Happy 2010!

Wow, in a flurry of lazy days (I've been slightly sick since Christmas!) I have had recently, I feel like I have a million things I want to remember.

Firstly, WAC. it's a party I have almost annually (skipped last year due to the Wednesday after Christmas being new years eve and I wasn't up for that kind of pressure!) was actually more of a small gathering than a party. No one attends my parties anymore. I blame it on: lack of communication with the outside world on a daily basis on my part, and not making a facebook event until the day before (even though I told people to save the date because I was indeed going to continue the tradition. ) But all of the people there were people I wanted to spend time with, so that was indeed special and good. We made cheap champagne toasts to Ben and Sofie's engagement, drank sangria and Bailey's milkshakes, played a wine trivia game on and off and just hung out.

Secondly, New Year's Eve. (unofficially Date 2 :) )Drink of the night: Amaretto sour. yummm! What I remember most is being extremely cold. All dressed up and kept my coat on the whole time. We went to Emporia so Andrew could spend time with his friend Kyle and so we could marvel at silly new year's eve flirtations. Looked at in pieces, without the new year's kiss, it was at the most, decent. But add that five minutes right before and after midnight, and it was absolutely wonderful. My first new year's kiss! and he made it a good one! Complete with him dipping me while standing right under the balloon drop! (and about 30 seconds before new years he may have almost poked out my eye with his top hat we borrowed from one of my roomies!) and then I kissed two more boys on the cheek, got a plastic cup of champagne, and bent down to pick up a balloon. A bouncer walked by and made some comment about 'more than a new year's kiss!' He was thinking I was bending down for some other less innocent reason than getting a balloon!

New years day and resolutions: I haven't thought these through yet! My most basic are to look good in a swimsuit and all of the new fancy clothes I will buy to get a new fancy job after I graduate as soon as possible! (which will probably be at the end of June instead of the planned May! boo! )

Run a few 5ks

Stay with him until at least summer as per his request and my hope so that we can enjoy some quality Lake of the Ozarks time.

Take care of my friends and relationships more. (dating him has realized how much I can give and support if I just pay attention to what a person needs. Whether it be something simple like a carabiner when they need one (I have too much stuff and love giving away all the crap - especially when it was free!) - or something more valuable - like a listening ear at the right time.) This includes mostly him, my close friends, and my family.

Church activities? Maybe concentrate more on the service activities the church next to my house does - rather than the masses that I rarely attend. And keep going, if I can, to the bible study with my friend RT

Spend more time with kids - mostly cousins. whenever possible.

allow myself to be goofy and do things like make pyramids of snow! (this pyramid was gorgeous for a while, and has now been peed on. Why yes, I do live in a college town!)

Cook more.

And things not having to do with holidays...

I'm reading too many books and am racking up some library fees! I'm still reading Julie and Julia - which is hillarious and light hearted and makes me want to cook!

I also have some good cookbooks I want to dive into! Joy of cooking and Julia Child's Mastering the art of French cooking!

Yesterday I made this basic rice thing I make a lot.

Delicious Chicken, rice, veggie Goop

• Bag of frozen veggies (I prefer California mix of caul, broc, carrots)
• Minute rice
• Cream of Chicken
• Spices (optional)
• canned chicken (optional)

Steam veggies

make rice (minute rice works great)

drain veggies

stir all together in whichever of your pots is bigger.

Wonderfully easy, delicious, filling, and cheap! Makes great leftovers.

Hope your 2010 has been beautiful so far and will continue to be filled with happy thoughts.

Love and great holidays,
J

church.

I was baptised but not a practicing Catholic until 4th grade. my grandma cleo died and I didn't understand heaven etc. I asked my mom if we could start going to church. So me, my mom, and april became members of Good Shepherd Catholic church.

I am now at college and attending a new church which is literally a 45 second walk from my house, which makes it easy to wake up 10 minutes before and get ready quickly!

And today I figured out another reason I love going to church.

In the monotonous repeating of words I've said since 4th grade, I can plan in my head. but it's not the type of to do list making I do frantically during class. It's the type that is just thinking about what I can do and how I can think differently about how I am living my life.

It's just relaxing.

It's similar to the reason I love prayer (esp the TALK way) You take time to actually realize how thankful you are for all you have and take time to ask God to help you to make the things that aren't going so well possible. And maybe there isn't a higher power up there listening, but it's amazing how clear my thoughts are. It's fun to see what comes to mind when I want to pray. What I am thankful for. What petitions I have. Most of them are things I don't take time to think about in my day to day routine.

I'm going to try to eat healthier this week (already started, delicious omelet and fruit for breakfast along with a dose of knowledge that is my first issue of the KC star that came to my door this morning! yeeess!)

I'm going to figure out a better study schedule.

I'm going to spend more time being productive while spending time with friends, mainly the boy. I'll have a list of things ready to study for when he needs to get stuff done as well.

I'm going to make more of an effort to be friends with my roomies.

I'm going to make more of an effort to be friends with more people and hang out and have fun.

I'm going to fully appreciate the time I have with the people I like a lot. because sometimes they are gone for a weekend and I feel silly because I don't know what to do with myself without them around.

Also. Rock Chalk Jayhawk. we clobbered Northern colorado!

Love, prayer and Jayhawks,
J

also.This explains a lot about why I blog. "I write to express myself. I write to record the things I do and see and experience. And especially lately, I write because I am dealing with a lot of things, and this blog is one of the only things that feels familiar. I don't write to be the best at it."- Kristina Horner
also. i just read an entry of kristina's and an entry of hayley's and realized how much I miss reading what they have to say!