Winter Wonderland

the first real snowfall... snow makes the cold worth it!

3rd Floor: Before
Friends

Alisa and Beth after one out-of-control food fight!

3rd Floor: After
3rd Floor: After


I knew that the weather man was predicting a big snow storm last night so I was ready and eagerly anticipating it's arrival however around 1 am it still hadn't started :( I went to bed very skeptical about the whole "storm." When I woke up this morning I had a very pleasant surprise! It snowed..alot! We had a little snow a few weeks ago but it was pretty much all melted away the next day, so this was our first real snow. I loved it! The view from my room was beautiful!

Then this evening I decided to use my free evening to decorate my floor. So I went to Li's apartment and strung construction paper lights and attached snowflakes to paper clips while a few of the girls from my floor were having a gingerbread house making contest. It was alot of fun seeing their creativity. (although abigail's room has a lot of tree hugging to do after their flagrant promotion of the use of CFC's to destroy the ozone!) Then when so much candy and icing is around the temptation for a little food fight is all too great to resist, so alisa and beth got into a full, all-out, out-of-control food fight. Ridiculous! Crazy girls!

Then we tucked everyone into bed (hehe)... and Lianna and I transformed my floor into a winter wonderland! We had so much fun. Poor li almost broke herself in half falling off the chair..good thing she's like a cat. haha!

I hope you girls like it! Merry Christmas 3rd Floor! I love you!

just a random post about my day...

Today. I got to sleep in because of the chapel flip, so nice! I finished up one of my classes. Took a test I was well prepared for and am feeling pretty good about it. And had my last day of fieldwork. It's nice to start to see things finished up.

Jenn (the BFF) and I haven't seen each other too much this semester with volleyball keeping her crazy busy so we planned a date tonight. It was so much fun! We picked up my dress for a wedding I'm in in December and had dinner at Panera (yum!) Thanks Jenn for a fun night! love you!

Overall I'd have to say that this was a pretty great day.

Reflecting on the love of our Father...

Just something to be thankful for...

1 Peter 1:3-9 says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

God is indescribably good to us all the time. Take time today to be still and recognize Him not only for all that does for us but for who He is. A Father who loves us with an unconditional, steadfast eternal love.

Home Again...

I'm here! Jenn and Jenni (it's a pre-req. to be named jennifer to be my best friend! haha!) were so kind to travel with me to the airport to see me off for the break. We stopped and found a few good magazines for travel reading and snapped a picture before I headed down to security. I'm glad to be home and am looking forward to the holiday...

Happy Turkey Day Break!

I'm leaving for home in about 4 hours!

How exciting! I can't wait!

Have a great holiday break everyone!

Be good!

The Importance of Being Earnest...

Date night with the girls! So much fun! Bobbi it was so good to see you and catch up! My how quickly things can change! :) Love you girls! Thanks for such a fun, late night! :) haha!

...Days When Clouds Surround Us...

There are moments on our journey

following the Lord

when God illumines every step we take

there are times when circumstances

make perfect sense to us

as we try to understand each move he makes

when the path grows dim

and our questions have no answers

turn to him

Bow the knee

trust the heart of your Father

when the answers go beyond what you can see

Bow the knee

lift your eyes toward heaven

and believe the one who holds eternity

and when you don't understand the purpose of his plan

In the presence of the king

Bow the Knee

There are days when clouds surround us

and the rain begins to fall

the cold and lonely winds wont cease to blow

and there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel

we are tempted to believe God does not know

when the storms arise don't forget we walk by faith and not by sight

I am so grateful for our Lord and his steadfast unconditional love, when my heart is hurt deeply and I feel so alone he is my strength and portion though my heart and flesh fail. In my weakness I was pointed to Joseph an amazing man with an amazing testimony. He tried to do right and yet he was over and over accused of doing wrong. After so many hurts he trusted and loved God still. In Genesis 50:20 he says "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." What faith, devotion, and love for the Lord. I pray that the Lord will help me to see how He meant today for good.

Just another Thursday Night in the dorm....

...Not your average dorm Sup...



...3rd floor is thankful...

What a Small, Small World...

Fancy meeting you here!? I had the opportunity to meet this sweet girl tonight!
Alyssa was visiting my floor this week and in talking we
discovered that we have some common ground! It's funny
sometimes how it's such a small world! :) How fun! It was so
nice to meet you Alyssa! Hopefully I'll see you again
sometime! :) Come to Maranatha!

Getting Closer in Floor Devos...

36 girls + 1 laundry room = a whole lot of fun!

Floor devos may get mundane in some dorms...but not in Day! We keep it fun! :) To break up monotony this week we played "Sardines" throughout the whole dorm! So fun! I love these girls! We always have a blast! Thanks girls for a great time!

I LOVE Chicago!

I love this picture! The trees and the boat are so beautiful...

Us @ Pier Park!

We're sooo tall!!! ha! ha!

Millenium Park!

Catching the Train!

Orbit Rainbow

Beautiful!

Look how beautiful the sky is!

What a perfect day! All week long weather on Saturday in Chicago was predicted as COLD and rainy :( Lianna, Heidi, Taryn and I had planned a trip to the city back in September and we weren't about to give up on it. We decided to go and make the best of it. I brought my hat, gloves and scarf to keep warm, planning on the cold weather. However once we got to the city the clouds dissipated, the blue skies and warm sunshine came out! We got to ride on the ferris wheel and it was wonderful! I got to take some cool pictures! :) We had a blast at Navy Pier, riding the crazy trolley, shopping at Neiman Marcus, Seeing Millenium Park, walking down Lake Shore Drive, Advertizing for Orbit (haha! you'll have to ask about that one!) searching for a pizza place, missing our train and catching the "late" one. It was such a good day. It started to drizzle a little on our way back to the train and during the ride back home from the train station it snowed! Can you believe that! I was so warm all day in Chicago and then that very evening it snowed! Crazy! The Lord was so good to give us such a sweet day of fun memories! Thanks girls for an awesome day and for the fun memories! Love you! :)

Sweetest Birthday

Happy Birthday to Me! ha! ha!

Today was such a fun day! Friends were so sweet to remember my special day and wish me happy birthday all day long. People I don't really even know wishing me a happy birthday! It was great! :) It made my heart so happy! Classes seemed to go by faster than normal. Northland was here! I love seeing camp friends and getting together. Not to mention my teacher let me skip class to go to the camp party! (hooray for Dr. Saxon! I'm not going to lie; He's pretty much the best!)

At dinner I think I experienced the most embarassing but fun birthday memory ever! I had dinner with family away from home--the Wetzels. and well dad wetzel got this great idea to have the ENTIRE dining common sing to me! He came over, stood next to me and then proceded to get the attention of EVERYONE! Workers stopped working, people stopped eating, walking, talking and looked him. He annouced "hey! it's carla's birthday today and then started singing the birthday song along with the ENTIRE dinning common. Not even exagerating. wow! I couldn't stop laughing, tears just started pouring because I was laughing so hard!

Then later Lianna whisked me off with my closest buddies for a fun little party! I have such a blast with these girls! I love them so much! The Lord is so good to give me such sweet friends. Then when we got back after devos one of the girls on my floor came up to me asking me for keys to get into her room. So we went up to my room to get the keys I came in opened the door and immediately smelled smoke. You have no idea what terror was running through my heart at that moment! Then I turned on the lights and there was my entire floor cramped in my room and my best friend jenn with a cake with 21 happy little fire code violating candles! After they sang I blew them out as fast as I could and then with the help of a few fanned the fire alarms so they wouldn't go off! ha! ha! I thought I was too young to be setting off the fire alarm! Good thing it was just a close call.

Overall today has been one of my favorite birthday's yet! Thank you so much everyone who was part of it! I love you all so much and am so grateful for your kindness towards me! LOVE YOU!

Silly

Julie and Joleen

Jen and Steph

Me and Jess

Six girls + Taco Bell + meanie cashier lady + lots of funny stories!

It was just supposed to be a quick little dinner ...two hours later we left...and I'm fairly certain that everyone in the restaurant was glad!

haha! good times!

Crazies!

What a blast! Crazy chapel is always the best! Spirit week was so fun, as always. I can't believe it was my last one :( I'm going to miss spirit week. Maybe I'll have to teach high school a few years so I can re-live some memories! haha!

Spirit Week Pictures!

4th Grade Picture Day!

Retro Day!

Super Hero Day!

Fun spirit week pictures! :)

Corn Maze Outing

Well...it started out as a good idea...bonding...it's a good thing right? I had no idea how much time and effort planning an activity for 50+ people was going to be. And looking back now it was so worth it...

Friday night my floor and I along with dates went out to a corn maze in lake mills..what a blast! Things got a little hectic last minute trying to make sure everyone had rides but once we were there the pressure was off and it was all about fun...

We rode this fun big hayride wagon thing back to the corn maze that sat on 4 acres of land! it was crazy! We got so lost!! it took us forever to get out! haha! Then we got a little hot cocoa to warm us on the inside and sat at the bonfire to warm us on the outside. As more and more people came out of the maze and came over to the bonfire we played games until the group was way too big and the only game we could think of was "simon says." So here we have this group of like 50 something college students playing this goofy game but it was such a blast! haha!

It seemed like everyone had a great time and I'm so glad it turned out well! PTL!

I'm trying to think of an outing for Christmas time. Any ideas?

Fun times with Bobbi

Bobbi was here today! ..sadly just for the day but it was still a blast to have her around! :) We made some quick plans to go out to Madison for the evening and had such a good time! Jenn, Bobbi and I all shared Steve as our "date" for the evening. ha! ha! poor guy! :)

Psalm 34

I would like to begin by declaring my love for rain as is a blessing to my soul!

Unfortunately this hasn't always been my attitude/feel towards the rain. As of last evening I don't think I could be any more bitter against anything else! We (as in those of us in Wisconsin) enjoyed the blessing of a monsoon yesterday ALL DAY and NIGHT LONG! After being completely, thoroughly drenched 3 times in 3 separate changes of clothes, being stranded without an umbrella for most of the day, my cell phone being ruined, the few new books I do have now soggy, my jump drive no longer being recognized on any computers on campus and a severe lacking in homework completion I had a pretty rotten attitude last night. If there was anything that could make my day worse, it happened!



I was first rebuked by my sweet sister, I shared with her how upset I was about my day and she so nonchalantly says to me "um... those are pretty silly things to be upset over don't you think?" (You're right Hannah, they were!) Then, while sharing my woes with my dear friend, Lianna she kindly reminded me of Psalm 34. What a rebuke! His praise should continually be in my mouth!? Even on days like today!? Yes, it should! All evening my attitude was so rotten because I was focusing on myself rather than on the Lord and his goodness to me. Out of all the "bad" yesterday I had so much to be thankful for. I have absolutely no reason to complain and ultimately when I step back and put things in prospective nothing of great consequence occurred yesterday. I was so upset over such trivial non-sense. I hold on so tight to "things" that really do not matter. I am so grateful for how God uses people to not only encourage us but also help re-direct us back to Him and recognize how distorted our perspectives can be.

Girls Night Pics

Some Pics from our fun girls night shopping! Fun times!

Busy Already?

Ok, so I'm well into week two of classes and I'm feeling the pressure already!? What is wrong with the picture here, I mean certainly I should still be in the slowly-transitioning-back-to-school stage. I guess not. Oh, well. Here we go another crazy busy semester. Good thing tomorrow is Friday. I'm ready for the weekend again.

Labor Day Fun

me and Jackiemy second favorite Matthew
One Freezy Slip-N-Slide
Sadly, this year's Labor Day activities were not as popular as last. The freezing cold rain kind of ran people off but there were a few brave souls who ventured out for the fun. I came for moral support with Heidi and took few pictures for fun. I hope your holiday weekend was a blast and hopefully it was a little warmer and sun-shine-ier than it was here!

Alumni Weekend

This weekend, particularly Saturday, was a blast. The weather was beautiful! It was bright and sunny and only mildly chilly. I got up bright and early Saturday morning (something completely unheard of for some of you :) ) and was up at work by 7! It wasn't too bad I did a fantastic job of wasting time just sitting around, it's not like there's an influx of calls to the school on Saturday mornings so I feel like I'm just there taking up space but I was scheduled so I was there! :) I was very happy when I got off at noon. I met Jenni and we had our
traditional Saturday brunch for the first time in like....forever! and then we headed out to the much anticipated Alumni Football game. I love football. I love it! I love watching, but I'm not going to lie when I'm at a football game with lots of friends it becomes merely a social event. If I'm at home watching the game on tv I totally get into it, but when there are people to see and meet and talk to I'm much more all about the people. I'm a people person what can I say?! As far as results of the game...um...we won..I think.. I'm not sure...I have no idea...maybe it's on the school website, better check there. :)