Ten on Tuesday

1. I am back one week later to inform you that my first week as a gym-going person went GREAT!!! I had my doubts, but I am really getting accustomed to this weekday workout notion, much thanks to my awesome cousin Liz!!! For those of you who don't know, I am famously horrible at willingly waking up before at least 8 or 9:00, depending on the morning. I am proud to say that I have been able to wake up and be out the door and on the road by 5:35 every morning, even with coffee in tow! Not only have I made that happen, I've been able to come back, shower, and get ready all by 8:00! If that isn't miraculous, then I don't know what is! I am super excited about the progress I will hopefully make! Wish me luck! :)

2. I am making some headway on my natural running transition, largely thanks to my gym time. It is becoming more second nature and I have to think about it less and less...now just to start building up my mileage! I have set a goal for myself that if I consistently work out until my birthday, which happens to fall during spring break (surprise, surprise), I am treating myself to a new pair of running shoes! I have my eye on some Altra 4mm drop shoes at the running store...they will be mine! :)

3. I am in love with the weather that we've been having lately! Highs in the 70s with occasional rain showers...perfection! This makes me very wistful for springtime. Fun fact: This morning we were under a tornado watch...in January...what?! The weather forecasters were eating it up, I think mostly because they've been bored since there hasn't been a "snowstorm of the century" yet this year, and it really hasn't rained much either. That, and this morning's storm really actually did have the potential to turn into some nasty weather, that's how humid it is outside. However, nothing lasts forever...back to the colder weather tomorrow :(

4. This weekend was Wyatt's birthday, and we celebrated for most of the weekend. Saturday evening was the whole family bowling excursion that included ten children ten and under, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and the like. Everyone had a blast, and it was great to get to spend some fun time together. Sunday (Wyatt's actual birthday) was punctuated by cake, ice cream, and everyone who lives close by (except my dad who wasn't feeling well, and stayed home as a precautionary measure). Wyatt loved all of his presents which included a Mario Bros. chess set, some Skylanders, a Lego set, some clothes, Cheez-Its (his favorite), a puzzle, M&Ms, and an Iron Man mask (that was from me). I would have included pictures, but I forgot my camera at home and neglected to upload them before I left. Wyatt's cupcakes/cakes this weekend were extra awesome thanks to Gina's newly learned cake decorating skills! He had Ninjago cupcakes on Saturday, and a revamped Ninjago cake on Sunday...I really need the pictures to do that statement justice, but I'm sure you can halfway imagine them! Wyatt had an even bigger day yesterday, because he got to serve in the Boy Scout honor guard at the Harlem Globetrotters game that was in town last night!!! He received the honor by being named the top popcorn salesman for the troop, I think. I'm not sure how it went, but I'm still proud of him for that special recognition!

5. Speaking of birthdays, Tonisha's went well. Tonisha, Mary, and I all spent a leisurely evening at her house eating pizza & cookie cake and watching "Pitch Perfect". Tonisha got a gift card to her favorite restaurant from Mary, and I got her a Thunder t-shirt, since she is such a big fan and still didn't have a shirt! It was the first time that the three of us had spent an evening together in quite some time, and it was a great reunion! I am cherishing these spontaneous celebrations, because I know that they will begin to be fewer and further in between as we all grow up. Also, they won't happen as often after this summer when Tonisha moves in with her sister in Wichita, and I move to Stillwater. We won't be that far apart, and merely a jaunt down the I-35 corridor, but it will be absolutely nothing like what we're used to now. I used to be afraid of the day that this would happen, but now that I have experienced a couple of years out of high school and have a slightly better perspective on things, I am confident that our friendship will withstand the distance. Besides that, I believe that it is due time for us to go out into the world and see who/what else it has to offer us. It is bittersweet to think about, but it'll all be just fine!

6. I am quickly approaching the one-month mark in this semester, which means that it is almost time for the first round of tests! I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, but that is irrelevant, since they will come whether I like it or not! No noteworthy news from any of my classes, besides the fact that I am having a much better experience in my Differential Equations class than I did in Calc II! I love the challenge that class provides, although sometimes it makes me question my sanity for choosing a math-based profession! I am at the point in my math classes where there are more regular/Greek letters than numbers in most cases. This is only the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure, but still. I am starting to become quite the expert at identifying almost any Greek letter, which I suppose could be useful in identifying the various swarms of frat guys & sorority girls at OSU? Either way, it puts a new twist on the saying "It's all Greek to me", because most of my homework literally is! Good times!!!

7. I am slowly, but surely getting more and more mail from OSU, informing me of everything that I need to know as a transfer student. At some point, I will have to head down there to participate in an enrollment day, which I'm sure will be quite the experience! I also have a cool picture of something I received from them, but you'll have to wait...see #4. It seems surreal to imagine that in less than one year I will be living there, going to school there, and having my entire life revolve around my schooling there. I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm going to do my best to keep those fears at bay. Besides, everyone who attends OSU loves it, right? (Or so I've heard??) Change can be a good thing!

8. I have known my cousin Liz for literally my entire life (she is ten-ish months older than me), and we have been through various phases in our relationship. When we were little, she and her brothers were my playmates at family functions. There was a short time when we were slightly at odds, I think we were 4th graders, maybe? I don't even remember why, so obviously it wasn't that important. When we were 6th graders, we had an epic bonding moment at Mimi's house on Easter, when we reconnected and became like best friends. We were super-duper close for about three years, until our schedules pulled us apart, and we both became busy with extracurricular activities; band, track, & quiz bowl for me, volleyball, track, & chorus for her. We graduated from high school the same year, and we both ended up staying at NOC these past two years. Last year, we would get to see each other more often, but it was still sporadic because of our schedules; PLC for me, volleyball coaching for her. Praise the Lord, we have finally reconnected in the past few weeks, and I am sooo grateful for that! Not only is she an awesome cousin, she is also an amazing friend, workout buddy, Statistics partner-in-crime, and person to talk to. She has really helped me through the break-up, from start to finish, and I feel like we're back to being as close as we used to be as little 6th graders! Of course, I love her brothers, Jake & Evan, to pieces, but she's also the only girl cousin I have who's even remotely close to my age, and that is something that makes our bond that much more special. I am so very blessed!

9. I have unintentionally gotten sentimental in this post, so I need some random tidbits to round out this list! Let's talk about food for a moment! My newest breakfast obsession is oatmeal with dark chocolate chips & craisins. Okay, so it isn't that groundbreaking/noteworthy/exciting, but I have really fallen in love with it! On another food note, I made some ham & cheese crescent roll-ups for supper the other night, and they rocked! Quick, easy, and delicious...I couldn't ask for more! :) (Here is the recipe in case I've piqued your interest!) I am thinking about having an epic freezer meal preparation weekend sometime soon, because I never have time to go to the cafeteria for lunch, and I need something more filling and more exciting than sandwiches every day. I've pinned some freezer recipes, so now I just need to procure supplies and make the time! I'm excited!

10. Fun fact about me: I love curly hair on myself, and really most anyone, for that matter. Another fun fact: My hair, in no way, shape, or form curls naturally. Sadly, I've tried to disprove this fact multiple times and have failed miserably. Hot rollers only hold a curl temporarily, and I always burn my fingers in the process. Curling irons just frustrate me, and never seem to work as well as they should. The only way I have ever been able to make my hair curly where it will stay that way for at least one day is to sleep on curlers of some sort, be it foam rollers or perm rods. There is an even more tedious option of having my beloved mom take a 1/4-inch curling iron to literally every strand of my hair, which is a good two hour process, on a good day, under ideal conditions. As you can imagine, both ways are very time-consuming, painful, and, quite frankly, annoying. I should also add that I am unwilling to get a perm, because I still can't stand the thought of chemically treating my hair, and I have a lingering doubt that it wouldn't turn out the way I have it envisioned at all. Needless to say, I have finally found a solution to this predicament! I have always heard of people using flat irons to curl their hair, which confounded me, because it seems just the opposite of its intended purpose...and I failed miserably when I first tried it. (Think large folds in my hair, as opposed to bouncy, wavy curls.) I had totally given up on the notion until I found a video explaining how to do it. I was still dubious about the matter, but couldn't let it go until I tried...again. So I tried, and guess what?! IT WORKED!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I have finally found a way to curl my hair without going to drastic measures! For the record, no I won't be curling my much more often, but, by George, when I'm ready, I'll have a head full of curly hair in no time! Ha-ha!!! :)

11. I am getting very emotionally involved in the finale season of "The Office". I usually don't care too much about TV shows, but this time it's different. I'm not sure where they're going with it, but I sure hope that the writers tread carefully...last week's episode with the Jim/Pam debacle almost sent me over the edge, and I'm slightly scared to see what else will happen!

Okay, I've rambled long enough and it is past my bedtime, so I'll end it there! Have a great week, everyone!