It's still raining...
I really love rain, but it is SO hard to get out of bed when it is raining.

Phillipians 1:3-7, 11 "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God!"
"May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God."

Man, it feels like a Monday.

Everything moves so slowly on Mondays.

Man, I slept in today and now I feel terrible. I should have just gotten up when we alarm went off and came to work. Maybe I should go get some coffee. It is so cold outside. Let me run through the weekend for you...

Friday
* Woke up early, drove to college park (not a bad drive at all - considering I hate driving and it was raining).
* Visited with the Engineering department. Not too bad. They offered me a scholarship and to pay for my masters if I kept my GPA above a 3.7. I think I might be able to do that. At least trying my hardest has a reward now.
* Got to visit with Rebecca Wise for a couple hours. Woohoo. She is one of the sweetest people you will meet. And she showed me around some of campus and the dorms. Not as bad as I was thinking. I might actually have fun at college.
Saturday
* I woke up at 6 and couldn't sleep so I started painting for Reformation. I painted from 6:45 - 3:30. Then I took a shower and changed into my pajamas. I would have stayed in them, but Hannah and Jared came over to play Boggle and watch Batman (the disturbingly stupid 1989 version). Haha. But it was fun. I was really tired the whole evening.
Sunday
* Church
* Youth Choir ( I wonder how long this will go on...)
* Jared and I went to La Tolteca for dessert with Hannah, Renee, and Patrick. Fried Ice Cream. :) With corn flakes and honey on the bottom. :D Haha.
* Then we went over to the Sheltons' and watched Patriot Games. Mrs. Shelton and Hannah gave Jared and I a chocolate foot. Rather amusing. Heh. I got a good laugh about that. So we ate our chocolate foot during the movie.
* Then Hannah, Jared, and I took a walk in the brisk weather. It was so nice to relax and not have to do schoolwork and meet up with classmates on Sunday.
* Mom and Anna got home during church last night.

It's the weekend!!! I am so happy. Tomorrow I am going off to College Park to meet with the Engineering Department and I am taking Dad to Red, Hot, and Blue just because it is on the way back and I love their food. Oh, and I have finished all my homework so... this is amazing. I don't know what to do with myself. Thank God I can take time to breath for a few days. I mean, this is so great. I feel very light and I will probably be skipping on the way out to my car today. Haha. Anyhow, since I won't be doing homework Sunday afternoon and I am not working tomorrow... I doubt I will be post again until Monday. Have a great weekend. Stay Safe.

These are my wonderful sibling and I at Walmart in Winchester VA. We were hungry and stopped to get chicken strips (Walmart has some of the best chicken strips!). We took like four or five pictures and everyone is squinting in all of them. You don't get all five of us in a picture very often, so enjoy. Haha. The blue eyes are all squinting more then the brown eyes. In case you don't know (Anna -15 (until Jan 31), me - 19, Hope -9, Sarah -17 (until Nov 19), and Luke-13 (until Christmas)). I love my siblings. And I miss Anna. It is weird around the house without her. She comes back home on Sunday!!! And yes, I miss my mother too. I need some good food. :D heh.

I am finished my math physics exam as well!!!!
Time to celebrate.

Kit Kat bars would be nice right about now.
So would Peanut M&Ms.
Or Mr. Goodbars.
....

My first Mechanics exam is over and done with. Only one more and a final to go! I realized while walking out to my car after the exam that the headache that I have had for the past three days was gone. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It is amazing how my mood has changed. I am not even worried about my exam tomorrow, even though everyone is saying it will be hard. After this exam, nothing will be hard again. Haha. I really don't know how I did. I know I passed. :) Some guy in the class, failed the class last year, but kept the exams, so an hour before class I basicly memorized the entire exam (that is how my memory works). Glory be, the professor used almost the same exam and I just filled in the spaces. It was pretty awesome. I'm just glad it is over with and I am still passing. Thanks be to God.

Dinner and a Movie...

Heh... or something like that. Dinner with my family is always an adventure, especially when Dad is totally in control. So I invited Jared to have dinner with my Dad, Sarah, Luke, and Hope having no clue what to expect from all of them. We walked over to Applebees from our house (I haven't done this is years - I think the last time was with some Taylors). Well, on the way over my Dad decides to go into the Tractor Store and get a part for the camper (that he has been trying to fix). So we wandered around in there for a while and Sarah and I tried on a few hats. I really cannot wear hats. Everytime I put one on I look totally ridiculous. But it gives me a good laugh. Then we checked out the snowblowers (I hope we get snow this year...and lots of it!). And then we trotted off to Applebees and we were seated at one of those round tables with high stools that spin. I had a blast. My sandwich was HUGE and it kept sliding apart and getting barbecue sauce all over my hands. Blah blah blah... When it came time to leave, my dad had the great idea that we all needed to shift seats to the right. So we each shifted and then as we came to the front of the table (since we were in a corner) we would exit the circle. I changed five seats before leaving the table. :D Crazy right. Haha. My dad is great.
Next we walked over to McDonalds for Ice Cream Sundays (and Hope ordered fries - she always does). The flowers on the table were real, how weird is that. Then we strolled over to Target and looked at the hats and gloves and scarves and I got to see Corie (he used to work at CFA with me - funny guy - he used to sing all the time in his really high voice). Sarah and I walked over to look for brown shoes for her, but they don't have any good ones. So we headed over to the toy department and spend quite a while over there. Time doesn't seem to exist when you are having fun, until you have to leave. Luke talked me into buying Batman Begins and while I was doing that everyone was peering in the two way mirror. The funny thing is that I am sure someone on the other side was quite amused by five faces looking in at them. :) Silly kids.
Then we walked home and I studied for three hours and went to bed. And I have an exam in my worst class today at one. Hopefully, I will be able to pull something off. I will be a lot happier once this exam is finished, no matter how I do. And I doubt I am going to do well. But understanding three out of four physics courses is fine with me (as long as I sort of understand the third). So, I am going to go study.
See all of you tonight who come to Bible Study.

I went over to Stef's last night to watch a movie and eat dinner. We always have so much fun together, at least I do. Haha. After lighting the grill twice and recovering it and uncovering it, we decided to actually grill the chicken and make mashed potatoes and chocolate chip cookies. Well, half and hour later (and half the cookie dough is eaten later) and the chicken isn't cooking and we are trying to figure out what is wrong with the grill. Everything looks great, but I figure it is out of gas (there are really only two choice, either the ligher is broken or the gas is out... and the lighter was working wonderfully). So we have to lug out a new tank of gas and figure out how to hook it up and then Stef is afraid to light it because she thinks it will blow up. Heh. So I risk my life and limbs lighting the grill so that we may eat chicken. While all of this is going on the timer is going off inside because the cookies are done and the water is boiling over in the potatoes. So I go running back inside the house and pull the cookies out to discover that they are not even nearly cooked. So I throw them back in the oven and eat more cookie dough. Man, I was laughing so hard because everytime we did something so other timer would go off or the phone would ring. It was great. The cookies got done and we ate more of them and put in a new batch. And finally everything was finished and we went upstairs to watch our movie and eat. And about ten minutes into the movie I remembered the cookies. So Stef goes running down the stairs and pulls them out and they are perfectly crunchy. Not burnt at all. Woohoo. The rest of the evening was pretty ordinary for a Stef and Faith night. We always seem to have some adventure when we are together. Like when we went walking in the pouring rain at Pemberton (while I was in my sling) and we got soaked (completely soaked - and I was wearing jeans that weighed a ton - haha). Or when we went canoeing and ran into evey side of the riverbank that we could. Man, good times.

It has been one long day (and it still isn't over -- I'll be doing homework all night).
But it started off well. Some cute little kid smiled and waved to me this morning on the way to school. I had a smile stuck on my face for the rest of the morning. Funny how a smile can brighten your day.

I'm annoyed at physics homework. I will be here all night tomorrow and Tuesday and most of Wednesday. But on Thursday the world will rejoice, since I will have both of my exams finished. Glory Be!!!

So today was nice. Jared took Jack, Stacey, Linnea, and I out to Chilis today. Man, I am SO full. I ate so many chips and salsa. Chips and Salsa are one of the greatest food combinations ever. They rival peanut butter and apples, peanut butter and graham crackers, peanuts and chocolate, and chocolate and peanut butter fudge.
And now I am doing homework at SU. Well, it was a great begining to the the day. All days can't be perfect, I guess. Then heaven wouldn't be so grand. It has been so long since I have been able to relax on a Sunday. I really can't wait until Winter Break. But hey, seven weeks down, eight to go (meaning we are starting the mid-point week, woohoo). I will survive. And I will have to celebrate when I finally have a life again. :)

Faith puns

Normally I think Faith puns are silly and stupid. Usually more stupid then silly. But I still get them all the time. So when Sarah said to use one for Reformation I rolled my eyes and told her no one would get it.
Well, I ended up using it becasue I thought I had the right to make Faith puns, since my name is Faith. I said, "Sarah wouldn't come up here with me today because she told me reformation was based on Sola Fida. " Haha, Faith alone.
*Rolls eyes*

The Ailey II Dance Company is downstairs in Holloway.
Take a look at their last set of dances...
* I Been 'Buked
* Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel
* Fix Me Jesus
* Processional/ Honor, Honor
* Wade in the Water
* I Wanna Be Ready
* Sinner Man
* The Day is Past and Gone
* You May Run On
*Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham

Good songs. This peaks my interest. I may have to toddle on down there and see this.

The outlets

Still to come Winchester and Richmond pictures... here are a few more Williamsburg Shopping pictures before I get back to work.


Anna and her boyfriend. He never has very much to say. But he dresses well.
Sarah and a group of friends she made while shopping. These pictures were taken right after we left the kitchen store after trying and retrying many samples. The kitchen store was definatly the best place at the outlets. J. Crew was pretty hot too. But the kitchen store fed us for free. We ate so many chips and different kinds of salsa and crackers and jellies, and stir fry, and lemonade. Wow. Yum!
Me driving and trying not to laugh. It was sunny and Hayley lent me her sunglasses. Aren't they great? Anna may I post that picture of you to show why I am laughing... ? Oh please! I'll let you think about it.
Me sideways. Woohoo.
Anna shopping.

It is raining again... and you are going to finally get some pictures.

Eating outside of Williamsburg.

This sign is just really classy. I am trying to decide what to do with it.

These windows were really really cool.
Or at least we thought so. These are from Williamsburg when Anna, Hayley , Sarah, and I went shopping while it was raining.

I don't know if you will be able to see it without zooming in, but the placemats were made by Pimpernel (like the scarlet pimpernel). We thought that was cool.

My little brother... pretending he is some superhero...maybe The Ace.
Who thinks she is really cute here? Wait she is always cute. Haha, cute little Anna.
Walking down a road in Williamsburg. Trying to keep tabs on all these people was a challenge.
The guys in a tree they found.

Anna and Erin.
Anna in the van, while I am driving. My parents never left the campsite, so if we wanted to go anywhere, I had to drive. And not only drive, but drive the van. I really don't like driving the van when it is full of eight munchkins.
It rained and rained while we were down in Williamsburg (but we still had fun and did two puzzles too). Becuase it was raining the puzzle pieces swelled and stayed stuck together. This was the worst puzzle I have ever done (rewarding, but horrible). It was a painting and all the colors blended and it was a mess. But we did it! Hooray.
Hayley playing with my camera in the van on the way back from Williamsburg. She was scared of my driving too. :)
I'm sorry to say that Anna and Emily died while visiting the graveyard at the church. People were laughing at us as we took this photo. Haha.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...
I have another two exams next week, a reformation childrens party to plan and decorate for, two colleges to visit (and I have to apply and choose one of them), loads of homework, babysitting the Nyces on Friday, too many projects at work, physical theorpy, and a family to help take care of (Anna and Mom will be gone in Mississippi all week - So it is just Sarah and I doing housework).

If I make it through this semester alive and with my sanity, it will only be through the power of God. I could never do any of this myself. If I was relying on only my own strength I would have died by now. Praise be to God, who I know will bring me through. And praise be for the oppurtunites to learn how to juggle this many things.
*sings* Make me grateful, Lord, Make me grateful oh, Lord.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

1 Corinthians 1: 25 -31
"This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. As the Scriptures say, "The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done."

Kit-Kat bars shall be my downfall at work.

My Professor in Statics handed back our exam this week. There were only two questions on the exam and I was so afraid that I hadn't done the first problem correctly (which would have meant like 30 points of my exam 10-20 maybe if my professor likes me). So my exam is handed to me and I don't want to even look at it. I hate facing a professor when I have a lower-then-expected by them exam grade. So I can't even look my professor in the face. I finally look up at my exam and it was a 98/100. My mouth dropped open! I have never been more shocked to receive an exam back. I just sat there with my mouth open afraid that if I looked back down on my exam the grade would change to something lower. Then I just broke into this huge smile and smiled for the rest of the class. MAN!
In Physics it is nearly impossible to get a perfect score. Anything above an 85 is considered almost perfect. There are so many little things that you can go wrong on. Insane! *Happy Happy Happy* So Happy. Really only my Dad can really tell you how excited I am or anyone that has been in a math or physics world. Seriously, getting anything over a 85 is good and above a 90 is thrilling! Wow.
Hooray! To God be the glory.