Good-Bye 2009

It's hard to believe that 2009 is rapidly coming to an end....in about 10 minutes to be exact!! Like many other people I am reminiscing about this past year. As a graduate student, my life seems to revolve around reading, tests, papers, projects, and counseling ideas!! The spring semester went well, and to be honest I cannot remember much about that semester.

However, the summer was a different story. I took 1o hours in the summer, and they were very intense classes with tons of reading assignments. In addition to summer school, I became a youth leader at Grace Bible Church!! I have 10 senior girls who are in the mist of deciding which college will be the best place for them next year. It's been an incredible journey getting to know these girls, praying for these girls, and crying with these girls! The hardest part of my life came in August when I had left being a nanny for the Tippin family. I watched Lauren and Lindsey grow up for almost a year and half, and became another member of the Tippin family.

After the summer ended I thought things would slow down for the fall semester...little did I know what God had in store for my life!!! I continued as a youth leader for my senior girls, began teaching pre-school at Grace (I have thirteen 2 1/2 year olds), still work in the nursery, take 9 hours of graduate school classes, and took on a challenging discipleship role to a 13 year old, Kat!! Sometimes I look at my days and realize that I don't have anytime to myself, and have even less time for sleep. This fall I was challenged more in faith, and this semester was good (I guess). However, I am taking steps to ensure that next semester will be a better for me.

HIGHLIGHTS from the fall semester include taking Kat pond hopping, to midnight yell, and to her first Aggie football game. Keeping my 4.0 stable, leading bible study for 10 senior girls, serving differen families at Grace, many roadtrips to Bastrop for dinner with Allison and Lisa, teaching 12 two-year-olds, supervising more in the nursery, taking Kat to get her first live Christmas tree, and finishing the year with a roadtrip to the Aggie bowl game in Shreveport!!!!

As for 2010...which just hit!!! My future looks busy with school, work, and serving my God!! Some of my prayers/concerns for this next year include my Comprehensive finals (to be taken second week in April), LPC state-license exam, seeking an internship, and then graduation! I am excited to trust in the Lord for my future and life!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Aggie Bowl Game

Allison and Lisa sad about the Aggies losing the bowl game :(














Allison and I sad about the terrible bowl game, and we were freeeeeeezing!!













Lisa, Allison and I having a blast at the bowl game!









Monday morning Allison, Lisa, and I drove from Sugar Land to Shreveport, LA for the Aggie football game!! It was a great roadtrip with my two closest friends....We got starbucks, had great music, amazing conversation, and a wonderful GPS that got us the the bowl game. Once in Shreveport we ate @ Copeland's which was delicious, and then we headed over to the stadium. We parked in ghetto, walked in the ghetto, and watched the Aggies lose in the ghetto :). Even though the Aggies lost really bad we were NOT 2%ers so we stayed. After the game was over we raced to the car, turned on the heater, and drove to Longview where our hotel was that night. Tuesday morning we woke up, got caffiene, and shopped at a cute little store in Marshall, TX!! Then we drove back to Sugar Land, I waited out traffic for a little bit then I drove back to College Station!!

The road trip was amazing, long, incredible, and enjoyable!!!! I love Allison and Lisa; my life would be extremely different without those two girls in my life!!!

Decorating Christmas COOKIES!!

Decorate Christmas cookies!

How much batter can we eat????!!!!!???
















Monica got some cookie dough in her hair :(

Yummy!!

Santa's Wonderland

My favorite part of the hayride, Jesus Has RISEN!!!











Kat and I had to take several pictures with our favorit purple trees!!

Word cannot express how much Allison has meant to me this year! She has been one constant friend who will always be there!

Santa's coming to town!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Cade enjoying his cupcake













Sam is the least messiest kid I have in class, but today he decided to paint with his cupcake. DELICIOUS!!!

Jacob, the only one to finish his whole cupcake! He the greatest expressions in the world, and he is always so excited to see me!!

Abby loved her cupcake and the icing too!!

NOTO, Night of The Oscars!!

Margaret, Sterling, Brittany, and Katie after NOTO














Here are all of my senior girls!!

Me, sterling, and payton enjoying NOTO!!

Baby Greyson is 1 year old

Happy Birthday baby Greyson















Hudson decorating Christmas cookies!













Berkeley and Davis decorating Christmas cookies!











Olivia and Momo...She loves her Christmas cookie and let Momo eat it!!
















Greyson was not too sure about the birthday cake!



















Hmmmm....Maybe this cake it's too bad!




















Finished product of the cake!
















The kids helping Greyson open some presents!

Tree Spinning, Central Park!

Sterling and Lauren singing us some Taylor Swift!














Lets add some dancing to those Taylor Swift songs!











Sterling, Nicole, and Lauren were freezing at Central Park!!

Lauren and Sterling Tree Spinning!

Youth Christmas Party

Sarah and I bringing the Phillies love to GBC youth group!













Katie, Payton, Sterling, and Margaret enjoying some delicious deserts!













Most of my senior girls....all have been accepted to TEXAS A&M!!!! WHOOP!!









Matt's lovely hat on the tree!!



















Katie and Lauren enjoying the hiding of Matt's precious hat, after it's wonderful Thanksgiving trip to NYC!!!





















Monica and Margaret loving on Matt's hat!























Peppermint brownies, Shelly's recipe!















Amazing brownies


















Snowman brownies that Holly, Shelly, and I spent hours making....they were adorable and delicious!!

Most Wonderful Time of the YEAR

Kat and I decided to decorate ginger bread mini-houses...DIFFICULT!!

Some of the final product!

That looks hard!

Oh, NO! Sometimes our ideas are ridiculous!

Friday after Thanksgiving Kat and I pick out a Christmas Tree @ a Christmas Tree farm (the farm was very sad). However, Kat and I had a great time picking out the tree, cutting the tree down, decorating the tree, and setting up Kat's penguin friend!

What happened to November?

I think today finally hit me that Novemeber is officially over and December is here. The end of the semester has been a world wind of crazy things. Tonight is my last class of the semester and I cannot wait to finish my final paper.

I will be updating all of the different happenings in November very soon!!

It's all about M.O.M.

Beautiful flowers Kat chose for her mom to enjoy














Flowers were incredible and such a sweet thing to wake up to yesterday morning












From the desk of Emily Post: How-to-properly-set-a-table!












Final product: Kat did a great job of setting the table!













Kat making red velvet cake for mom...it's her favorite













Kat found this for her mom when we were shopping!


















Kat decided it was time to do something nice for her mom. I suggested we make dinner and desert. Two chefs for the night, Jennifer was able to enjoy a night away from cooking, cleaning, or serving herself!! She even got a great massage from Kat after desert, WOW!!