You talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me!?

Hello internet! This is Nick here. I sure have missed you during this long absence, but don't worry, I am back! So a lot sure has happened over the course of the past few months up here in Lubbock. Overall, Katie has done a great job of keeping you updated on my life! This past week has been my week of finals and I am very pleased to have my first semester of LCU done and under my belt. After four and a half months of hard work, studying, and reading until I went cross-eyed, I managed to get all A's! I tried to convince Katie to do something special for me to celebrate but she wouldn't have it.

While we're on the subject of school, I recently decided to pursue my Master's of Divinity after I finish my undergrad at LCU. I'm not sure where I want to go to get my Master's yet, but so far the most promising programs are at LCU, Abilene Christian University, Lipscomb University, and Freed Hardeman University. So basically I've narrowed it down to two places in Texas and two places in Tennessee. If any of you have any more ideas about where to go or what to look for, feel free to leave a comment with some suggestions or thoughts!

Well right now, Katie and I are watching one of our favorite TV shows, The Sing Off. I don't know about you, but I'm pulling for the group, "Committed." They're supposed to be singing and old Backstreet Boys song tonight so they already have my vote!

I can't wait to get back to Magnolia on Wednesday to see Katie's family and some old friends from back home. It's always nice to return home for a little while. On the 19th though, I'll be flying off to Nashville to see my mom and my sisters! Needless to say, I am CRAZY excited to get out there and spend Christmas with them. This will be the first time that I'll spend Christmas day with my mom and sisters since I was 11. Can you believe that?? 10 years! I can't wait! :) Also, when Katie and I get back, we will spending a lot of time on Friday meeting with different wedding photographers to see which one works out for us and what we are looking for. So please be praying that the whole process goes smoothly!

Well, that's pretty much all I can think to write about right now! Here's a little something to put you in the Christmas mood....

World's Largest Snowcone

So Lubbock has set a new world record...The World's Largest Snowcone! They started shaving ice for it a few days ago and the final snowcone weighed in at 25,000 pounds. The old world record was set at 17, 000 pounds, so Lubbock officially holds the new title. I heard about all of this on my way home from school the other day, so what did I do...well of course I had to go see it with my own eyes! I whipped my car around and drove straight to Bahama Bucks to see the snowcone. Here is a picture of the HUGE snowcone!

The snowcone was birthday cake flavored with icing flavored syrup on top. Yum! Bahama Bucks called the operation "Project SnoAngel." They sold 10 pound blocks of ice to shave for $10 each and all of the profits went to the childrens home in Lubbock. I think the total amount raised for the Children's Home ended up being somewhere around $12,000! So now if anyone asks what is so special about Lubbock, you can tell them about THE WORLD'S LARGEST SNOWCONE!

This week has been super crazy! It is finals week for Nick and I which has resulted in many hours of studying and several trips to Starbucks, as well. Nick officially finished his last final today, but I still have five more to go. Besides the woes of finals, Nick and I have been doing really well. Nick is currently looking into getting his Masters of Divinity to go into preaching after he graduates from LCU. This has always been on his heart, but after completing a preaching assingment in class a few weeks ago and recieving a lot of encouraging feedback, he has become more serious about it. He met with our pastor in Lubbock and had a good talk about how to work as a youth minister and get your Master's at the same time. He is looking at a bunch of different schools, so nothing has been decided yet, but please keep him in your prayers as he trys to sort everything out.

As the semester comes to an end for me, I have been thinking a lot about how God does place you where he wants you. His plan really is perfect! Although I miss all of my friends in College Station and my family in Magnolia, I can honestly say I am happier than I have ever been up here in Lubbock. I have really gotten to know my OT classmates over the semester and I absolutely LOVE my program. I am learning so much, yet I enjoy it at the same time! It is really nice to actually hang out my class when it does not pertain to school. My OT class formed an intramural volleyball team this semester. They called themselves the "OTeam" (I think this is so clever) and we made shirts. I opted out of playing, and those of you that have seen me play volleyball will know why. We also had a Christmas potluck together. Everyone came to the party, except one person so it turned out really well. We ate and played White Elephant. Here are a few pictures!

They forced me to do "Guns Up"...no worries I am still an Aggie at heart!

I am also thankful that God placed Nick and I up here together, and I do not believe this was by a stroke of luck. It has been so nice to have Nick here for support and simply just to have him close. We had been long distance for a quite some time, and to see that come to an end has been a blessing.

Not a lot has happened since I last posted. The only update I have is, Slink, the previously stray cat, is officially ours! I know you are thinking WHAT!? You already have two! I know, I know but I was weak and so was Nick this time. We just could not get rid of him, so he officially joined our clan of black cats.

He is super crazy and I have yet to really capture his true personality on film. He is the king of doing flips when he plays and he gets some SERIOUS air! I will have to try and get a video because it is hysterical. Until then this is the only one I have of him playing. Sorry for the low quality!

So Nick is basically famous!

So I have been trying to post the video of Nick's Best Friend's Sampler Performance for LCU's parent's weekend, BUT after an hour I got an error message. Sad I know! So I am just going to post the link. Just copy and paste it and hopefully it will take you to the right place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opT0-SbHkIY

DISCLAIMER: I accidently covered the microphone on the camera for the second song, so it sounds muffled. I promise it sounded WAY better than that in person! Hang in there though, because it only lasts for a minute or so.

Getting a family fix

Being in Lubbock away from my family has always been hard for me, but it becomes even harder when I have a rough week. Well that rough week happened last week. Between three tests and three assignments, my head was spinning by just Wednesday. After a phone call home, it was apparent that what I needed was my family. Thankfully, I have wonderful parents and a last minute trip to Abilene was planned! Nick and I met my parents in Abilene that Saturday. We had an eventful, fun filled weekend! We went to the Abilene zoo Saturday morning and then went back to the hotel and played ping pong, fusball, and pool. I had no idea that ping pong would get so intense! We quickly found out that Nick has an amazingly low serve that is almost unbeatable and that my mom is the queen of smashing the ball onto the table. After all of this we decided to try a local restaurant called Little Italy. It was definitely one of those cases where you do not want to judge a book by it's cover. The place was located in a shopping center and had an immense amount of neon signs advertising it's presence. The food was amazing, though!! The pasta was homeade and all of the sauces were rich and delicious! We were all stuffed! So if you are ever in Abilene and craving good Italian food...Little Italy is your place. After leaving on Sunday, I instantly felt rejuvinated. It is amazing what a little family time can do! It is amazing how the things your parents do seem to rub off on you. I realized as Nick and I were on our way home (and I was searching for an ice cream place to stop at), that Nick and I always stop for ice cream on roadtrips. Guess who else does this? My parents! Ever since I can remember, my family has always stopped for ice cream when we go on a long trip. The only difference between what Nick and I do is that we don't neccessarily need a "long trip." We really only need about an hour drive to classify our trip as an official road trip, thus making an ice cream stop neccessary.

This weekend, Nick's Dad and Lori will be in Lubbock for parent's weekend. Nick will be performing with his singing group, Best Friends. I have never seen an official performance, so I am really excited to watch them on Saturday! Oh, and because I am not sure Nick will announce this...he was chosen to sing the solo in one of the Reliant K songs that Best Friends will be singing! This is the solo he was wanting, so I am very proud of him. He has a wonderful voice, and it will be a blessing to hear the group perform this weekend.

Applebutter Bike Ride

So, a few weeks ago I signed Nick and I up for a 22 mile bikeride. It is a trip that is sponsered through Tech's Rec Center.Despite the fact that Nick and I have not rode our bikes in probably 5 years, I thought it sounded really fun! The ride began in Lubbock and ended in Idalou where an Applebutter Festival was taking place at an apple orchard. They had BBQ at the festival and were selling everything apple! Applebutter, apple turnovers, apple bread, etc. I can't say that Nick was as enthused, but we still had a great time. The BBQ was really good and Nick and I got home made apple turnovers with Blue Bell ice cream. It was amazing! We opted out of riding the 22 miles back from the festival and decided to take the van. Just to make sure we are all on the same page...I only rode the van back because Nick was tired. I could have gone 22 miles no problem! I think Nick and I both came to the conclusion that riding bikes is a fun activity when done at a leisure pace...in a neighborhood...for maybe 30 minutes. I always said I would try just about anything once, but this is just one of those things that probably will stay in that "only once" category. Thankfully I took all of the pictures at the beginning of the ride, so when Nick and I look back at them it will appear that we had the time of our lives!

After the bike ride we went and ate at a mexican resturant in town called Fuzzy's Taco. I know the name sounds scary, but it was so delicious! My only complaint wasthe wooden seats...I would have preferred some cushion after 22 miles on a bike! My butt was hurting!

School has officially gotten started, and Nick and I are busy! Nick is doing a great job of balancing his 18 hours and being in the singing group Best Friends. I have yet to see him sing because it seems like everytime they perform I am in class. His director said I could sit in on one of the rehersals, so hopefully that works out this week! Despite being so busy, I am really enjoying my semester so far. My classes are becoming more hands on and we get to go out into the community more this semester. Some of things I will be doing include a wheelchair simulation (where we get to experience what it feels like to be in a wheelchair with minimal independence) and going to a local mental health facility to observe the occupational therapist during therapy sessions.

I hesitate to even say anything, because I know everyone already considers me the "crazy cat lady," BUT Nick and I found a stray black kitten a few weeks ago. Nick named him Slink because he is so limp (just like a Slinky!). He is super sweet and has provided a lot of entertainment, but I am not sure that I will be able to keep him. Nick and I have talked to the Humane Society and we have a meeting with them tomorrow. Be praying that we find the right home for Slink! He is such a cutie and I would hate for him to not have a wonderful home. Also, if you or anyone you know would like a kitten let me know!

This is right after his first bath! He loves water!

I'm still alive!

Hello everybody!

This is Nick here, I know I know, it's been too long. Needless to say, the past 4 months have been some of the craziest so far. Where to begin...well first, I finished up my youth minister internship in Whitney at the beginning of August. And then, after only one week back home in Tomball to relax, I moved up here to my new home: Lubbock! I moved into my dorm here at Lubbock Christian University, and my roommate is my good friend from home, Jordan Meuse. We have a pretty sweet set-up if you ask me. We have two rooms, joined by one bathroom. In one room, we put the beds and desks and all of our study stuff. In the other room, we have a 48 inch plasma TV (thanks to Mara Bosch and her husband!), a fouton, surround sound, a microwave, a coffee pot, and many other wonderful items that every college student needs. So if you're ever bored and in the Lubbock area, come by our dorm for some entertainment!!!

Also, Katie and I have gone on an adventure since we have both been here. Seeing as she never took the time to come see me and my church family in Whitney, I dragged her down there last weekend!







So you might be wondering, "What do these pictures have to do with anything?" Well...while in Whitney, we visited my good friend Matt Bruce (big guy with glasses) who just so happens to have two donkeys! And on the way back from Whitney, Katie and I stopped in Dublin for some delicious Dublin Dr. Pepper!

Well that's about all there is too it! I'm sure if I missed any important details, Katie will be sure to point them out to you. :) As a quick sign off, I type in Greek, seeing as I am learning that in class: αγάπε. Cool isn't it!?