it is here...s-n-o-w!

Snow...

Just the word makes me happy. Say 'snow' to me on a sad day and my first thought will be, 'Where! Here?! is snow coming, are we going to the mountains?!" I mean think about it, snow sounds like a lot of other good words
Snuggle
Snuffleupagus
hmmm, okay so I can only think of two words that snow sounds like but it makes all these happy feelings inside of me :)

And it isn't just how snow looks, how it drapes the entire world in a beautiful, pure, innocent frosting of white, it isn't how though it looks perfect untouched, it is still amazing seeing scattered footprints from kids playing with their parents, to animals running through it, to college students making snow angels, it isn't that is creates a silent beauty that mutes the sound of the world, it is the fact that weather you like it or not, you are forced to slow down. It becomes accetable to go outside and play, no matter how old you are. People do not speed to work, they take their time, being safe and cautious. The world understands if you are late or cannot come to work, it is rather, 'take your time, get here when you can safely'. Yes it does cause hiccups in traffic, in your so busy, overscheduled, hectic, well thought out plans but you know what, for one day or two or even three, take the time to enjoy the simple gift that you were given. Yes it is cold, and wet and can get dirty, but hey snow doesn't come that often, enjoy it while it is here.

i dare you...

Go ahead, I dare you...

to be different

to stand out

to not change when others are around

to live outside of the box

to not care

to live

to just be

Trying to be someone else is a waste of who YOU are

-Kurt Cobain

He...

There once was a girl named Katie,

some would consider her a lady,

she liked herself, most of the time,

but other times wished she could change her mind,

she thinks quite a bit about things,

that makes her want to sing,

or sometimes those thoughts

create a longing sought

a sought of a place and a time and a being

when all she could do was just

B

E

without care or concern for others

except the One that created her in her mothers

My must these worries roll so in my head?

why must these feelings keep me in bed?

Why can't the Son just shine through me?

Oh because I am to busy being just

M

E

Let him who created, formed, and saved

be the center of my focus, my heart, my way paved

Trust Him with my worry, cares, and tears

because He alone will catch all of my fears.

Slacklining!!!

Slacklining....an amazing activity where an individual walks across an inch wide piece of webbing that is strung between two trees. Of course this may sound simple but they you can add in jumping, turning, bending, and all sorts of other tricks. This photo was on Hannah's 18th Birthday where we braved the weather and setup the slackline in the park in-between rain showers. We had an awesome time of slacklining, playing frisbee and of course, jumping pictures :) If only everyday could be filled with such fun! But alas, back to the real world of to-do lists and un-fun stuff. But I am working on at least once everyday, to do something that I truly enjoy, even for a few minutes, because life is to short to be full of dumb stuff...you must someday just jump around, even if it is just on a little piece of rope between two trees :)

WORLD NUTELLA DAY!!!

Thankfully I have friends looking out for me to let me know that today, February 5th, is World Nutella Day! I didn't know such a glorious day existed! Well considering the time of the day, I just wanted to quickly blog on the actual day but will be able to pull together a better post for tomorrow! My favorite way to eat nutella...would have to be from a jar, with a spoon, and a baguette. I survived on just this on my study abroad in Italy. Also crepes with banana and nutella are also quite wonderful. :) And just so everyone knows, unlike Europe where nutella is everywhere, Argentina has a no nutella!!! Even though Nutella.com says there is some there was only a few small jars in a single store in what seemed like all of Buenos Aires!

To the left is a kilo of nutella that I packed all the way from Italy!

Penguins here I come...!

January 5th is the day I leave to go to the end of the world...Antarctica! My j-term trip this year is to Argentina, Patagonia, and Antarctica to study Environmental Literature. Yeah I know, and English class that goes to Antarctica? Does that really count for credit? Well let me tell you, I have read quite a few books, parts of books, and articles regarding Antarctic explorers such as Shackleton, travelers in Patagonia, and of course Eva Peron! With the recent cold snap in the Northwest, I am questioning why I would I pay to go to a freezing place? I am trying to ignore this fact and am focusing on tango, Mt. Fitzroy, albatross, whales, and penguins! Anyway with my trip to portland this weekend I will be stocking up on socks, under armor, and many other warm layers :) So because finals are done I now hope to pick up the basic travelers spanish so that I am not an ignorant American...but we'll see how much I can learn and retain :)

Adios Amigos!

Dead Week

So as you can tell it is DEAD WEEK!!! Which in reality means nothing and it is just a lie that schools tell us to try and keep us calm so that we do not pull our hair out :) So I really should be finishing a paper and I will but I need a moment of random typing that is not academic, not graded, and just for fun! So it is wednesday and in less than a week I will be home with my family with a great deal less to do and what I do have to do will be fun such as packing for my amazing trip to ANTARCTICA!!! Yeah it will be pretty sweet. So I am working on being positive, productive, and prayerful and hopefully the combination of these things with a boatload of God I will make it through this semester!