Thankful!

So my lovely friend Kristina [Her blog is here!] posted a blog about the things she was thankful for this year, and though I don’t think that I would be able to do 100 like she did, I think it is a great idea so I thought I would give it a try! I have SO many things in life that I’m thankful for, and I think that some of them are worth mentioning! So here goes…

1. My family.
 I love my parents, SO SO SO much and I don’t know what I would do without them. I am so incredibly grateful for the relationship that I have with them, and that we are as close as we are. They bring me so much joy. Even though my decision to transfer to UNR took me far away from them, it really helped me realize how much they mean to me and how lucky I am that we have such a good relationship.

2. School.
 I have come to realize lately how amazing my school really is. Being able to give tours of campus on a weekly basis has given me such an appreciation for all of the amazing things that the University of Nevada has to offer. I am constantly challenged in my classes, and though I’m stressed most of the time, I’ve been learning SO much and I feel like slowly but surely I am becoming more and more prepared for my career as a teacher.

3. Amber. 
We don’t get to see each other much at all because of me being in Reno and her stay in the Dominican Republic, but whenever we are together I am incredibly happy! She has been in my life for such a LONG time and we’ve been to Germany together and seen Paris and we have been through a LOT. She was my first real American friend and I love her!

4. Alicia.
 I love her a WHOLE lot, and I miss her intensely. She loves me no matter what I do, and for that I’m forever thankful. She is my sister and she knows me better than most, and is one of the smartest people I know. So wise.

5. Rachel & Elizabeth.
 I know I should probably include them separately, but I’m sure by now they’re used to being grouped together so I’m just going to stick with it. Without these two, I don’t think I would have lasted in Reno. I had a rough time my first semester, thinking that it wasn’t at all what I wanted, that it was too hard, that I didn’t belong, and then… I met these two. My life has changed for the better since meeting them and I don’t know what I would do without them. They light up my life and are the best roommates ever!

6. Kristina.
 I love love love this girl. I am so lucky that I was able to get to know her and my life is a happier place with her in it. I am so grateful for the time we got to spend together [especially this summer] and she is SO smart and SUCH a good writer and I am oh so envious. I can’t wait until I get to move back to Vegas so I get to spend more time with her. But until then, she should write me letters. [You heard me, Kristina! Get on it, pen pal!]

7. Church. 
I am so lucky to be able to have a loving, welcoming place to go on Sundays [along with activities like every day of the week], and a church family, and it has really changed my life. I have developed a greater love for people and an appreciation of the world around me and the many blessings I have in my life, and I am eternally thankful.

8. Music.
 I LOVE music! I could type for DAYS about how much music affects my life, so I’ll just keep it simple by saying music is like the best thing ever.

9. Singing.
 Goes along with music, but I love to sing and though I don’t do it as much anymore, I am grateful that I am semi-able to sing kind of well, and that it makes me feel happy!

10. Harry Potter.
 I am such a huge NERD but Harry Potter really is the best. The books. The movies. They make my life so much better! Whenever school is bringing me down or I’m in a bad mood, I’ll pick up an HP book and BAM! Instantly feeling better. It’s a miracle!

11. Football.
 Though my teams don’t always win [one more so than the other! ;) ], football is so fun and is so exciting to watch and I love that I get to watch it!

12. Germany.
 I sure do love that country! I am also thankful for my German relatives! :)

13. Thanksgiving.
 I love that I get to take a break from school and go home to eat tons of food with my parents and spend the weekend with them!

14. Black Friday.
 Amber and I wake up WAY too early every year to go Black Friday shopping, and I love it. There’s something about waking up that early, and getting Starbucks, and listening to Christmas music that brings me so much joy!

15. Movies.
 Anyone that knows me knows that my movie collection is a little ridiculous. I have a terrible compulsive habit when it comes to buying movies, but I really do love them! Whether it’s midnight showings, movies that lull me to sleep, or any movies in general, I just love them.

16. Blogs.
 Lately I’ve been getting into blog-stalking and I’ve become semi-obsessed, but I just LOVE hearing about what’s going on in the lives of others. It comforts me to know that even though I can’t be there with every friend all of the time, that I get to see how they’re growing and what they’re doing and be able to relate. Even though sometimes it creeps me out how much of a creeper I am… sometimes. I also LOVE crafting and cooking blogs and can’t get enough.

17. Books.
 I feel like this one deserves its own blog post (or two, or three) entirely to itself, but I’ve been condensing the others so this one gets it too. I LOVE BOOKS. I am so LUCKY that I learned to love reading at a young age, because reading is my FAVORITE thing to do. Ever. If anyone has ANY book suggestions, I would love to hear them, because you can never read too many books at a time, I think.

18. My Reno bed.
 It makes me sad that I love the bed I have here in Reno more than the one I have at home, but truth be told, it’s MUCH more comfortable. It’s likely that the memory foam has something to do with it (and once I move back the memory foam comes with me), but one of the only things that excited me about coming back to Reno after Thanksgiving break was the realization that I get to sleep in THIS bed.

19. Teachers.
 I LOVE teachers. I have been lucky enough to have THE MOST AMAZING TEACHERS in my many years of school, and I have really benefitted from them. If I meet someone random and they tell me they’re a teacher (or in school to be a teacher) I instantly have more respect for them. I mean, it’s not like I’m quick to judge strangers right off the bat, but this profession is definitely not one to be taken lightly, and takes a lot of hard work, and doesn’t get all the credit it deserves. It’s tough stuff, but ultra rewarding and I admire each and every person out there that has been, is, or will be a teacher.

20. Technology.
 We are lucky to live in an era that has all kinds of incredible technology available to us, and I know people say we are a generation too dependent on technology but it really is an incredible gift.

21. My car.
 I love my car, Franklin. I’ve had my car for 3 years now and I still feel like its brand new. I was so lucky to get this car, and even though I didn’t follow through with my end of the deal [sorry DAD!], I still got to keep it! Franklin is super reliable, super adorable, and even though he is attracts scrapes and dents like nobody’s business, I wouldn’t want any other car in the world [except for maybe my future Volvo ;) ].

22. Burt’s Bees Chapstick.
 This is the BEST stuff out there for chapped lips. I can’t get enough of it. I end up buying them more often than I would like, because I can’t manage to use one without losing it shortly after it. What’s the deal?!

23. Pictures.
 I love pictures. I love taking them, looking at them, being in them. It’s incredible how looking at one picture can bring back insanely strong memories, and have so much emotion attached to it.

24. Fridays.
 I don’t know why I like them so much, because they’re not even technically the weekend! I love the feeling of knowing that it’s Friday, that the worst is over (for now), and it’s the weekend soon!

25. Meeting new people.
 I love the feeling that comes with meeting new people, and getting along with them. Obviously I am not as thankful for meeting jerks, but it’s all about the experience I guess!

Okay, so I’m a bum and could only do 1/4 of what Kristina could, but hey, it’s a start! I really should get working on homework, so if I think of more, I’ll just keep adding to the list!

Cooking and Papers and Thanksgiving, oh my!

So I decided today that I am in severe need of some cooking help. I want to be able to cook. I am pretty darn good at following directions, so I think I would be able to follow a recipe. It’s not like I’ve never cooked, because I HAVE but I want to… build a cooking repertoire? I know a lot of friends that cook and say there are great cooking blogs out there but I don’t know any!

SO my first question I’m going to put out there is this: What are some good resources for me? (cookbooks, blogs, etc.) I really don’t want to go out in the real world and live off of frozen food for the rest of my existence. I want recipes! I’ll take anything!

NEXT. It is ALMOST Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving isn’t my favorite holiday, but it’s definitely top three! I LOVE Thanksgiving, first because I get to be with my family, second because I love any opportunity to eat in excess, and third because it really marks the start of the Christmas season. I LOVE CHRISTMAS. Also another thing about Thanksgiving that I love is the fact that it’s Black Friday Eve. I don’t know what it is about Black Friday that makes me so happy, but I have developed a sort of ritual with Amber over the years and it’s one of my favorite things EVER. I don’t ever have much money on that intense day of shopping, but it doesn’t matter. I have like six dollars I could probably spend this year on Black Friday! haha! I just love waking up when it’s still dark, going to Starbucks, listening to the first Christmas songs of the season on 106.5 and getting in line at Target before it opens. I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS.

I’m going to be honest in saying that I’m only typing this blog up in order to avoid finishing my paper for math. It’s incredibly tedious and is all about evaluating a math lesson unit in a specific curriculum and is NOT something I want to be doing right now! Unfortunately, it’s due tomorrow afternoon so I must carry on. I am going on about ten pages now and the end is in sight, but I just can’t keep my focus on that darn paper! I’m so happy that Thanksgiving is this week and that I get to fly home and avoid schoolwork like the plague, but… Thanksgiving means the semester is almost over which brings me closer to graduation and it scares me thinking of all the work I have to do before I reach that point!

I really would like a camera. I want this blog to have pictures! I feel it would definitely liven up this INCREDIBLY BORING BLOG at least a little bit! Of course, I went and lost my camera. I have no idea where on earth it would be. It makes me so sad, because I really like taking pictures and it’s been MIA for like 6 months now and I am DEVASTATED.

Less than two days until I’m home and eating until I explode!

Parking Spaces.

So it’s getting to be the time of year in Reno that I don’t like. I used to love the snow, SO much, until I had to drive in it. Now, I don’t. It’s pretty and yes, it makes the cold seem more meaningful, but it is such a hassle! Last year, I had to delay my drive home for winter break because my car was frozen in a solid block of snow, and I was without a shovel. Luckily, the maintenance guys at my complex were nice enough to dig me out the next day! But seriously. Snow. Ruins things sometimes.

SO YESTERDAY, after realizing that I didn’t want to have to deal with some of the snow issues I had last year, I decided to get a covered parking space near my apartment building. I did not know, however, that people have no regard for other people’s reserved parking spaces, and my parking space is taken almost 90% of the time. On a night like tonight, when it’s sure to snow all through the night, it is crucial that I have my parking spot. As of right now, my little car is sitting comfortably in it’s reserved space, but I can’t help but think what an inconvenience it was to come home earlier this evening and notice that my spot was taken. It does not make me a very happy being.

My apartment complex also doesn’t have any real plan for those that infringe upon other people’s PAID FOR parking spaces, so we’ll see how that goes.

But anyway!

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (Part One)

Oh my goodness. I was lucky enough to see the new movie twice this weekend, and I was not disappointed. This movie stayed true to the book like 99% of the time, which amazes me! I can’t explain to you how giddy I was when the movie started during the midnight showing, and I cried a lot, and laughed, and had goosebumps, and I am such a nerd. But honestly, the movie was so well done. I don’t want to jinx it and say that it’s the best one yet, but I really think it is. IT WAS SO SO SO SO GOOD and I will see it a million times over before it leaves the theaters, mark my words.

Thanksgiving is next week! I was lucky enough to have one Thanksgiving already at my church, but I am really looking forward to going home and eating and being with my family who I love so much. But first I have to get through this very very short week! I have quite a bit due before I get to get on a plane to Vegas, and I am doing my best not to be sucked into full-on homework/paper/test panic mode. I can do this! :]

I know it’s going to be one of those nights where I wake up and snow covers EVERYTHING, and I promise that I’ll try to find the good in it! Snow is pretty. BUT it’s also cold, slippery, and I don’t have shoes with much traction! I need to get on that.

The people in the apartment next to us are having a party and for the past twenty minutes all I’ve heard is Passion Pit playing, so that’s a plus! :]

Goooood Night!