Yeah that's an old one, I know. Anywaaaaaay, time really does fly. We have been living here for almost five months. Wait let me count...yes almost five. Wow, that's a long time. But wow again, that went by so fast. Next thing you know we'll be in Maryland for Ryan's wedding. Rawr I can't wait!!! You know on Facebook how people are playing tag, where they give us 16 random things about themselves and then tag others to do the same? I've decided to put the 16 random things here:
1.I love my hair. It always cooperates and I don’t have to do anything to it or put anything in it. It can be straight or wavy depending on how it dries
2.I completely trust in the Lord. I am His, always and forever
3.My closest friends live the farthest away from me
4.The balloons people gave me for my birthdays in high school are hanging on my wall
5.I did not want to move to Texas. I could have tried to stay in Maryland but I wanted to respect my parents and move with them. They have done so much for me and have given me everything I have, so why not do something for them? I’m just doing what God told me to do. I am getting used to Texas though. As long as I am in Texas, or anywhere else for that matter, I will always miss and will always want to go back to Maryland
6.Although I terribly miss the Catholic University of America, the friends I have made when I went to school there, and the Basilica of the National Shrine, I have very high hopes that I will return one day
7.After my 18th birthday, I wrote thank you notes to the people that where there. One person emailed my dad saying that she was touched that I had done that and that it showed how well I am being raised. My dad forwarded that to me, I printed it out, and it is hanging on my wall above my desk
8.Something that is constantly on my mind is that life is short. From every situation that I was in or am in, I have learned many things. And the one book that pretty much sums up what I have learned in my life so far is Tuesdays With Morrie. If you are reading this, I love you very much
9.I love traveling with my big family. It can be stressful at times haha, but in the end, they’re still my family and they make the trips worthwhile
10.I sleep with Bearemy. He has a Redskins, Wizards, and Batman outfit. Oh and a shirt that has a picture of Pope Benedict the 16th and it says, “Christ Our Hope.” And khaki pants
11.I’ve slept on the phone with only one person only one time ever in my life. Now that is really random haha
12.I write in many journals. I write about what happened that day, make lists, draw, write to God, write to friends, what I want in my future husband, what I have to do for the day, the goals I have, notes from talks, notes from homilies, etc. I just like writing everything down. When I was at Catholic U, my suitemates and I used to write notes to each other. Cute, I know
13.Despite the fact that my mom was in Texas that day and I didn’t have cake and blow out candles, my 19th birthday was the best birthday of my life, so far. For the first time ever I was honored by my friends and they gave me roses. I cried an ocean. I keep the roses (but cut the stems off) in a tin box in my dresser drawer
14.I think whales are the prettiest. They’re magnificent and whenever I look at them, I am captivated and speechless. Yes, I love them that much
15.Babies and little kids make me giddy, especially the babies and kids in my family. They’re TOO cute
16.Whenever I wear my Echo hoodie, ALL of friends who I’m with at the time tell me that I look so gangsta...at least when I was at Catholic U haha.
If you are reading this, I guess you're tagged, if you want to be tagged hahaha. Remember that Happyslip video? TAG TAG TAG TAG TAG! Hahahaha. Okay.
It snowed here the other day. But it was only a tiny tiny bit. It doesn't usually snow here, I think my mom said the last time it did was in the 70's. Vince said we brought the snow with us hahaha.
I earned great grades this semester. I am so amazed that I have achieved so much after every semester. I remember at Catholic U, after the first semester, my friend and I were saying to each other that we couldn't believe we had just completed our first semester of college. And then I looked at my planner and saw the stuff that I had to do. I remember the moments being assigned those assignments and thinking how in the world was I going to do it all. Looking back at them just made me proud of myself. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. And now, since this semester is over, painting, anyone? I love how everything on earth is used as a vehicle, to help us focus on God.
Things that make me think of Him: Pretty trees Snow Nsync My family Babies and little kids Driving Music Driving with music Home Singing Mountains Pens that write smoothly Flowers The sky Seeing friends and family after a long time of not seeing them Good books Traveling, cruises specifically haha. Gardens Airplane rides School and the list goes on...
Are these considered simply joys? Wow God loves me. And you!
I don't know why I didn't follow my own advice. When Facebook came out with a new face, hahaha, I said to myself "oh wow this is new!" And then a loooong time ago when Xanga changed, I said to myself "what the heck is this?! i hate this new look! i don't know where anything is." I will stop complaining.
I am a happy person. I love God, life, everything, and everyone He has given me. Living is Texas is great, it is making my parents happy and it's definitely making me happy. But what made me even happier was visiting my other home...Maryland. I really cannot remember or actually, I don't even think there was a time when I was that happy. Uh wait a second, yes I can remember when I was that happy -our European vacation. No fifty! Anyway, yes, visiting Maryland was the best. Not only did I get to physically be in Maryland, but I got to serve at the Discovery Camp with the amazing service team that i have served with before and whom i missed so much, i got to see my aunts, uncles, cousins, "the babies," watched a skins game with the cousins, and then had a sleep over with aly =)
I love these sisters.
Watching the game at the Soriano's
The Babies minus Jonah
Jonah!
We played wedding...with Ariel and Superman haha
Aly and I had matching socks haha
On the plane ride to MD I remember I couldn't stop smiling and I kept thinking "Praise the Lord, praise the Lord!" And then when we arrived at Camp Hashawa and I saw everyone and then they all started screaming, I almost felt like crying...because I was in Maryland, and because I saw everyone again. I was soooo happy, so thankful to God that I was there. Friday night it was still kind of hard to believe that I was actually there haha. And then me and faye didn't sleep till the wee hours of the morning because we were just talking. Actually, whispering haha, because everyone else was sleeping. That was fun. After the camp we went to the Soriano's. Food was great as always. Burgers, hot dogs, sushi, Hong Kong Express lo mein, chips and dip. Oh yes. It felt sooo good to see family again. Sigh. The visit to our Autumnwood house, however, was kind of wierd. It was wierd seeing it empty. I miss it. And now I'm starting to cry so moving on! Oh hold on more sadness, on the plane ride back to TX, of course I cried. I'm a girl that's what I do! The scene that just kept playing in my head was when everyone came over the night before we left for TX and when the Soriano's were going home, Ate Lili started crying and then my mom started crying, and then I started crying, and then I picked up Aly so I could bring her to the van and she asked me, "Auntie Jamie why are you crying?" and then I just started crying even more, I think I cried a river. I was sad, but I never ever for one second forgot to praise and thank God for what He just did for me.The trip to Maryland as a whole was perfect. He was constantly on my mind during the whole trip. He knows me. My God, You are awesome. If you're happy and you know it clap your hands! *clap clap*
I realized that I didn't have a birthday cake on my birthday, I didn't blow out any candles, I didn't make a wish. And then I realized I already have everything.
The 21 day mark was actually yesterday but who cares, haha. As I was talking to my friend yesterday, I realized that there are 3 weeks, 21 days, or 504 hours left in Maryland. And then my friend said something along the lines of, "don't remind me! that's such a short time! and you'll spend half of that time sleeping!" And then I suggested that I shouldn't sleep to have even more time to hang out with people. What a brilliant idea.
I have 3 weeks left to pack all of my crap in my room. Have you ever seen my room? I have shelves on two adjacent walls, I have mirror doors for my closet, I have a green desk with purple stars that I painted myself, haha, a purple rice paper lamp, and a broken smoke detector hanging from the ceiling from when it was still Carlo's room, hahahaha. Almost everything hanging from the walls like balloons from McNamara birthdays and posters are packed. The only thing that is left are the CFC Youth conference ID's, a colorful wooden rosary from the Basilica that I got a very very very long time ago, and the World Youth Day 2002 bandanna.
The European Vacation was amazing. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY! I pray that I'll be able to go back there when I'm older. We spent a few days in Rome, minutes away from the Vatican, before boarding the ship. We disembarked from Civitavecchia, Italy, which was about an hour away from our hotel. We stopped at: Naples, Italy; Mamaris, Turkey; Izmir, Turkey; Istanbul, Turkey; Athens, Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Livorno, Italy; and finally returned to Civitavecchia. The cruise lasted for 12 days but I think we were in Europe for almost a month. And now it's already July. The 22nd is when we leave and every minute I am dreading packing.
