to grandmother's house we go...

have you ever had sore arm pits? yowzers. i never knew i flexed my pit muscles so much until they got sore.

right before exams were over, i deeply desired some sort of retreat from the hustle and bustle that often comes with being a student, working, and life really. however, how do you go on a retreat and not spend a lot of money... go to grandmothers house!!

raleigh and i went to gramma shellenburgers for a couple nights. she fed us, did puzzles with us, cranked up the christmas tunes, made christmas treats, and we allstill found many ways to rest up next to her fireplace.

however, to explain the "not so happy" arm pits, there are two explanations:

1. making a "little bo peep" snowlady with a sheep



2. playing frisbee (an ice cream lid) with two amazing rules...you have to dive everytime the frisbee is thrown to you and you have to throw the frisbee within 3 seconds of catching it

i had no choice but to be a kid in the snow; having to shed wet clothes at the door and jet to the fireplace to warm. what a blast.

we did 5 puzzles. to celebrate, a senior picture pose beside the finished peices.

the price of stay was time spent making peppermint bark, chocolate covered pretzels, and cookies to share. that is the best deal for a free stay i can think of.

Above: the suger cookies we made (bikini momma snow woman in honor of tropical weather in NC) And Below: the fireplace, where you could find Raleigh and i beside most of the time. We often try to save money by not raising the thermostat to much. Having a fireplace to sit beside = wonderful.

Yum....i hope

Some things in life just make me happy:

dancing, melting snow, morning cups of coffee, listening to people tell stories (not lies, stories), laughing, sleeping in a warm bed, holding babies, jogging, singing...in the shower, watching little kids love Jesus, and cooking...

...cooking has been this new form of therapy in my life and way to express my inner creative self. at least that is what i learned in my creativity class. recent cooking has been sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad (gramma mable version), espresso crinkles, and this morning, Cinnamon rolls:

A couple hours of preparation, some just letting the dough rise, made for a wonderful looking treats at least. Any imperfection i'm hoping cinnamon butter will fix. Haha. Hoping to make some treats at home.

Thanks Mrs. Tillman for the recipe.

Jassee really blossoms in the snow:

i think that he is dreaming of a white Christmas...and i am too!

snow and school

Mornings bring me joy. It makes me glad to wake up early be before the sun, start a pot of coffee and guess as to what the early morning light will bring. It's been chilly the past couple of days. In the teens and single digits at time. I couldn't be more thankful for a warm house and homemade chili. Or a car that is still able to trek through snow covered roads. Or mittens, i'm so thankful for mittens!

I'll be honest though. There has been a sense of frustration within me the past couple of weeks. I have been in a whirlwind of school finals preparations and assignment deadlines. Countless times I have wondered what it would be like to actually dedicate myself to this thing called school, learn the taught material, and let myself be inconvenienced by group meetings at the convenience of others. So finally in my college career (87.5% through it) I decided to be the student that I have known for years that I should be. As a result: another thing to be thankful for.

The other day I was talking to mom and telling her that these past two weeks have been the hardest of my college days. It's true. But I feel like more than the knowledge that I have gained and encouragement i've received, is how blessed i am from the friendships that have formed in Group Study room 212.

So I just ask that you would please pray:

• for me as I try to let God use me be a student to teach me obedience and discipline
• for joy and encouragement (as i often want to SCREAM, but refrain due to library etiquette and other understood reasons)
• and for the friendships that have began to really remind me that the mundane of school has purpose bigger than i know. they are a lot of fun.

The sun is out now. There are more colors than it seems from the hundred shades of grey from the picture above.

3 day Thanksgiving...make that 4

Though Thanksgiving Day was last thursday, i'd argue the celebration started on tuesday as Raleigh and I, with her sister Reade headed to Grandma Shellenburgers mountain-side cabin in the ounce of a town, Wetmore. Last year was my first time going, making the instant wave of heat from the fireplace all the more welcoming.

Dinner and a movie, August Rush, tuesday night was a wonderful start. Reade had surgery on Monday morning which meant much needed sleep for her recovery. After the parents cooked breakfast and while miss reade slept in the early morn, Raleigh and I decided to bolder up a mountain. Wonderful hike, quiet, yet filled with laughter as we had to slide down the mountain in out "thanksgiving wear." Later we picked out the 314 tree!

reade, getting ready the best way that she knows how


from the top

here's the cabin!!

this year's tree...predecorated

So then we went home later that day in order to re coupe, make some sweet potato casserole, can get mentally prepared for the PIT tournament that was going to go down Thanksgiving day.

However, Thanksgiving morning I found myself laughing and talking turkey with family and friends from NC. I am found so thankful that even though we are not together in person, we are able to share similar moments and look forward to the times that we do spend together. I do look forward to being home soon.

As we made it to Simla to spend time with the other side of Raleigh's fam the snow had begun to flurry and the eatin' and PIT bracket makin' began. End result: full tummy's and a hoot of a trophy to carry home! (I'll have to post a picture of it soon.)

Friday was one of my favorite days of thanksgiving: morning brunch with the Tillman fam, then Raleigh and I headed to Denver to see our friends Rachel and Megan(from the road trip to arkansas)...had some bangin' hot wings sided with lots of laughs. And lastly, Mrs. Becky taught me how to make an Advent wreath from the trimmings we collected in the mountains that seems to go well with the rest of the decorations!