Friends...

Wow. Yesterday was one of the greatest day's ever. I know that I seem to say that about a lot of things, but I am very serious about this one. It was the last of the Thursday classes for the semester,and we had a Christmas party for Shining Through as well as Megan coming home from Ireland. It was one busy day.
I was working yesterday from 2-5 at the Marbeck desk when my cell phone started lighting up. It was Megan.!! She wasnt supposed to be home until midnight last night so it was a suprise to hear from her. I didnt answer. Of course, but I did text her to call the front desk. I really wanted to hear her voice. It has been a long time. She called the desk and said they were delayed in New Jersey. So she would get home later. Wow. Just hearing her voice was wonderful. After work I needed to get ready for a Christmas party with Shining Through. We were going to our Music instructor's house in Columbus Grove.
It was a time for a little practice and fellowship. We had the BEST time ever. Carla's house was beautiful. She has a lot... a lot.. of food to eat. Wow. I was able to relax before finals and eat homemade food.
What else would a college kid want!
After the party I ran back (not literally) to the room to wait for Megan. It was a long night, but she finally showed up and we greeted her with open arms. I missed that girl so much. She brings so much joy to my life. She looked exhausted being on two planes, in an airport and saying goodbye to people she got to know over the past 15 weeks. But when she walked in it was all happy tears from the group. We stayed up until 2:30 am talking about everything. How wonderful the experience was, how she loved her internship and just how crazy fast it went!
Waking up this morning was difficult, but seeing Megan back in the Residence Hall was well worth the 2am chat!

I hope you all have a splendid weekend.
Blessings-
Anna

Winter is here!

Wow. It seems like just last week I was going home for my first Christmas break and it is now my SECOND?? How does time move so quickly? Well. This past week has been one of homework, blankets, snow, hot chocolate, basketball, and bible study. Wow. It seems like a lot, but only a few of them took up time. This week is our last week of class, which is AWESOME!! This also means that exams are around the corner, but also home! :)
Well, up until today there has been quite a bit of study guides, and review for the finals. This isn't that much to worry about because many of the finals are just normal tests. So after finishing the study guides with my hot chocolate and blankets Hannah and I went to the Beaver Basketball game! It was against the rival Defiance. Students showed up in black for a "Black Out". It was awesome!! Unfortunately we lost the game, but the guys worked really hard. Soon after it was time for the annual 11 o'clock hangout. Normally it lasts until 12:30, but last night I didn't get to bed until 2 am! YIKES. I guess I keep saying that you only live once.
------------------------------------------------------
I am going to jump mind tracks for a second. Today was Chapel. Tig, the campus pastor, gave the message. As I was sitting there, something came over me in the way of seeing all the good in Bluffton's spiritual existance.
There are so many great opportunities on campus to become spiritually active, but the best way for myself is to find peers with questions and then you can answer them together. I went to bible study this week and looked around to the women in my group and I smiled. These girls are my peers and have the questions that I have as well. This is one of the best ways for spiritual growth.

Ok. Well Stay warm this week. Enjoy the first fallen snow and the winterness of the world outside!

Blessings-
Anna


This website is really cool for looking at the different types of snowflakes! :) Enjoy! :)
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/

My weekend.

This past weekend was the last one that I would have free until after break. It seems crazy to think about that, but it is true. I am beginning to get packages in the mail that I have ordered for Christmas. Next weekend is the last one and I have to work. It is some time that I can look forward to have for studying.
Anyway, This past weekend was a fun one. My roommate was on campus as well as many of the girls in Riley Court. On Friday, PALS was presenting a healthy food night. This was in Bobs. They served Pita chips, hummus, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies while we watched the movie Supersize me. It was set up in a comfortable setting. The three of us girls brought our blankets to cuddle under.
After the movie we went over to Ramseyer to a friends room and played guitar hero. Never in my life have I played that before until Friday. It was such a great game! :) It was a time of laughter and friends. We stayed until halls closed, which is impressive because it it hard for me to stay up until 1 o'clock on a normal day. We had such a great time!!
My Saturday was a bit different. Sleeping in is a very wonderful feeling. It is something that I would love to get used to. So after we slept in, we also ate lunch in Marbeck. Then too all of my excitement, we came back, grabbed some homework and threw in my FAVORITE Christmas movie. White Christmas.!! CLASSIC! :) So when the sing-a-long, for me, was over we the got ready for an MCB event.
We all jumped into a van and began to travel to Dayton to see the Dayton Bombers play. In the end they lost, but it was sooo fun. We had footlong hotdogs, roasted peanuts and some nachos to eat. (So much for the healthy Friday) it was my first and probably last hockey game.! :) But it was very very fun!
Sunday-
Sunday Morning Worship is one of my favorite things on campus. It is a time to get together and worship together. A friend of mine was the speaker. He did amazing. It is such a great feeling being able to watch friends worship together. After SMW, I spent the rest of the day doing homework and staying warm.
This weekend was one to remember.! :)

Blessings during this chilly season! :)

Anna

3 Weeks Left!?

Wow. So it seems as if I havent blogged in a LONG time. Since then, I have had A LOT of turkey, family time, and papers. HMM... I believe that it means we are getting close to the end of the semester. HOW CRAZY! It seemed like just yesterday it was 80 degrees outside with air conditioning in the building and now it is 30 degrees with... well STILL air conditioning in the building. Here in Riley Court we are sleeping in hoodies, sweatpants and socks because it is so cold. But anyway....
It blows my mind that we have less than 3 weeks left of a semester. It is so fun in Bluffton when Christmas comes. Downtown there is what is called the "Blaze of Lights". It is a reason for people to decorate their houses in a TON of Christmas lights. I plan on going uptown sometime soon with the girls. It will be a great time for some hot chocolate, gloves, hats, and scarfs. My thing is that I hate being cold, but love winter. (is that even possible) I love seeing the 4 ft. Christmas trees in residence halls and lights drapping from the beds. People come in from shopping with bags and smiles. In Riley Court we are collecting canned foods for a charity. Winter is such a great time for caring.

As I look outside there isnt any snow, but there will be soon, so i wont wish for it. Next week Megan comes back from Northern Ireland, and I can't wait to talk to her. It is going to be such a great day to see her!


So after Thanksgiving things seem to fly by very quickly. Tomorrow is already Thursday and then Friday will be December. Christmas parties are going on, people are reading advent devotionals, people are just getting into the Christmas spirit. One of my favorite times is when I walk into the hall and hear Christmas music playing. It brightens my entire day. So as you go outside and feel the cold or the next time you bundle up in your coat and scarf remember the greatness of winter and the Christmas season.

Stay Warm! :)
Blessings-
Anna

Life.

hello. :)
Today is the Sunday before Thanksgiving. What a weekend!! It seems as if everytime I blog, I write about weekend activities, but the weekends on campus are usually some of the best times ever. So of course I plan on sharing them with you! :)
This past Friday was one of the yummiest (is that a word?) Friday's ever!! Being the week before Thanksgiving, our Residence Hall, Riley Court, had a Thanksgiving meal. It was everything that Thanksgiving is known for. The Turkey, Mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, laughter, tv, pictures and whipped cream tosses. What a night. We even went into the "turkey coma" after eating, but that wasnt it... After eating together some of us went to MAD (marbeck after dark) and played eucher. MCB was holding a tournament and some of us needed to go and make sure there wasnt any cheating and also just to have some fun on a Friday Night. Soon after the tournament, I called it a night because the Big Game was the next day.
Saturday- OHIO STATE @ MICHIGAN

A day that I look forward to every year. This year, Hannah and I meet two of our friends (Phil and Zach) and watched the Game. It was a sweet victory for the Buckeyes!! We ate some good food, yelled and cheered at the TV. The day went by quickly after that. We were able to finish up some homework and eat leftover turkey. The weekend in general was wonderful.
Today, is the LDP (leadership developmental program) annual Christmas/ Thanksgiving dinner. Students involved in this get to mingle with each other and eat some really good food. It is a peaceful time before break.
Along with that, Midnight Maddness is also happening tonight. It is when the basketball teams are introduced and MCB gives away free things. Always a positive things for students!
Monday night I am leaving for Home! :) So this week is going to go very quickly! I am so excited and can not wait!!!

So find things that you are thankful for. Like MCB, my floormates, Ohio State! :) and of course family!
Enjoy the food and family! :)
Blessings-
Anna

Shining Through

So, I am involved in this Music Ministry Group called Shining Through. Many of you may already know this because I tend to talk about it all the time. It is something that I love with my whole heart. It is a time to stop and worship my wonderful God with a group of people, whom I love. Well this past Wednesday was our very first "time of worship." We usually travel in the Spring on the weekends to Churches around the area and in other states, but our first one is always in November. We travel to the Marion Correctional Instution. At a first glance, many people can feel uncomfortable because of course we are going to a jail. But this experience changes lives. It is a time where we stop and look at our lives and re-evaluate them in the sense of loving our God. We first go in and walk through a metal detector and sign in. Then we get ready to perform worship.
It is very intense walking up infront of 100-120 men, whom are in a prison for different things, but are are able to see how God can work with these people.
Grown men fall apart when worshiping and stand up and praise the Lord. This is an oppourtunity of a lifetime and I am so blessed that I get to be a part of it.
This group actually brings people together in a form of worship.


Our Religious Life in Bluffton is actually something to look forward to. There are so many things to be involved in on Campus and the Religious Life is a great one.

Blessings-
Anna

Oh Mondays

There are times when the weekends go by so quickly you cannot believe that it is already Monday?! This weekend... well, was not really one of them. This past weekend I worked at the front desk in Marbeck for most of the weekend. It was a long 17 hours, but I did get some things accomplished. They good part of the weekend was Sunday. I was able to wake up in my room, and sit in my pj's for a while. Every Sunday at home, my mom makes breakfast. So I decide to do that. mmmmm. Pancakes and coffee!! :) My dearest friend Becca was also here this weekend, so we spent the morning together eating and laughing. After that we worked on homework and decided to make cookies, dinner, and a cake, while dancing to some music. This weekend was a time to accomplish some things.
After laughing a lot and making people happy by baking for them, we relaxed to some good old tv. Every Sunday it is a bit of a tradition getting together to watch Brother's and Sister's. I recomend this tv show!! It is wonderful. I almost always leave with tears in my eyes! After a long Saturday at work, having this Sunday was wonderful!
-----------
Then comes Monday. Back to classes this week as well as scheduling for classes for next semester. This happens the same time every year. You are allowed to register for classes at 7a.m and people actually do. Seniors get the first day and then Juniors and then down the line. My register day is on Wednesday. You need to get up early to get into classes. It's a crazy world sometimes when it comes down to graduating on time and getting the specific classes... ;)
This week is the last full week before Thanksgiving. I cannot believe it. Next week at this time, I will be at home with my parents and sisters! :)
Then when we come back we have two full weeks for class then finals. This year is going by so quickly. It is unbelievable.
So enjoy the time that seems to fly.
Blessings~
Anna

Great News!!

So this past week went by very quickly. It was one of those times when you feel as if Monday was so long ago. Well, this was fast and wonderful! :) This is because I realized that Thanksgiving Break is only 10 days away. Crazy right?! There are things you look forward to when being in College. One of them happen to be breaks!! Days during the week where you can go home, or stay on campus with friends. This break I of course am going home! :) My sisters will be there and it will be my last one for two years!--That's right!! I applied for the Northern Ireland Program next year and got accepted!! :)

I was so excited. This is going to be an oppourtunity of a life time! Of course there are going to definately be struggles. Being away from home, missing Thanksgiving, finding money to pay for it... these things are just minimal in my eyes right now!! This past week I have been on a mini-high from this!! It isnt until next fall, but it just seems so soon!!

-----------
Hannah (bestest) was not thrilled that I wanted to apply. It meant that we wouldnt see each other for a semester. This is going to be one of the biggest struggles that I will probably face. But me being in Northern Ireland is only half of it. She is actually applying for a semester in Colorado. This will be at Focus on the Family. She will be learning about family issues and all about the religious aspect. This is something that she is looking forward to! She is going to rock it! So... instead of just being 5 hours away.. we will be around 7?? i'm not actually sure- but it is going to be hard.
Here is the other thing. My roommate this year (Ashley) is staying at Bluffton. So she will be here without Hannah or myself. It is going to be a large struggle, but the "trio" can do it.
There will definately be long emails and maybe phone calls, but I think it will actually make us all stronger!


I am so EXCITED!! Northern Ireland... :)

Blessings-
Anna

Best Weekend Ever! :)

Well, I know it has been a while, but have you ever just gotten so caught up in everything you dont realize what day is which? This was one of those weeks. Last Thursday I was preparing so much to go home for a wedding it just flew by and is already Thursday again. I will do a run through of the wonderful weekend that I was able to enjoy on and off campus.
Friday morning, one of my main classes was cancelled which allowed for me to go home early. I have yet to be home for an actual weekend so this was going to be wonderful! :) I drove home to suprise my Best Friend because she was the one getting married. So all of Friday I was helping the "bride to be" get ready. After seeing her for 3 hours, I needed to get ready as well. Spending time with my mom was what I needed on Friday. We drove to the wedding and got to have mother/daughter time. :) After the wedding was over and the pictures were taken, I was able to sit down with old friends and catch up. Sometimes I dislike doing this, because they are always the same questions... What are you doing? Where are you going to school? What is your major? All of these questions get very repetative after a while, but it wasnt this time. I was able to look at my high school friends and talk about what I will be doing, or what is happening in life. This was so important to me because it allowed for the bonds that we had a while ago, reform a bit. Thank you for friends! :)
On Saturday was the reception. This wasnt until later in the night, so I once again spent my morning with my mom and dad. We actually went to pick out a Christmas Tree to tag. (i know. i know. it's a bit early) The reception was a lot of fun, and seeing my best friend happy was worth it! :)


Sunday morning I left for school, because I needed to be back by 10:15. MCB was taking a trip to a Cleveland Browns Game! :) How awesome!!! We stopped to eat at Hannah's house (my best friend at school, not the married one :) ) Her family took in 30 college students and fed us an amazing meal. After that we hung around and played so football in the yard, until it was game time!!!!
Going to Cleveland is very much a culture shock for me. I am not used to going to a city and walking between thousands of Browns fans barking. It was one of the scariest/coolest experiences ever! :)
As many of you SHOULD know, the Browns won in overtime agains the Seahawks. It was one of the best games ever!!

After a long van ride back-(in the best van ever) I was able to walk into my room to end the best weekend ever! :)
When being on campus, make sure to make use of the oppourtunities given to you. They can be really great! :)
Blessings-
Anna

Mail...

Everyday I have my routine. I wake up, turn on Good Morning America, take my shower, do my hair and get ready for class. Go to class, drink my coffee, get breakfast with my best friend and check my mail. My every day routine. My very favorite part of this is checking my mail. Mail is like a present every day for me! :) Whether it is just a stuffer from MCB saying BINGO was moved to a different day, a package from home, or my paycheck, running to my mailbox is a necessity! :) This past weekend, I was very busy. I worked for a friend of mine, and did much needed homework. While I was at work, I checked my mailbox. Guess What I found?? MAIL! :) This wasnt everyday mail either. It was mail from Northern Ireland. A friend of mine is currently studying abroad in Northern Ireland, with the Bluffton semester program. Her name is Megan, and she lives next door to me. There is approx. a four hour time difference from here to NI, and some days I am lucky enough to get to talk to her on AOL. These conversations are the best. I am able to find out how she is doing and what she is doing. Well anyway... I check my mail this weekend and I find a letter from her. It was in a home made envelope with tape all around it. Inside was a note that left me crying. (in a good way of course)
Mail is what connects us to the rest of the world. Whether it be by email or "snail mail." Everytime I either open my inbox on the computer, or look in my mailbox in Marbeck, it brings a smile to my face.
Next time you go out to get mail, be excited about it. It kind of means someone loves you. (except for the credit card companies) ;)

It amazes me that tomorrow is November already. Time flys by at college. Thanksgiving is in three weeks and then Christmas break after that.
Enjoy the days... and mail of course! :)

Blessings-
Anna

Oh what a weekend

Hmmm... where to start. I could begin with the costume party-no no, what about the hair dye?-nope, a bird you say?-I dont think so. I will start my post with Friday afternoon and proceed up until now. Fridays. Days that make me smile. This is because it is an end to a school week, and a beginning for the weekend. What a day! :) Of course I went to class and then work, but the fun began after work. My bestest Hannah and I decided it was a good idea to go shopping. Always a good idea!! The problem came when we realized it wouldn't be as easy as we had hoped. Everyone says a girl needs a little black dress. Something you can wear on any occasion. It the "best purchase" some would say. But it is NOT EASY finding a little black dress. It is actually fairly difficult. This began our journey for the "little black dress". We left Bluffton in search for this dress at 5:30 pm Friday night. We went for dinner and then our game face was on. By 7:30 still no luck. After we tried Kohl's and Fashion Bug we were a bit nervous. Pulling into the Findlay Mall with little hope we look up and see TJ MAXX shining right into our eyes! SUCCESS! :) Finally by 8:15 we had found that little black dress!! (along with another dress) After dress shopping we decided to grab some groceries and head back to Bluffton. By the time we reached home it was approx. 9:45. But the night wasn't over. Costume patrty?? YES please! :) After we returned from the shopping trip we ran back to our rooms and changed into the lovely ref jerseys. We were going to a costume party!! A friend of our's celebrates their birthday with a costume party at the Cabin. We were just in time for the very end and had a lot of fun within that last hour. There was a minnie mouse outfit, twister, a cowboy, pumpkins and even a pirate. This night was unforgettable. Saturday. Well, it was a day that I WANTED to sleep in. Notice the "wanted". I woke up to something being thrown against my window. Hmmm? I live on the third floor.. what could that be. I rolled over being a sleepy college kid and tried to go back to sleep. But I was unable to succeed in doing this. I put my glasses on and noticed that this thing was flying up against my window. A red cardnial was flying straight into my window over and over again. I had no idea how to make it stop, so I took a video of it! :) After that ridiculous bird, I was already awake and ready for another day. By noon the 4 people left where I live were mostly awake. Hannah and I didnt have anything to do so it was a lazy day of homework. Before we started that we decided to use the box of hair dye (bought friday night) to change my hair color. :) Oh what a day. So as a newly dark brown hair color, I then started homework. Sunday. I attend a local church in town called Bluffton Baptist. Every other week, the pastor always asks if we (Hannah and I) want to have lunch with them. Today, we took them up on that offer. We ate at Arby's and had a lot of fun getting to know the pastor and other people from church. It was like I was with my family on a regular Sunday! I love spending time with people on the weekends. It allows for new friendships and also a time to build on the ones we already may have! It is going to be a great week this week! Remember to stay warm and enjoy the friends! :) Blessings- Anna This is a video of the bird hitting my window--

Last week...

Well Hello!
I am going to jump right into activities that happened this past week. My two best friends at school and I, planned homecoming week. We had so many events and a lot of fun.
This past week took up a lot of time, but it was worth it. Watching people come to events and seeing t-shirts that were designed by a friend makes my day so much better. After all of the activities that week, the weekend brought something new. Coronation. This was the time when the King and Queen were crowned. It takes place at a football game and it is just a good time.
After coronation was the dance. This year the theme was TOGA!! :) Just picture a bunch of college students wearing bed sheets around them, dancing to some good music! This night was so much fun! It was a time to take a step back to have a lot of fun!!!


After last week, this week seems very simple. It is layed back and not hectic. I can sit on the couch and patiently check my email, type up a paper or even watch some tv. Being active gets me through the week sometimes. It keeps me busy, and helps me meet new people.

I know this is actually short, but I am going to post a lot of pictures from the past week. If you have questions about what is going on, or events, or just about anything I would love to hear them! :)

I hope that tomorrow will bring smiles from all of you!!
To a new day.
Blessings-
Anna

One of those days...

Have you ever had one of those days when things just dont seem to go right? A day when you want to be happy, but can't? That was my day today. I was previously going to talk about last week and the activities of homecoming, but this afternoon my day just didnt seem to be going right. Last week was our homecoming week, and being chairperson with my two best friends, it was a busy one. Well after all the hussle and bussel (i think i made that word up) I just wanted a day to sleep in and do homework and watch some good tv. This day didnt seem to come fast enough. Yesterday (sunday) was still busy because of this one test I had to study for. I knew it was going to be a hard one, so I put my whole day yesterday and throughout the day today towards this studying. It got to the point where I was exhausted of looking at the book, my computer, and the note cards I made. I was tired, cranky and just wanted to take the test. I felt as prepared as I would have ever felt and went into this class ready. Well- I guess some things just dont always go your way. The test kicked my butt. I knew some of the test VERY well, but the other half I just drew a blank in my mind. Having only a few points in this class, this test was worth quite a bit. Talking to the other students, it came across my mind that I wasnt the only person whom felt this way. I was actually in the very large majority. The point of this, I guess is that being on campus with activities is a great thing, and I wouldn't change it for the world, but academics are important too. There are days when you can pass a test with flying colors, and there are other days when you could be having the worst time of your life. Today was that day for me. With this test out of the way, I can begin to relax a little bit. Now I have to put forth more effort in order to try and raise that test grade.

College is very different from high school. There is more studying, less points, and some harder classes. But it is very much worth the effort. Whether learning about Paul's Missionary Journey's or relating politics and social work, there are interesting things in the academic field of college. Sometimes it just isn't easy, but working through that work should be worth the degree in the end.

Here's to the rainy day-
Blessings-
Anna :)

HOMECOMING WEEK!!

Hello readers,
This week is our Homecoming week on campus. This is a time for students, alumni, faculty and staff to get together and have some fun! Our theme this year is "Take a Timeout". There are events planned for each day that encourage the campus community to come together and have some fun, while getting to know each other. Our events each night are different but encourage a lot of participation. I am going to list off what is happening each night and what each one entitles....
Monday- Block Party
This was held yesterday in the middle of Neufeld lawn. We served dinner to the students and held raffle drawings for gas cards, waterbottles and an i-pod. We encouraged student residence halls to set up a table with an activity. This was a time for a lot of laughter and some good food. We had corn-hole set up to play and a perfect amount of grass space to sit an chat with friends. With music in the background and a raffle being drawn, this was a great beginning to a long week. The students seemed to enjoy what was happening around, and many of them stayed until the very end!!


Tueday- Are you Smarter than a First Year?
This is a spoof off of the Fox tv series of, Are you smarter than a fifth grader. We are having 6 first year students, come up and challenge the upper classmen to a series of questions for a prize of $50. This is going to be a very fun even in the way of bringing upper classmen and lower classmen together. This should be full of entertainment!!

Wednesday- Beaver Pride, and Pep Rally
Come out and show some spirit. In the Commons, we are encouraging the students to support the sports that are playing in the fall, by getting an inflatable finger and some hand made signs. This event is one that everyone can participate in by being a "Beaver"!!

Thursday- Christopher Carter
We are bringing in an entertainer!! Christopher Carter is an illusionist that will read minds! This is for the students! After long weeks of studying for exams and doing homework having a time of fellowship together is a very good idea. This event is going to bring a lot of different faculty and students together for a good time.

Friday and Saturday- Parade, Coronation, Football and dance
See who is crowned King and Queen, watch some good football and dance the night away Toga style with some friends!!

Homecoming is going to be such a great time for friends, and family. This is a chance for alumni to see how the campus is doing and a time to have students participate in the activities provide for them.


Even though this week is crazy stressfull for planning events, and getting ready for them, I am so happy that things are working out!! This is one of the best times ever!!!
Enjoy each day! Make sure to laugh with friends!

Blessings,
Anna

MCB retreat and Fall Break

Hello All,
I would first like to apoligize that I haven't written in here for a while. This is because sometimes I don't realize how many hours are in the days and when things pile up I personally tend to FREAK out! This is what happened last week. Not this past weekend, but the one before, we had our fall break. Saturday - Tuesday. This was a time to relax and have a long weekend at home, or travel to visit people. Some of the Bluffton-ites stayed on campus. I decided that I needed a break from Ohio, the place I was born and raised, so I drove 5 1/2 hours to Illinois to see my oldest sister. This was what I was looking forward to. I hadn't had a weekend off of campus yet, so I decided to get away. My sister works at Millikin University in Illinois. So I was technically just going from one campus to another. Here is the funny thing...I was expecting some kind of delicious homemade food and what I got was a swipe on her "Millikin Staff" card and ate in their caf. Oh, and the food company was Sodexo, the same as Bluffton. Yum to some "homemade" food. :)

It was very peaceful to drive 5 hours. I was able to get away from the studying, exams and homework. I turned up the music and enjoyed the 70 mph speed limit. The weekend was a great one in the sense of seeing some people whom I havent seen in a while.
After the drive, I decided to go home on Monday and sleep in my own bed and see some of my old friends! :) This was so wonderful for me. Connecting to friends back home was a must!! It allowed me to feel comfortable with them and also find out what is happening since I left!!
Staying at Bluffton is great and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but there are some days when getting off of campus is even better. Sleeping in a bunk bed is fun, but going home to your own room with your sheets and having the comfort was exactly what I needed!! On Tuesday I was able to hang around the house for a bit and then shadowed a Social Worker in Sandusky. This was for a class so it was nice for me to do it at home in a familiar place. I had a really great time and learned a lot of different things about the Social Work field.
Coming back to school seems more difficult after a bit of a break. We needed to jump back into exams and homework and all of the activities on campus. This past weekend, MCB, the campus activities group, went on the annual retreat. It was yet another get away from campus, but with a lot of my friends. This weekend was all about learning how to make our group better in many ways. We were able to bond over funny stories, relate events to old ones, and find some new things that the campus adn student body might be interested in doing. This weekend was filled with a lot of laughs and good food!!!
After a busy weekend, begining another week seems almost impossible. The catch is that this weekend is our homecoming week and my roommate, best friend and I are the chairpersons. Which means it will be yet a crazy hectic week!

But it seems to keep me entertained! Which is always a plus!!! :)

Take some time to breathe!!
GodBless
Anna-

Spiritual Life Week

Every fall we have a week based on Spiritual Life. There is a groups of students that come up with events for the whole week. This week is it! :) The theme is Experience the Abundant Life. It also has a bit of a sub-theme from a Superchick song. This week is based on the spirituality of students on campus. It gives us all a chance to express everything that we believe and learn from others. It gives us time to be one on one with God.
The schedule for the week include,
Sunday- Fall Festival
Monday- Battle of the Airbands
Tuesday-Prayer Walk
Wednesday- Worship at the Cabin
Thursday- Feeding on the Word of God
Friday- Pancake Breakfast

So far the week has been a lot of fun. Sunday The Fall Festival was a time for fellowships with a lot of the groups on campus. They set up booths and handed out raffle tickets. We were able to spend time outside with friends old and new.
Monday was one of the well known events on campus. Battle of the Airbands, is an event at which students get up and lipsync to a song. They can dance, play an air guitar or find another way to perform. It is a lot of fuN! :) Last night, we actually had 9 different bands perform! All were a variety of songs, but they were all good! My best friends, Hannah and Ashley and myself, got up and danced to "Are you gonna be my girl" by Jet. This was SO much fun!! We practiced for a few days for this and ended up doing great!!! We actually got Best Choreograhpy. There were three different placements and we got one of them!!!! The award was a $50 gift certificate to Cold Stone!!! We had the best time ever!!
Spiritual Life week is one of my favorite weeks ever! It is a time of relaxation and time with each and everyone of our spiritual journeys. So when thinking about decisions that you have to make, take time to let the pieces fall where they may.
Have a meaningful week
Blessings,
Anna :)

Rootbeer Keg Party!!

A new weekend and a lot of fun!!
This Friday was SO MUCH FUN!!! On campus we have different organization that keep students active. MCB, is one that I have talked about before, but PALS is somethings new to my blogs. PALS is Peer Awarness Leaders. This is a group that wants to encourage students that you dont need to drink or party to have fun.! They put on a "Rootbeer Keg Party" :) The was a lot of dancing, rootbeer, and fog! (Matt had a fog machine working the whole night) This was a lot of fun watching students come out and socialize together when there isnt any alcohol involved. PAL did an amazing job with decorations, facts about drinking and driving, and fun. Who wouldnt want to dance and drink rootbeer??
Towards the end of the night the gave away a free ipod. An IPOD!! We all sat down with anticipation waiting to see who would get the ipod, and you know who got it??? Scott DeArmond (fellow blogger, boyfriend to my hall director) I was so amazed because he really won an ipod. Lucky man!
After all that was said and done, Friday night was a blast!
MCB Soccer game! :)

Saturday was a day of sunshine and soccer! That morning MCB was attending the boys soccer game, where throughout the match they would pull a drawing for t-shirts and had ice cream sandwiches. :) YUM! cheering on the boys team, and eating ice cream= best time ever!! It was nice seeing families out supporting the players and having a bit of fun! After the soccer game, the weekend was relaxing! Doing homework, watching some college football on tv, and sitting with friends. It sounds kind of like, every other weekend on campus, but they are all different. Although it seems like we all get in some sort of schedule, we always have time for sporatic things. Whether it be a soccer game, dancing with friends, or some good old fashion board games... living the college life is pretty great! :)

Enjoy a new week! :)
Anna :)

The Little things in Life

Well it is Tuesday already. Wow it just seemed like yesterday when I wrote on here about Northern Ireland, but it was a week ago. Time has been flying by so fast lately. We have started our 5th week of classes and have already had exams, quizes, and papers due. The one thing that helps me get through these busy weeks seem to be the realization of knowing that Fall Break is only a week and a half away. Throughout all of the stress finding one or two things that can help us get through this is somewhat comforting.
This past weekend, like I said in my previous post, I was working at our front desk. But as I was working I recieved a package in the mail from my sister. (She lives in Illinois) I was so thrilled because I havent heard from her in a while, but getting a package means that she actually held that box and is kind of like a little piece of her. It was this long tube with two posters inside. It was so amazing to me at how much a little thing can change my attitude for the rest of the week.
Yesterday I was running behind in the morning. This was getting me frustrated and I was becoming very upset, but looking at the beautiful day, friends, and my morning coffee I was put right back on track. It didnt matter to me whether or not my hair was completely dry, or what shoes matched.. I was grateful for having the sunshine.
I was talking on the phone with my mom yesterday and she was talking about the leaves changing, and my dog running around outside. We laughed a lot about old times, but she made sure to tell me to go outside at Bluffton and sit in the grass. "Bluffton is beautiful, so go and enjoy it"--exact words that came out of her mouth.

The little things at Bluffton seem to affect me more than the big ones. Whether it be the sunshine, morning coffee, phone calls from home, fall break, or just an evening dancing with friends, those leave more of an impression on my heart than anything else.

"We come to know the will of God's life calling through experience itself. We discover what our calling is in the same way an artist paints on a canvas or a person falls in love. We learn by trying, by experimenting, by doing. Our calling is inseparable from the journey. In ones sense, it is the journey."

Have a plesent afternoon-
Enjoy the little things! :)
Blessings,
Anna