It's Like Coming Home

It really is sweet to be home! To be completely and totally honest with you, when I got to Colorado, I prayed that God would make it not so hard to leave when I had to. People had warned me that going out there and then coming back might just make it harder but I am so glad to be home! Multiple things contributed to this, but it's a just a reminder to me that even though I don't always understand exactly what He is doing, God has my life worked out already and I just have to go with it and make the best of it, I can't control it anyways!

Along these lines, tonight on my way into Walmart, a lady and her son were selling a puppy. If you know anything about me, you know that I stopped and that I probably held that puppy for a long time! It wasn't even that little and cute, but they were nice and I wasn't in a hurry so I stopped to talk. It turns out they are new to my church, DeSoto Hills! The little boy goes to DeSoto Central and is in the band and after being around that so much, I could answer alot of questions about high school band for them and college, etc. Anyways, the moral of the story is that that lady was diagnosed with a medical condition a few years back and it has severely affected her everyday life, but she was so happy and you could see the love she had for her son in her eyes. The thing that struck me the most, is that she never stopped talking about the power of prayer. Her first reaction when something went wrong, was not to freak out and ask why, but to pray. Sometimes, it's just so hard to remember how blessed we are and that God works things out how they need to be worked out if we give Him the power, as He always has our best interest in mind.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

 Romans 8:28

Now that that is said, let me tell you about our road trip home!
I can pretty much sum it up in a few words:
delirium, fog, games, tolls, darkness and random music.
Long story short, it was great. We left Colorado Springs about 2:30pm. I got to the gate at USAFA to get Cody after his final and since 2 roads were open, I took the one with the nicer looking guard, or rental cop, as Cody would say. The man asked me to unlock my car so he could open the back and check stuff, I warned him that I was moving and stuff might fall out everywhere. He gave me a weird look and stared in the back of my car for a few seconds with the funniest look on his face and the proceeded to barely open the back and shut it really quickly. Luckily, nothing crashed to the ground! When I say I filled every square inch of my car except a few inches towards the top, I mean it! Cody came out and stood at my back door for a long time before I realized that one of my rules was don't open a door without permission, so I rolled my window down and told him that that door was clear but not to even touch the others (at least he listened)!

Here's my Rudolph-mobile!


The first 2 hours we were talking about finals and school and laughing really hard at everything, just because we were both in a better mood than we had been in awhile, being done with school and headed home! The thing that made us laugh the most was when we realized that we had 30 minutes of sunlight left for 14 hours....that's a long time to be driving in the dark! One of my favorite conversations that we had was about Lewis and Clark and the pioneers and those poor horses that pulled them all the way out west...talk about troopers, it gets cold out there! The toll plazas were unfortunate but luckily, I put my piggy bank where we could get to it. Kansas smelled really bad, but 18 wheelers were practically the only cars on the road so that was really nice. We didn't have to stop at all or slow down even really for traffic or a wreck, etc. The first plan was for each person to do 3, 3 hour shifts alternating and the other one to sleep during that time. After faking sleep for about 20 minutes, it just wasn't happening for me so we played stupid games to pass the time. Cody's game was naming fast food restaurants...that took about an hour, then we played "If I went to the moon, I would take.." and each time we added something on according to the alphabet and had to memorize everything from the beginning. Later we named TV shows, I'm gonna go ahead and not suggest that game. It lasts for-freaking-ever, obviously. We named some oldies though, like Candid Camera and Boy Meets World and Zoom. My game was you have to say a word then the other person says a word that starts with the letter that word ends with....since Cody can't spell I thought I would have an advantage but he was pretty sharp at 3am....I can probably attribute that to USAFA, he used words from chemistry to trick me.....really, chemistry? Everyone knows that's my best subject...nottttt haha! Cody tried to sleep on and off too and it just did not work out. We finally both slept a little after 4:30am and then stayed up all day on Wednesday at home...I felt like a zombie! I got the best sleep ever that night though, I can promise you that! I kept waiting on the sun to rise around 6 or so but it was cloudy and we got home safe and sound about 7:30am!

I feel like alot more happened, but we were just so tired and happy, almost anything was funny. It was alot of fun too! We had some really great conversations. If you ever need to travel a long distance, I'm going to suggest you do it overnight if you can stay awake, it was so much better without traffic and everything! Life will definitely be different, but I am up for something new and excited to be back in the south to spend more time with my family and be busy doing what I do.

I hope you've enjoyed my stories and pictures, and you haven't been too terribly bored!

Thanks for reading :)

FAREWELL Colorado!

All experience is an arch, to build upon.

-Henry Adams

Well, here’s to my last blog post in Colorado!!

I’ll catch you up first...

Two weekends ago Cody took to me Biaggi’s…a nicer Italian restaurant. When the server explained the olive oil concoction and the different breads and all of that, it sounded like he was speaking Italian it was so foreign…Cody knew better than to look at me because I was laughing pretty noticeably already, it was bad. We went out on a limb though, and tried weird stuff and it turned out to be better than we expected!  We left for Winter Park Saturday morning! The weather was pretty rough but we made it 2 hours later than it should have taken us and after a few stops! The entire weekend was so so so cold! It took me hours to get warm after skiing all day. We stayed at a hotel since we wanted to go Sunday too, as a final skiing weekend for me since finals were coming up! On the way back, the temperature gauge in my car got down to 1 degree…I was watching it so closely just to see if cars from the south could even read zero or negative temps but it’s still a mystery! We found a country Christmas music station on my Sirius radio…that was the first tie in my life that I have listened to Christmas music while it was snowing…it was pretty cool though, not gonna lie! By the end of that weekend we had heard each song at least 15 times. There are only so many Christmas songs and so many artists to go around. We came across these ram looking creatures...they had curly horns but my driver didn't exactly slow down for me to get a good picure... :( haha. 

During the week, my mom sent my card that brightened my day. It was a paper doll with some nails and instructions to stab the doll…that may or may not have resembled one of my roommates. That may or may not be a noose around her neck resembling a necklace. Hahaha, it was deserved though, I promise. One morning it was negative 5 so I tried to catch the bus when I could, everyone knows I freeze when it’s anything below 60 degrees so if I would have been stuck out there long, there’s no telling what would have happened!  But, I think I’ve changed a little bit…especially when I get excited about the highs being in the 30s, oh boy!

This past weekend, Cody, Blake and I were going to eat at CiCi’s for their 1.99 buffet…..so, we showed up about 6pm and the line was wrapped around outside with the temperature in the teens. Our next best option was Taco Bell! We went to a few Pawn Shops and went to visit Blake’s girlfriend’s grandparents while she is away at basic training for the Navy! They were from Alabama and Auburn fans so Cody and I had fun with that. Saturday night, Cody helped me pack up and get everything ready to go. Giving him all of his stuff back that he had in my car or apartment kinda felt like we were breaking up, haha :/ We went to a free light show at a church and they had live nativity scenes with the lights and all, so that was neat! We went to Crave Burger before he went back to USAFA to study…..soooo delicious! They have the strangest, best burgers. For instance….a jalapeno popper burger, one with 2 grilled cheeses as buns, one with bbq added on top, one with glazed donuts as buns…not kidding.

I saw someone eating it! I finally got everything in my car last night….I feel like I’m  going home with double the amount of things that I came with. I gave Cody 2 rules for tomorrow…#1, don’t open a door unless you ask first and #2, pack light, haha. I’m already dreading going through the gate at USAFA tomorrow because they always open my trunk…I won’t be surprised if they don’t even let me on base with all that stuff!  

The only time I needed my fish to die, they live. So, I decided that I would let them go in a pond and they could live a happy, normal fish life. Well, the pond was frozen over and I decided that even if I made a little hole to let them go, it would be instant freezing death so we’re about to see how tough they really are….they’re in a water bottle and will be joining us in our trek home tomorrow!

I finished my finals this morning and Cody finishes this afternoon. I got some reindeer ears for my car and a red nose on the front, so me, Cody and the Rudolph-mobile will be headed home in t minus 2 hours-ish! I ordered 65 degree weather for when I get home from my father and he told me that he must have misspelled it or something when he put it in, because it’s supposed to be 64. Either way, that sounds lovely to me.

Laying on my bed looking out my window at 2am last night, I started to think of things I’m going to miss about my temporary home. Like walking out of my door to a random surprise of snow or watching the beautiful sun set over Pikes’ Peak. I’ll miss last minute trips to USAFA to see Cody on a random day of the week and having fun with the people at the gate, making up a new place that I was going to on base everytime just because visitors aren’t allowed where I picked Cody up. I’ll miss convincing myself that I would do the incline the next day by myself and then waking up and realizing how cold it is outside and backing out. I’ll miss flyovers all the time, living by 3 Air Force bases, and the sense of pride at USAFA football games. I’ll miss having three huge Goodwills within 10 minutes to dig through random junk and going to CiCi’s with Cody almost once a week to get my favorite apple pizza.  I’ll miss the random green light about half way up the mountains that nobody knows what is and the huge star made out of lights up in Monument. And I'll miss this water bottle that I am choosing to leave behind. If you have been around me at all since I got here, you've most likely either seen this water bottle or been with me when I was freaking out about losing it or begging Cody to hold it and promise he wouldn't throw it away...I just really really liked it, haha. I won’t miss freezing to death and the medians though.

Cody has gotten me very excited for Christmas, and I am excited to be coming home but I can’t believe the semester is already over. I’ve stocked up on diet coke, energy drinks, gummy bears, peppermints and chocolate for the long haul! I’m hoping Oklahoma and Kansas wont be so bad this time since it’ll be dark and I won’t have to see them, haha! After nearly 14 hours of darkness, the sun shall rise in Arkansas and we’ll be so close! I’ll have to let you know how the roadtrip goes but until then, FAREWELL COLORADO!

BRING IT.

Thankful.

Well, it’s been a very eventful past 2 weeks. Some bad, mostly good! The weekend before Thanksgiving break there was a football game on Saturday and then on Sunday, Cody, Blake and I grabbed Dunkin Donuts and went to Winter Park for the day! Dunkin Donuts doesn’t even compare with Krispy Kreme! On the way back, we ate at CiCi's and Blake and I convinced Cody to let us stop at the Outlets at Castle Rock....I wanted to go because I never have, Blake wanted to stall before going back to USAFA and the last thing Cody wanted to do was shop...thanks Cody :)

 Monday seemed like it took forever since I was excited to go home on Tuesday! Tuesday afternoon, Cody and I grabbed Taco Bell and then headed to the airport…which was a sea of blue. And then we got on the plane and over half of the 

people flying from COS to DFW were cadets, it was funny. At the airport, Cody spent 15 minutes filling out a form for a chance to win a free Harley so maybe just maybe he’ll win it, haha! Cody and I were both exhausted but too excited to sleep on the plane so we doodled. He ordered black coffee on both flights…it tastes like death, don’t try it.

 We finally got to Memphis and I got to see Alex for a very brief time, since Stephen was on the same flight as Cody and I! My parent’s were waiting in my dad’s truck and as soon as I heard his diesel engine, I took off running down the middle of the road…so excited to be home! Our first stop was Krystal’s since Colorado doesn’t have it! Wednesday, my parents took me to O’Charley’s for lunch. Yes, that is an empty container of rolls and yes, they were delicious! Hannah and I went Black Friday shopping Wednesday night at midnight at Target duhhh! Twas great seeing her face! Midnight was so much better than waking up at 4am like we did last year! 

Thursday I had a wonderful day with my awesome family at my aunt’s house in Williston for Thanksgiving and I think I ate my weight in food…..in fact I probably really did the whole time I was home, seeing that my mom cooked everything and then some….chess cake, spaghetti,  lots of cookies, alaskan snow, etc. and my dad made me a steak and potatoes on Saturday night! Friday, we went to lunch with Laurs at Casa Mexicana….the chips alone could have filled me up since I was so excited to have good Mexican again! Laurs and I spent the day shopping and craftin…goodwill, craft stores, walmart and thrift stores! Thanks to pinterest, we made lots of crafty things like these bottles….beer bottles and a vase wrapped in yarn with felt flowers pinned on them! Those flowers were the devil. It was great to be reunited my best frienddddd! Karen made McBill’s for us on Saturday morning…if you don’t know what it is, don’t ask haha! We went to lunch at my grandparents on Sunday and had Corky’s BBQ….mmm nothing better :) See what I mean about getting fat? 

My flight back to Colorado on Sunday night wasn’t bad…on my first flight I sat next to an 8 year old girl who entertained me the whole time, it all started when she insisted we shake hands if we were going to be sitting by each other. We became best friends….we talked about everything under the sun, she was so smart for her age but here are some highlights…Her: ”Have you ever seen that show about true life?” Me: “The one on MTV? Girl, why are you watching MTV?” She then leans in real close to me and says this…Her: “Well, this one time I saw it and this girl wanted fake boobs (she opens her mouth real wide and slaps her hand over it)” Me: “Wow, well some people just want them I guess.” Her: ”That’s crazy, why can’t you just be happy with your boobs who even cares about boobs anyways, this girl at school she’s 9, I’m only 8, but all she cares about is how she looks, she always looks in the mirror and wears so much make up.” Haha, little girl went off! She was cute though and she’s been to more states than I have. She’s from Texas and she wants to live in Memphis in the 10^th Street Apartments? and work in a little clothing shop downtown…she’s got it all figured out! She even insisted I take her Hubba Bubba bubblegum so my ears could pop on my next flight. My next flight I was sitting by a guy that went to CSU Pueblo….he was stoned out of his mind the whole time and said he came all the way from Texas to Colorado just because they have medicinal marijuana here…promising, right? He probably asked me the same thing 15 times but it could have been worse I suppose! 

Anyways, I made it back and hung out with Cody on Monday since he didn’t have class…it’s a long story, haha. 2 weeks of class, 2 days of exams and I am out of here. My roommates are probably more happy about that than I am! It's been a great semester and as sad as I am to see it end, I'm very thankful for this experience for so many reasons!

Tumbleweed.

Tumbleweeds

Yeah, they're everywhere. Who would have thought Colorado would be full of tumbleweeds? Not this girl! I always remember that movie 'I'll be Home for Christmas'with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel (yes I had to look those names up) because there are tumbleweeds when they're stuck in the middle of nowhere! Here, they get stuck under cars and bikes, obviously, and fly across the road all of time...it probably helps that it has been super, super windy the past few days!

Two weekends ago was the USAFA vs Army game. Cuba Gooding, Jr. was there and I actually knew who he was from the movie 'Snow Dogs' haha. Luckily, I got there after the hail and rain but Cody was wet and freezing so we left about halftime, grabbed Taco Bell and watched the game at my apartment! USAFA played horribly at the beginning but they came back and won so they got discretionary passes and Blake and Cody stayed at my apartment that night since we were waking up early to go skiing on Sunday! We went to Copper Mountain and stopped at a mexican restaurant on the way home...the lines were long since it was the opening weekend but it was fun :)

Cody was out of school on Friday for Veteran's Day. The hot water went out in my apartment on Friday also, but the good news is that now our heat and hot water works...USAFA was also out of hot water and heat for 5-6 days last week so they had it worse than we did! My roommates and I went to one of my roommate's houses to shower...cold showers do not sound appealing when it is 30 degrees outside, haha. Friday night we went to the Harley-Davidson place with Blake...Cody and him are on a crazy motorcycle high right now, haha! Then to Culver's and to see Moneyball....it was good, long and drawn out but a good story! I didn't even go into the football game on Saturday.....the tailgates were cancelled because the wind was so strong and it was blowing sand and dirt and anything 'blow-able' so we came to my apartment, found a coupon for buy one get one free at CiCi's Pizza and had a great afternoon! I got an algae eater for my fish tank (my 2 remaining gold fish are still alive, yayy) and he is cleaning my tank for me!

Winter Park opened this past weekend...it is by far my favorite and I had so much fun spending the day with just Cody on Sunday! They had green runs open so it was perfect for me and it was a little more backcountry which was tons more fun, as far as I'm concerned, instead of just going straight down a mountain! I even got a little air on some of the little ramps, haha! To clarify, by a little I mean 6 inches at most! Cody said most of the resorts have something similar to that but they just aren't open yet since it is so early in the season. It snowed the whole time but it wasn't all that cold and there was no wait time at all for the lift so it was great :) We wrapped up the weekend with warm chocolate chip cookies like we do on most Sundays, or at least sometime during the weekend!

Cody and I are both PUMPED to go home for Thanksgiving! I have 9 more classes before we leave...he has 3 more days of class and 3 days of training. If anyone reading this is needing something to get me for Christmas, feel free to drop a puppy off at my doorstep. You don't even have to tell me who it is from, I'm just DYING to have one :)

What Goes Around, Comes Around

My 667^th clue that I’m not in Mississippi anymore was when I woke up to 3+ inches of snow on Wednesday morning and still had class. My next clue was when I looked out of my window at 1am to the snow coming down like crazy and no one was playing in it….Last year when it snowed at State, it was a straight party all night long until there was no more snow on the ground to play in but no one here seemed to have that enthusiasm :( Anyways, walking to class when it’s snowing was not my favorite, but a first at that. Thursday was 'first shirt, first snow' at USAFA since the first time it actually snowed was on a Saturday and the upperclassmen trashed all of the doolies rooms and went crazy, as usual. On Friday, I went to lunch with Ellie, a USAFA wife, and Anni, a USAFA girlfriend who was in town for the weekend! We went to a Mexican restaurant and although it was good, it made me miss Casa and Rancho even more, haha! Afterwards, I got my oil changed and then picked up Cody at USAFA. We went grocery shopping and then picked up some last minute things so that we would be ready to hit the slopes on Saturday. Melissa made a Halloween cake and we spent the rest of the night hanging out at my apartment!

We left Colorado Springs with a quick breakfast from McDonald’s around 7am and made it to Loveland Pass (since Winter Park and Copper Mountain aren’t open yet) about 9! I skied and Cody snowboarded until around 3pm…only 1 lift was open since it is so early in the season so it was a little crowded but a lot of fun! I fell a few times but the best part was when Cody fell….it rarely happened and only when he was doing a trick but I laughed so hard a few times that I fell too…what goes around comes around I guess, hahahah! It’s also really encouraging when 3 year olds are better than you are…okay, maybe not 3 but these kids were legit! It was in the high 20s/low 30s and 65 back in Colorado Springs so I actually wasn’t cold! I’ve only been skiing once before and it was on a fake mountain with fake snow in Missouri so I’m excited to get to go a few more times before I head home for Christmas! After a much needed nap, we went to Red Lobster for a late dinner! I enjoyed it but Cody decided that Colorado is just too far from the coast for seafood…

Cody made breakfast for me on Sunday and it was delicious! We went to a thrift store searching for ski poles since one of mine broke in half on Saturday and the other one was super short….FAIL. We found some perfect used ones for $3 and went to play tennis. There was an old couple playing beside us so we had some competition….they were pretty good to be so old, it was funny listening to them hate on each other!