happy thoughts! 

Now to something on a happier note, last week we had a debate tournament and it was a really big help to take my mind off of other thing. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the team and see some of my other good friends from other schools. Carrie and RJ both goth speaker awards and RJ and Nick got third place. It was a good weekend with a lot of great debate rounds.

I can't believe of fast this semester is going there is so much to do and so much I need to do ASAP!! Ahh being a senior is sooo stressful!! Lets just hope it all works out and I will make it through this year! I just keep telling myself gotta make it work..gotta make it work! 

I am sorry this is so short but I hope everything is going well with you guys 

Cheers 

Quote of the day:
Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you must not forget to laugh.-Katherine Hepburn

My mom called me twenty min ago and told me she has cancer. I feel like I have been hit by a truck. I wanted to come write about this right now to show a little bit of what it is like to be away from all those you love and have to deal with something like this. Because one of the sad truths that no body talks about when you leave from school is bad things like this do happen and now you find yourself alone and feeling like you have no one to turn to but your phone and call those you love most. This isn't my first time dealing with a loved one who found out they have cancer when I am at school. The week before finals last spring I found out my grandpa had it. I really don't think anyone can fully understand whats its like to here those words until they do. I could barely function how I got past those next two weeks alone you got me. This is the one man I love more than any other in the world and now here he is fighting for his life. He is at the end stages now of dealing with cancer and hopefully if all keeps going well he will make it through but there is still a ways to go. 

Now my mother the most amazing woman I have ever seen who has gone through so much in her life as been dealt the same unknowing fate. I cannot even summon the strength to leave me bed. I feel so alone by being so far away from my sisters and brother. it breaks your heart almost even more knowing that they too are sitting alone not having each other to turn to. My family is very close and we are close because it seems that horrible things keep happening and we all that we have and now here we are scattered all throughout Indiana looking to out phones and pictures for comfort.

School is so beyond stressful right now and adding this on top of it was really just the cherry on the cake. All I can do now is just keep moving forward and take each day at a time. It is times like these in peoples life that they either let something take over their lives or they stand up and make sure they get through it. I am the latter of the two. There is no easy fix advice I can offer anyone who has not gone through it that one day might besides that you cannot let this moment define you and let it take you off your course of action. It can throw you off for a little bit but you have to make it work.

I love my mom and family more than anything and would do anything for them. Now I look at our good times and our strength to get us through this. If you are someone who is going through this now I feel your pain and I want you to know you are not alone. If you need someone please contact me I know how lonely you can feel.

A side note to my mom,

Mom-e , I want to say that I love you and you are the strongest, smartest, most amazing woman I have ever known and if anyone can beat this I know it is you. You are the soul reason I am the person I am today and I want to tell you just how important you are to me. Our family would be nothing without you and I know that you are stronger than this cancer. You have to beat it because I cannot live without you. It is not something I can handle. you are the rock that our entire family stands on. and without you I don't know where we would be. You have given me and our family so much and you have given up so much for yourself to give us the lives we have. I thank you for everything and love you more than words can say. We are all here for you and we will all get through this together.

I love you 

Hey all, so I just took my first test of the year and man was I disappointed in myself. I only got a 78....I was so upset. I did not study nearly as much as I should have and I thought I could just go off of what I already know from some upper level classes I have taken, but looks like it didn't turn out to well. I guess it's okay because it's just the first test and I will have other ways to make up for this. I am just mad at myself. So kids lesson for today is STUDY!! haha.

On a good note I am going home today. My brother hurt himself in football (not so good) so my sisters and I are all coming home for the weekend. It will be really nice going home seeing as how I haven't been home in awhile. I love and miss my family so much. Also FAME! is coming out this weekend and I cannot wait to see it!! haha

An update on the debate team, we have our first tournemnt next weekend in Ohio. Carrie is my partner for this, and we just got our case written last night. I am really liking it a lot more our case is really strong. So this should be a really good case to run.

So thats all for now, hope everyone has a good day

Cheers

Quote of the day:
It's the rule of life that everything you have always wanted comes the very second you stop looking for it.
-Sex & The City

Hey guys! I hope your summers went well! I am back blogging again this year for Ball State and this year will be really intense! I am graduating in May and I have a lot of things to do between now and then! I have to make up my mind for what grad school to go to, study for the GRE and the LSAT, and getting through all my classes to actually graduate in May! haha. It is just the start of the school year but I am already super busy! Being a senior is no fun!

This year my blog will be more about working through dealing with different things that happen while away at school and all the crazy ups and downs that life will throw at you. My motto that helps me get through things comes from the amazing Tim Gunn who always says "Make it work" and that has become my own personal life saying. So if you will be following me you will be reading about me dealing with life and no matter what making it work! 

Hope everything is going well! 

Cheers 

Quote of the day:
"Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway. - Mary Kay Ash"