Take that, Freud!

Let me start by saying, I have been seriously out of my blogging groove. That, and I got great summer job in April, and started school 5 long weeks ago. Maybe someday I will do a "rewind post" posting pictures of the thing I wanted to show you in May & June. For now, I am going to live in the moment instead of trying to catch up. (This was always my problem with keeping a diary too.) Besides, I talk to 90% of my audience on the phone every week.

The deal is, I am neurotic. ;) According to wikipedia (where else would I look?) "Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms.^[1] It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, and thus those suffering from it are said to be neurotic." Or even more accurately, I have onycophagia.

  

Basically, I've been biting my nails since before I can remember. I only remember sucking my thumb until some time before first grade. This year I found out from my sister when exactly I started biting my nails. You'll never guess. .... First grade - conveniently the same time she was a freshman in college and started biting her nails. My conclusion? Freud would love me. I have had my finger(s) in my mouth since birth. BIRTH! I have tried to stop before, but it never lasts for more than a few weeks. Even when I've had my nails done beautifully, after a week or so I forget and find myself chewing subconsciously on the wonderful hard acrylic nails. I no longer buy the 50 pack of pens because all the soft plastic caps end up in mangled clumps. Anybody remember those rubbery bracelets that were so popular for any and ever cause? You can chew on those things forever without them showing any wear....but you'll get a sore jaw. Or so...you know... I've heard.


Since I'm not really keen on receiving some Freudian psychoanalysis, and my own Cognitive (just will yourself to stop) attempts have been futile, I'm resorting to good ole operant conditioning. As in, snap yourself with rubber band following undesired behavior.

If you can't read the label, it says "Stop undesirable licking, chewing, and biting behavior." Granted, 21-year-old women are not featured along side the err...dogs and cats. We bought this stuff for Daisy after she had consumed (note: not chewed, consumed) Echo's first 6 collars or so. Poor Echo, I hope it doesn't smell bad to dogs too. We doused is collar in Fooey on two different occasions and Daisy still chewed through them. This was an improvement from eating everything but the metal buckle and loop. The first time I used it on Echo's collar I accidently got some on my fingers and after tasting (biting) the bitter stuff was afraid to touch my face at all (touch your lips -lick your lips -yuck) for at least 24 hours.


So here goes. I've had it on my fingers all day and I've already learned some good manners.
1. Don't touch your food with your fingers.
2. Don't lick your fingers if you get food on them.
3. Don't grab your spoon by the eating part when pulling it out of your backpack.
and obviously
4. Don't put your fingers in your mouth! (This includes correcting a lipstick smudge...yech.)


I'm sorry this is SO very long, but I do intend to get back to blogging, and when my nails are long and pretty I'll post a picture!


p.s. If you did not follow the link on operant conditioning, please please go watch the YouTube clip that is attached. The end is the best part.

Slogger

I've picked up a new word from a blog I read : SLOGGER. That's right. I'm a slogger, a slacker-blogger.
So, dear readers (all three of you), I'm sorry I haven't blogged in so long. Don't get me wrong, I've had great plans for blogging. However, if you plan to blog about an event, and then the event is suddenly three+ weeks ago, the blog window has expired.

For example, I was going to write a great blog about Spring. It's July. :(
I was going to write a wonderful ode to my father, for you know...Father's Day....like I did for my mom, and then we moved. (At least that's my excuse.) I'm really really planning on blogging for his birthday, but that's the day school starts (like every year). Poor Dad, his birthday has been overshadowed by exodus...es to college for years.
I also want to blog about my new house, and the curtains and pillows I made this weekend!

This is all terribly interesting I know.

So, for lack of a real post, here's some reading you might enjoy:
UncommonCoder - Robert's blog, which gets NO love from the fam. *Cough Cough*
Jamie the Very Worst Missionary - OK, so I don't even know this woman, but she's hilarious. Go read.
The Art of Being an Asperger Woman - I don't read this one regularly, but she is a very interesting lady, or "aspie," who is working on agoraphobia among other things. I have definitely been a little humbled that she is making more progress against agoraphobia than I am even thinking about attempting with all of my fears.

And of course, some blogs of my dear friends:
(all of which are in the column to the right)
Love From Within - Christina's blog about her beautiful life and beautiful daughter, Layla
The Fount of Blessings - Cassidy's blog about her beautiful life full of blessings (and previously - her months in Uganda)
Odds n' Ends - Christine's blog about life in the form of amazing poetry
Reformed Romance - my sisters' site about their incredible books and their blog about writing

And last but not least !
My new cooking blog! "Three Kitchens Three Sisters" is a place for my sisters (coughcough) and me (yes, Mom, "me" is correct because it's the object of the prepositional phrase. hmph.) to post recipes from our respective kitchens all over the country. Unfortunately, it's gotten off to a slow start since I have been slogging about posting photos of the tasty food I made recently. That and Lissa and Corrie have very busy lives because they are full-time moms. I mean sheesh - I'm a full-time mom too.... but I can put my kids* in the backyard when I'm tired of them. ;)
Fortunately for your, the inspiration for my cooking blog is Christina's cooking blog, which she actually maintains consistently. It's already chocked full of awesome and exotic and healthy recipes. :) So if you want some Fried Chicken, go to my blog. If you want to actually get some good options of new things to try, go to Christi's blog.

I'm sorry I've spent so many words saying practically nothing. BUT now you have something to read other than my blog, since I'm clearly not providing much.

Happy Mother's Day

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." ~Tenneva Jordan

I can NOT even begin to tell you how much I love you, Mom. I cannot remember a time when I could not come to you for a question, a pony tail (or a french "Y" braid), a glass of chocolate milk, or a hug. You've always been available, and you've always showered me with love and hugs. Not to mention.... sewing, building, painting, playing Barbies, building sheet tents, or giving head rubs.

However, I want everyone else to know how amazing you are.

#1. My mom is B-E-A-U-tiful. Don'tcha think?

#2. She loves my Dad a lot. (even though we all like to pick on him sometimes.)

#3. She loves her family a lot.

#4. She likes to play.

#5. She can build anything.

However, I have to note that Lissa and my mom built this tree-house together.

#6. She can fish too.

If stranded on a deserted island, I have every confidence that my mother would be the first to kill a boar.

#7. She can sew anything.

The first picture is of my ever-flexible mother sewing the bustle loop on to my train....on the morning of the wedding, because we forgot to earlier.

I wish I had a better shot of example number two, because that is not me. It is my friend, Michelle, in 10th grade at a Fashion Show Fundraiser. Michelle and I designed the purple dress, and Mom made it. PLUS a matching skirt for Michelle's poodle (facing away from the camera of course). I think Michelle was also the recipient of a floor length cloak (Mom-made) for her birthday.

If only I had pictures of the numerous dresses my mother has made for me over the years (usually including a matching Barbie and/or American Girl dress), but that would make this blog much longer than it's already getting.

#8. She can cook anything.

I seriously wish I had a picture for this.

Over the years (due to her daughter's whims), she's made homemade cream puffs, fudge, 2-tiered birthday cakes, Chicken Kiev, and many a batch of Chicken Fried Steak.

#9. Have I mentioned yet that she's beautiful?

#10. She brings joy to everyone.

Sometimes in the form of Easter ducklings.

and last

#11. She is my very best friend.

Sorry to my other best friends and bestest friends. I have to confess you are mere mortals. Even though I love you, you can't compare with my mother.

Mom, you've been there for me. Always. I wish I had more pictures from when I was little with you, because all the ones I have with me here are of me. But as I look at all the prints in my long-lost-someday-to-be-scrapbooked envelope, I know that YOU are behind every picture. You followed me to football games, band contests, choir concerts, field trips, youth events, Baccalaureate, and Graduation taking pictures for me of my friends and memories. Behind every picture I know my mother was there - following me to every event without complaint. (okay NOW I'm crying.)

And you've certainly put in many many hours as my best friend. I'm pretty sure you drove me to school the majority of Kindergarten to 12th grade, and most of the time I rode with you to church. For anybody that knows me, they know that that equals a LOT of man hours listening to Becca talk in the car. :) Not to mention while you cooked, cleaned, dried your hair, did my hair, tried to take a shower in peace, tried to go to the bathroom in peace, or tried to watch TV in silence. I would imagine the house is pretty quiet (and peaceful) now that I've moved out.

I love you, Mom. Thank you so much. For everything. Every hug, every band contest, every sparkly outfit or twirly skirt, every time you pulled back my hair while I puked my guts out, and every bedtime story or prayer or song.

Thank you.
Happy Mother's Day.

Pray for Kara

Hello friends and family,

This is straight from me, Rebecca, not a forward or prayer chain.

I have a friend from LeTourneau name Kara who has just been diagnosed with Leukemia. She is a junior Engineering Technology student and she is one of the most cheerful and encouraging people I know. She is one of those girls who lights up your day no matter how grumpy you are. AND she is known across campus for her wonderful bear hugs (part of the dispelling grumpiness).
She started her first chemo today, and has had lots of visitors, but I know that cancer is a long battle. If anyone can stay strong through the whole thing it's her fellow LeTourneau students.

Even if you don't know her, I would greatly appreciate your prayer for her. If you'd like to join the Facebook group supporting Kara you can get updates and send her encouragement that you are praying for her even though you don't know her.

PLEASE everyone. Pray for Kara. Write it on your shower wall (dry-erase) if you have to. :)

I love you Kara. We are all behind you.

His & Hers

Opposites attract. Right? I'm very glad that Robert and I are alike in all the important things...God, life, family, and our desired level of household cleanliness. :) But in all the little things, we certainly are opposites. I love it, but I also find it quite comical sometimes. Here are a few of the things I've noticed in the last few months.

• One night at dinner Robert had a glass of wine and I had a glass of Sunny Delight.

• Walking together in the mall, both of us said "Ooh!" at the same time. Both surprised that the other person was interested in what we saw, we turned to realize that I was looking at a shoe store and Robert was looking at Radio Shack/GameStop.

• Robert's idea of nonfiction is Physics, Electronics, or Design Patterns. My idea of nonfiction is history, psychology, or history.

I've read before that men relate to each other doing shoulder-to-shoulder activities and women relate to each other doing face-to-face activities. This is very important to remember in marriage, as I noticed today.

• I came to Robert in the afternoon of a relaxing Saturday, and said, "I want to do something together." He looked up at me happily (from his electronics book) and reminded me that we had read together at Starbucks this morning and watched a movie ("Cats Don't Dance") over lunch. I thought about this and cited the shoulder-to-shoulder concept. We proceeded to play Scategories together before dinner. :D

• Robert has 6 pairs of shoes. Total. I have 10 pairs of shoes...plus my sandals, flip flops, and bridesmaid shoes that are packed away. 0:)

• We recently got 2 beta fish. Robert's is named Linus (Torvald) and mine is named Rapunzel.

• Robert's favorite food is Soto Ayam (chicken soup over rice or noodles with lots of different toppings). Very tasty. My favorite food is Chicken Fried Steak with rice and gravy. Mmmmm.....

• When considering our names, Robert notes that he is descendant of Vikings. And Robert the Bruce was a warrior king of Scotland. I like to share that if your rearrange the letters in my middle name, it spells "Lenny."

• I asked Robert for affirmation about something. (30 seconds later) Me: "You could've stopped there." Robert: "I wanted to expand! You like words."

Well, that's all I can think of for now, but I notice this kind of stuff all the time. I think there was another one about technology vs. shoes....

The Power of Peroxide

I admit, this is not really MY blog today, but it's very interesting stuff. I read the list of things you can do with peroxide online once, but I couldn't remember any of it. The following dialogue is from a forwarded email, but the list of uses for peroxide is good stuff.

"I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide.

"Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office?
NO!!! Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

"Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's Chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our troops.

"Peroxide was invented during WWI. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals. Please think about this:

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash...

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe down your countertops, or spray it on the counters directly.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to Kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of Peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day.. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. Put half a bottle of peroxide into your bathwater to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.

11. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

12. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this..

"I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without!

"With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner!"

For the Mommies

Saw this on Facebook and cracked up.
Having worked with toddlers, I can sympathize a little!
:D

Reflections on March

Sorry I'm a little late, but I really want to write this blog, because I finally finished my "real" book!

March was great. It actually brought the beginning of Spring (who knew?). The snow melted away, the grass is bright green, and the plants around the apartment grounds are budding. I'm looking forward to some flowers (hopefully) outside our windows since we are on the first floor.
And as for Spring, as some of you may know from a certain Facebook status, I saw two birds enjoying eachother's company. ;) ;) Ladies and gentlemen, it's really Spring.

Books I Read:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer - that's right, the Twilight lady. I really enjoyed this sci-fi book. Meyer said in an interview that The Host is sci-fi for people who don't like sci-fi. Although the premise of the book is aliens, and the imagery is incredible, the story is really about personality, independence, and a conflict between two.......souls.
The Oath by Frank Peretti - I started this one of Robert's a while back, but I finished the last half of it a couple of weeks ago. Very good book, but too much to say here. If you want a review, ask me about it. :)
Anne of Avonlea by Maud Montgomery - another book I finished this month. A little slow, but still sweet and charming as ever.
Stalin's Children by Owen Matthews - This is the one I'm proud of, because it's nonfiction. It is a history of Russia under Stalin through the experiences of 3 generations of Matthews' family.
Boris & Martha Bibikov were separated and imprisoned during one of Stalin's purges. This left their two daughters, Lenina (12) & Lyudmila (3) orphaned and eventually also separated for many years during famine, disease, and WW II. Both daughters survived and Lyudmila grew up to fall in love with an Russophile Englishman - Mervyn Matthews. Lyudmila and Mervyn became engaged and were then separated for 6 years by the iron curtain before they were reunited. These are the author's parents. Neat huh?
Sorry that's a long synopsis, but it's a really good book if you enjoy Russian culture/history.

TV/Movies:
I've watched several movies I'd seen before this month, so...meh. The important one is:
The Big Bang Theory (Season 1) Highly recommend if you haven't seen it. Especially if you've got any nerd in you, or even know any super-nerds. (No Mom, it's not about evolution, just physicists.)

Things I made:
Hurray! We got a nice slipcover for our couch, (see the before and after photos HERE. Yes, that's the same couch ) so I needed covers for our throw pillows. I'm very happy with the way they turned out. :) The solid sides are blue corduroy and the other sides are just a cotton print.

Notable Events:
Josh Bruning moved to Cedar Rapids - yay! and we got to have dinner with him and his parents that week.
We also went to a really fun games night with our Sunday school group that was held at the Rockwell Rec Center (quite a place), including Dodgeball, WallyBall (Volleyball in a Raquetball court), and swing dancing! among other things.

Prayer Requests:
-My parents have found a house that they are going to buy in North Richland Hills, TX (nearer to my dad's church) instead of Austin, and are moving this month as well as selling their house.(sniff sniff)
-Papa has decided to move out of Austin and in with my parents in NRH (instead of the other way around), and HE is moving this month too.
-Also that my mom would be able to find a job in Ft.Worth/NRH as icing on top of the wonderful cake (house) God has given them.

But right now Robert's parents are in town and we are thrilled to have them! :D
(well not RIGHT this moment; I'm not that bad of a hostess)

The End. Whew.

The Night Before Easter

What if right now you were mourning? aching. raw. in shock. For the 3rd day after losing your pastor or father or sibling or best friend?

I know I have been raw and aching over a loved one before. Not even someone I spent every day with for 3 years. But someone innocent. Someone who made me ache.

Jesus' followers were aching and empty. Their world was black. They didn't know it was the night before Easter. For them it was just Day Two/Three. Just another day of getting out of bed. Getting stuff done. Breathing in and out. Trying to hold it together. Raw and speechless towards God. Just trying to cope, to breathe, not understand.

Many a time I have tried to get Jesus' death. A horrific, disgusting, unimaginable death that no one should die. But no matter how hard I try, it's still so far away. Sometimes it really hits me, but even then I know I'm not truly getting it.

Raw Emptiness, though. We are friends. I can get the ache and emptiness of Jesus' friends. And like I said, I didn't spend every day for 3 years with her. I don't have to live every day knowing that she suffered. Because she didn't. Jesus did.

They didn't know it was the night before Easter.

Hold on Mary. Thomas. Peter.

Sleep one more night. Go to Him in the morning to care for His body and wash it with your tears and sobs.

Hold on. Tomorrow is Easter.

My Baby

My baby's all grown up.

And when I say grown, I mean GROWN.

No more fuzzy baby Daisy. She's a wrestling, barking, shedding (and pooping) machine.

Wasn't she a cute baby though?

Now.....not so much. ;)

Pi Day

In the name of Pi,

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209

ok, I'm done.

In case there is ANY doubt, I definitely don't have pi memorized past "3.14." That's all you need to know in high school math.

I was first introduced to Pi Day (March 14th if you haven't caught on yet) my second semester in college, when Robert's roommate made a pie for Pi Day. I knew then that this was a "holiday" I could get behind. I don't really have any great attachment to pi, considering my math education stopped at Pre-Calculus, and even that is spotty. I'm just here for the pie.

I'm very proud of my little Pi Pie (teeheehee), but I think next year I'll try to step it up like the pies I saw on Google images. However, we didn't eat pie at 1:59 am/pm on March 14 like you're SUPPOSED ;) to; we just had our pie at nine o'clock or so.

In case you missed it, Google also celebrated Pi Day with a very nice "Google doodle" as they're apparently called.

If you missed this shining opportunity to make a pie AND be nerdy, you can make up for it on Pi Approximation Day - July 22nd (22/7).

I hope everyone had a wonderful Pi Day on Sunday, I know we did!

In-Laws

Let me start off by saying that I love my in-laws. I think they are wonderful.
However, they are pretty hard to live up to.

an abandoned tank in Laos - summer vacation
(no historical markers, no tour guide for war relics, just a field full of family fun)

I have been trying to figure out why I feel so utterly unexciting in comparison to my in-laws, and I have narrowed it down to 3 major reasons. There are many more, (like, They're crazy!) but these are the pretty all-encompassing ones.

#1. They are missionaries. That right there could be the whole list of why they are exciting and I am not.

Robert & Daniel - Indonesia

#2. They lived/grew up in exciting places. ie. Borneo (Indonesia), Malaysia, Laos. The jungle.

You could feel the bump when you flew over the equator and everything. ;) (poor Mr. Whiting's gullible passengers...)

Carolyn, Robert, Daniel, & Michael

#3. When you go to boarding school, you get in all the possible family adventures you can during Christmas and summer break.
This principle transitioned into college perfectly, and since Michael and Carolyn commute from home, they are in a perpetual state of Whiting family adventures. They go skiing, white water rafting, geocaching, and recently visited a ghost town.

Daniel & Robert - skiing in Idaho

So, I think you get the idea. Fortunately, I have gotten to spend quality time with them doing boring run-of-the-mill things to compensate. I have eaten cereal for breakfast with them; I have complained about homework with Carolyn (not that she EVER complains); I have enjoyed brotherly banter with Michael; I have listened to Larry snore during cheesy movies at home :D
and I have had wonderful heart-to-hearts with my dear mother-in-law, Linda.

Notice anybody missing? That's right. Daniel. The only time I have spent with Daniel was during the wedding, which anybody who's gotten married knows doesn't really count for getting to know someone. Sorry Daniel. Thus, all I know of Daniel is from pictures and stories. And when you tell stories about your big brother, you don't tell stories about the time that you did a puzzle together, you tell stories about swimming in a cave together!

Daniel & Robert
pretty self-explanatory

See, last night at dinner, Robert was telling me that he got to talk to Daniel yesterday, and giving me the highlights. Robert was telling me that Daniel now has time/energy to cook real food again (as oppose to Bachelor Ramen), and the following conversation ensued.

Becca: "Stop. Daniel buys groceries????"
Robert: "Yah?"
Becca: "I feel like I've just been told that my favorite super hero drinks milk."
laughter from Robert
Becca: "No, you don't understand. I can picture Daniel scaling a cliff, or climbing a bridge, or swimming in a cave, but I can NOT picture him pushing a grocery cart through WalMart!"

I mean, maybe riding a grocery cart through WalMart (there is a picture of this somewhere too.) But walking through produce (choosing something blue and spiky), or worse yet - canned food (completely devoid of imaginative opportunities) is just completely beyond me.

So here's to my distant, super-hero brother-in-law,

Enjoy your produce!

February

February was a good month. No matter that I still can't spell it, despite being the month of my birthday for....my entire life. Here's my monthly recap of things I did and enjoyed this month!

Books I read:
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - I admit, it was really really good. I thoroughly loved it. I think it's pretty much impossible to make into a movie, so have fun with that Kristen Stewart.
Anne of Green Gables by Maud Montgomery - completely charming. I finally broke down and read the girlhood classic I had been missing, and was pleasantly surprised by Montgomery's humor. It's like the original Junie B. Jones!

Movies I've seen:
We haven't really been watching many movies as much as last month, although I've watched a few at home to spare Robert the cheesiness.

Ballet Shoes - based on the book by Noel Streatfeild, I broke down and watched it because Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) suggests it in You've Got Mail. It was cute, fun for young girls.
Firefly - Robert and I have just finished the series. I've seen them before, and everyone has recommended them to him because he's a SciFi fan. We thoroughly enjoyed it of course, although we could do without the dragging theme song!
Lost - more lostness, more drama, more cliffhangers (do NOT watch this ever, Mom. You'd hate it.) We're tired of certain characters never learning, but I still kind of want to finish out the series for a sense of completion. (Which ONLY the series finale will ever bring I'm sure.)


Notable Events & Blessings:
-a Super Bowl Party + 3 days of snow
-a romantic Valentine's Day
-a wonderful birthday
-The dogs got sick and I had to take them both to the vet, (not notable) BUT thanks to our Financial Peace classes, we had the Emergency Fund to take care of it! (very notable!)
-We are pretty much permanently attending New Covenant Bible Church.
-Robert got to go skiing on Sunday with a group from church.
-Robert's dad, Larry, is working hard in Haiti and his health (hydration & sleep) is good, and he will be home (Idaho) soon!

AND drum roll please......
- I blogged 6 times in February!

We have had a wonderful month, but hopefully March will bring us some spring! It is forecasted to be 35 today and 36 tomorrow, so I am overjoyed. I am ready to go outside in only one layer of clothing, not three! Also, I am trying to kick it in to gear, and I intend to have some good WeightWatchers news by the time I give you March's recap. :) Please pray that I find a job: where I can have consistent work hours (1 car) and where I can be with people (I'm slipping off my rocker as of late).

I love everybody!
Have a wonderful March day!

Call me a Hawkeye

I'm so exciting!!!!!!!!! Today I got my letter from the University of Iowa informing me that I have been classified as a Resident. Do you know what this means???? This means I only have to pay $6,824 a year for tuition and fees. Do you see now why I am so excited?

I don't think I've actually been admitted to the university yet, but qualifying as a state resident is the major battle in my opinion. Apparently, the only way you don't have to live in the state for a year is if you can prove that you moved to the state for reasons other than education. In our case, Robert's employment was the kicker - paper work on when he was offered the job, when he started, his full-time status, and that we cross our hearts and promise we are going to file taxes in Iowa. Enough with the nitty gritty legal forms though. That's no fun to read. What is fun to read? Pictures! ;)

I'm thinking that if I am going to go to school here I should probably go visit. Ya think?

"U of I" is in Iowa City, about 30 or 40 minutes South of where we live.

Not that I will be sporting a jersey any time in the next decade, but here's the mascot.

Whoa....it just occured to me that my school colors will NOT be blue and yellow/gold for the first time in my LIFE.

I'm impressed. Hawks are actually vicious looking. No more settlers or stinging insects for me! ;)

Drum roll please........... I just read online that they have the biggest library in Iowa! Now that is how college is supposed to be!

(Recognize this picture?)

I'm actually quite excited now! Not just about saving money - about actually going to school there. I'm so glad I have a weak mind and I know how to talk myself into moods.....

I guess I'll worry about the nightmares of getting lost (pictured in every college movie) later.

For now I'm just ecstatic that I will be paying $7,000 instead of $22,000! (the going rate around here)

I'll be sure to let you all know when I actually get accepted. Either that or come crawling back with a shameful retraction. :(

Have a wonderful day!