2005...or is it 2006?

Well, I already went to a New Years Eve party yesterday...so for me it's already 2006! I'm serious. I went to this party I didn't really know many people...but I got to hold their babies! It was fun!
I guess I have accomplished my top 10 things...except the wedding hasn't happened yet...but we've decorated and had the rehearsal already...so it's half done...we just need to do the real thing!
This Christmas has been wonderful...some Christmas's are okay, some are good...but this one was wonderful (in my opinion). I can't put my finger on exactly what made this one so good...but it was.
but now, I need to get ready for my day full of skating, watching hockey, and of course the 'real' New Years Eve celebrations!
Happy New Years!

Praise the Lord!

I made it through this stretch of exams! Now, bring on Christmas! I'm super excited to go home! here's my top ten things I'm looking forward to (in no particular order):
1) Seeing my family (especially 'my' babies)
2) Play hockey with my friends (hopefully!)
3) Singing in church (especially 'der Friedensfurst'...no Christmas is complete without that beautiful song!
4) Playing football in the snow with my sister! (one of my favorite christmas traditions!)
5) Did I mention that I'll get to see my kids?...I can just hear Adria shouting "Doe-ie" and making me chase her...what I won't do to ensure my place as favorite auntie...jk JB ;)
6) Being in a wedding...wow, time flies...I can still remember when Missy and James first met!
7) NO HOMEWORK!!
8) Baking some Christmas goodies!
9) Since I'm on the food topic...I can hardly wait till I can eat some delicious enchilada's (another one of my favorite family Christmas Eve traditions)
10) well, since I promised 10 things, I better come up with a 10th thing, otherwise my dear readers will be disappointed...mind you, I could always go back and change this to a list of my 9 favorite things...but that would be cheating...so I will think of one last thing...and it is: being able to sleep in.
okay, that was a lame one, but that's all I could think of right now...sorry.
Gotta go pack and clean now, so I can actually go home (instead of just dreaming about it!)
Merry Christmas, y'all!

just your average Joe

First of all I want to say: THE LINZ'S WON! Way to go boys and girl! Okay, so I was excited! I'm over it now...What am I going to do now every tuesday at 8?....Maybe I'll actually study...(good one, Lori!)
So there are a few things I've been pondering about this last week. First of all, I've always thought of Joseph (as in, Mary and Joseph) as a distant father that had nothing to do with Jesus...maybe he was embarrased with him and cast him out of the family or something...I don't know. But this week, I started reading in Matthew, and I got a totally different perspective. Here it tells how Gabriel appears to Joseph, not once, or twice, but 3 times in the middle of the night. And how did Joe respond? He obeyed God immediately! First it was to marry Mary and call 'their' son Jesus. Then to leave his family, home, and carpentry shop to move off to Egypt suddenly...no questions asked. Then, when they just start to settle in...oh look, we're supposed to move back to Israel where the former ruler has been murdering innocent babies because he wanted to make sure my son was dead. Crazy! Joe was very concerned about Mary's baby, and took care of him like a true father would, even if it meant sacrificing his reputation and the comforts of home. He obeyed God, and did the best he could to protect his child (even though it wasn't even his). Amazing! I don't know why he wasn't mentioned later on in the gospels...maybe he died, I don't know. I often think about the sacrifice that Mary had to make, but I realized that Joseph also made huge sacrifices in his life for Jesus. What a crazy and miraculous story of regular people saying 'yes' to God when it made no sense at all, knowing that most people would probably not believe the truth. That was my new insight to the Christmas story this week.

"a diversion"...from reality

For those of you who like Amazing Race (family edition), here is just one of the numerous funny quotes from my favorite team...The Linz's:

Nick Linz: There needs to be a leader involved and...
Tommy Linz: Nick thinks he's the only one that can do it.
Nick Linz: I didn't say that.
Alex Linz: Real life situations have been experienced more by Nick and I. Tommy and Megan are still in that educational stage of maturing and learning how to deal with an electric company and paying their electric on time, or their landlord...
Tommy Linz: Shut up, Alex, you're living at home!

I laughed...so hard! So I finished my demonstration exam today...I would've failed if my partner hadn't helped me out...hopefully that still counts for something! Otherwise I'll have to do it again! I don't even want to think about that...so my next exam is on saturday. I wasn't going to study today (cuz I'm sick of it)...but maybe I will. Good Luck to everyone who is knee deep in books, preparing for exams! (and more luck to those of you who are writing exams that you haven't been studying for!)

trivia tidbits

Did you know that each month has a flower? Kind of like a birthstone...there's a birth-flower. I didn't know that. check it out! So I read that and thought of Jen...cuz she used to call me morning glory!
Another random, useless fact: Apparently, the US has never lost a war where mules were used. (read this for more useless, but kind of interesting facts) Can you tell I've been procrastinating? I'm bad at this studying thing...I get worse at it every time I have to do it. well, my study break is now over...time to read some more about justice, truthfullness, integrity, and other very important moral issues.

what a crazy weekend...and it's not over yet...

Well, Friday was quite the eventful day for me. I was going to skip class that day and sleep in...but I was supposed to meet one of my friends to give her some pamphlets for a project we were working on. So I got out of bed...turns out, she decides not to show up...so I felt that it had been a waste of waking up....but after the crazy events that followed, I soon decided that I was glad that I had gotten up in the morning! I could go on forever, but I'll tell the short story. As I was walking home from school, I walked past a hairdresser shop and thought to myself: "I should get a haircut". so I turned around and started walking towards the building. meanwhile, there was this older lady and her daughter walking in front of me. As they started up the front step, they lost their balance and toppled over. Meanwhile I'm freaking out...not quite sure what to do! the one lady got up and said she was okay, but the other lady couldn't get up and she thought she broke her arm. so, anyways I went into the building and called 911 for the poor lady. and waited with them till the ambulance arrived. It was a super crazy experience...it made me feel so inadequately trained to be a nurse. I totally didn't know what to do...I freaked out (well, inside...on the outside I stayed calm, I think.) In case you were wondering about my haircut...after all the hoopla, I went inside and made a haircut appointment for later on that day (which was quite the experience in itself....) I won't go into it now, let's just say I walked out of there feeling like I walked off the set of Anne of Green Gables. It was very funny!
Today I went shopping and restrung my guitar and went to our College and Career's 'Christmas in Tinseltown' party thing. I met a girl I had a class with last year, and a girl that I went to camp with in grade 5 or6...quite random! It was really neat, I just wish we could've gone to play poker...oh well, it was fun anyways...now I really should sleep...get ready for another day!

less than a month till Christmas!

I'm having a lot of fun with a few of my assignments...I used to think I hated doing 'creative' assignments...but now I realize that I find it quite fun (I think it's because I know the alternative is writing papers, and ANYTHING is better than writing a paper!) Right now I'm working on my second pamphlet thingy. I like making pamphlets....Planning the layouts and fooling around with differents designs reminds me of good old Desktop Publishing! Great class! We had the best group, eh Jen...oh Diamond Dan...he was a diamond in the rough!

On a serious note...I got an email today from my mom about my grandpa. He had surgery this last spring to remove some cancerous skin cells. At the time the doctors said that they were confident that they had removed it all. However, now they are doing more tests and don't think they got everything. So if you could pray for my grandpa, that would be great! Thanks guys!

Climb every mountain

I always fast forward this part of the movie...but I still like the song (except the fact that it's written for an opera singer...jk)

Climb every mountain, search high and low

Follow every byway, every path you know.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!

A dream that will need

all the love you can give,

Every day of your life

for as long as you live.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!

i'd forgotten...

...how much I LOVE volleyball! Yesterday I went to gym night! It was super fun! It made me realize that I haven't done something that I REALLY love in such a long time! (well, beside being with friends...I do really enjoy that!) Honestly, I feel like I'm in this rut of doing things because I've always done them...or because I don't know what else I'd do...so I live my life by default. I can't do that anymore. I know that...It's just hard to get out of that. So many things that I am pondering that I can't put into words...or I'm scared to put into words. Either way, I don't feel like dealing with these things right now, but I know I have to.

ultimate test

today in my assessment class we were learning about doing neurological assessments. You have to test a whole lot of things like reflexes and what not, and for one of the tests you're supposed to hold a cotton ball in the peripheral vision of a person and bring it towards a persons eye (until it actually touches their eye) to see if they blink. And I was reminded of eating popcorn in chemistry...oh wait, wrong one...I was reminded of chemistry class and bonnie and marcia's ultimate tests. fun times.

boulevard of broken dreams

so they played that song in church today for a 'special number/intermission song' I imagined us singing that in church next time we lead singing...and I laughed! After church a few of us went out for lunch. One the way back (Julia was driving us back), this lady in the lane beside us, just drove right into our lane...she pretty much just drove us off the road...well, not really, just into the next lane. It was kind of slow motion, and just wierd. Kim started screaming...and I probably did too...I don't remember. It was kind of funny, but not really! Crazy city drivers! It's been kind of a weird day in general...I had the craziest dream and it felt so real. I was learning how to perform abdominal surgery (on these life sized models of the "operation" game). It even buzzed when you made a mistake. All of a sudden I had just had abdominal surgery and I needed to cough, but didn't want to because I was afraid that my stitches would tear and my intestines would fall out (apparently that happens to people sometimes. I learned that in school!). So I was clutching my stomach so that my insides would stay inside. Then all of a sudden I was in class, and this guy walks in the class and says, "Hi Lori" and I said, "should I know you? What's your name?" and he said, "I won't tell you my name, but I will say that I'm from UCLA" and he walked off. Then I woke up clutching my stomach. It felt so real...but I checked, and I don't have any stitches on my tummy, so i guess it wasn't real ;)
So now I'm going to work really hard so that maybe I can take a study break later and have some waffle cookies!

It's not Kilikina, but it'll do!

Your Hawaiian Name is:

Keilana Kai

What's" your Hawaiian Name?

no more midterms!!!

Well, I just finished my last midterm....now to get through today without falling asleep...I was studying last night until 2:30, and thought, maybe I should go to bed...Then I remembered that I had an assignment due today...so I had to do that yet...talk about procrastination...and I still haven't started preping for my 2 labs today. Oh the life of a student.

Well, this weekend is my Grandparents 60th wedding anniversary celebration! I think that's pretty cool that they've been married for 60 years! One time during the summer when I was visiting them, we went through some old photo albums. My grandma was showing me pictures of the houses that they used to live in, and my great-grandparents, and all kinds. Then she said something about wishing that they hadn't moved away from their first house. My grandpa perks up and said, "What? You didn't want to move? Why didn't you say anything...we wouldn't of had to move." It was super cute the way they were so concerned about each other and still learning things about each other, even though they've been married for 60 years! I want to have a marriage like that...eventually.

well, I should head back to class now...i guess.

'Yaunt Zied'

"No matter where you are today, God will call you to go to the "other side.". . . Jesus will bring you into the lives of needy, wounded people. No matter how different they are from you . . . they are part of the reason Jesus put you in this world." (Jim Laffoon)

This week I conversations with 2 different people who are very openly searching spiritually. It's amazing how quickly people (who were complete strangers a month and half ago) open up. I was thinking about this...and I realized how hard it is to keep searching. I mean, just because I've discovered my 'general purpose' for life (To worship God and to bring Him glory in everything that I do)....I'm still searching like anyone else for guidance, inspiration, and for my specific purposes on this earth. I often forget that, and tend to get this unintentional 'I've-got-it-all-together' attitude. I forget that Christianity is more about the journey or the search, than it is about a one time decision. I guess my realization came to me because I realized that if I've stopped searching/seeking after God, I can't even relate or be an encouragement to my friends who are soul searching.

it's been awhile

On Thursday, Melissa, Marce and Keny and I went to see Crowns! It was amazing! Wow! I wish I could sing and dance like that...and play drums and piano! Some people have ability and with others it just is a part of their soul! I'm very convinced of that!

Yesterday I had the urge to be creative/artistic...Last Christmas I got a ceramic pig from my parents for Christmas that comes with a kit to paint it. My mom said "I saw it and I thought of you so I had to buy it...you don't have to paint it if you don't want to." Well, you know me and my artistic ability... So yesterday I finally mixed some paint together and painted it...It was fun. It doesn't look very amazing, but I finally used my christmas present! That's all that matters.

Have any of you ever listened to Paul Overstreet? I had the sudden urge to listen to Paul Overstreet...I grew up listening to him! Oh the memories...Julia and I used to make up choreography to those tapes...sadly, we don't have those tapes anymore :( well, I should really do some studying, now that I have the house to myself and nobody to distract me except myself...which is really the person who distracts me the most....I'll try to stay focussed this time...

Say Won't You Say

"Every morning I have the chance to rise

and give my all

Every afternoon I find

I have only wasted time

in light of Your awe"

-Jennifer Knapp

i don't know if you're near or far away

It's so bizarre how one minute you can be so completely convinced of something and the next minute, you're more unsure than ever before. I guess that's what happens when you look at life through the lenses of your feelings...I suppose that's why true Christianity is based on faith and trust...and not on feelings...
so today I got some x-rays of my lungs...gotta love things like that. The lady asked me if there was a chance I could be pregnant...I know they're supposed to ask everyone that...(well, I guess only the females)...but it was weird for her to ask me. The fact that I could potentially be pregnant really scares me. Okay, so I worded that wrong...now before you all think that I'm pregnant I'll rephrase....on the other hand...I don't think I can rephrase that, I'll just trust that you know what I'm trying to say.
well, i should finish my paper now...enough distractions...I hope I have enough ink in my printer, it's telling me it's running low...

wake me up when september ends

I can't believe tomorrow is October already...time has gone so fast...and yet I feel like I've been here forever....
I'm so excited to be done school for the week! I'm also excited about the possibility of doing absolutely NOTHING tomorrow....oh wait...I need to do homework...the thought was good while it lasted.
So yesterday I had to do an assignment for one of my labs. the assignment was to interview your partner (who was supposed to be a patient). The 'patient' was given a scenerio (eg/ My boyfriend just broke up with me and I'm feeling depressed), and we were supposed to use proper communication techniques to ask them questions and assess them. Meanwhile, this whole thing is supposed to be video taped so that we can watch it and evaluate ourselves. So when we were done, we went into the room to watch our video....and guess what???? Our lens cap had been on he entire time so we had NO video!!!! sure, you can laugh at us...but it wasn't our fault. (the video camera's are mounted on the wall like security camera's and we were told that the camera's were ready to go, we didn't have to do anything with them). so we didn't have to watch ourselves!!! I think it would've been embarrassing to watch myself. I had no idea what kind of questions to ask...I'm such a bad conversationalist....I guess I'll need to work on that! It's scary to think I'll have to interview real patients eventually. Eeeeks! I'm not ready for that.

just monkeying around...

It's been a great weekend! It was good to hang out with people again! I love it! Thanks for coming out guys! Some quick hilights: our road-raged 'friend' who doesn't have very much aim when he spits at people, the monkeys at the zoo ;)...(enough said), 'hatching' out of eggs, watching 'fancy pants'...I mean 'funny face'....And just plain seeing people I haven't really seen in a while! Great times! Now I need to refocus and actually think about doing homework again...I decided not to feel guilty for not doing a whole lot of homework this weekend...but now I have to work my butt off this week! oh well...that's the life I have chosen...might as well get used to it!

chance encounters

what do you do when you see someone you haven't seen in 3 years...and you're not quite sure you ever wanted to see them again. You're relieved when they don't see you...or worried/hurt that they might have seen you, but chose to ignore you...it's an odd cycle of emotion.
But onto other things....I get to poke people's fingers today and check their blood sugar level. It should be un...I mean fun...the 'f' just didn't work the first time, and I'm too lazy to press backspace. It's almost the weekend, which means it's almost time to give up my title as a teenager....(does that mean I can officially be scared of teenagers now? jk, I don't want to be scared of teenagers). well, i should to some prep for my lab that's coming up soon!