decisions, decisions

Okay, a update again.

Sam is doing well, and he even got his hair cut! I'll take his picture later for proof.

I'm same old, same old.

Okay, preface, Some people seem to think I just come up with stuff off the cuff but that is soo not true of me, just because I talk/write something doesn't mean I haven't thought about it for at Least 3 weeks. I just don't let others in on my thinking process. So the next statement means I have been thinking of doing either option for a while. One for 2 months and the other for about a month and a half.

I've been thinking of what I want to do the summer after I graduate and I have two thoughts. I'm kind of torn because they are both the complete opposite of each other and the prices are very different also. I wanted to voice them out and see what other's thought about each option. Emailing me would be great (it would prove that I have people reading...since no one comments).

Option 1: Cruise, around the Caribbean, $700 but have to add in price of either gas to drive to Tampa, FL or a plane ticket so probably est. $300, so $1,100 in total ish, before excursions, which I don't have prices for. It would be for 7 days and 6 nights.

Option 2: Volunteering in Brazil (I am fascinated by the culture and the country interests me is the reason behind this country). For a month it would be $3000 not including Airfare, which is $900-1,100 depending on the time. A lot more expensive but more worthwhile use of my time and I want/like to help people. I would be going through crossculturealsolutions, and helping in an orphanage.

So what's the verdict?

Obviously I am going to have to fundraise if I do the second option because of the price tag but it is for a month. The first one I can swing by saving for the next few months. I have a little time before I make a decisions but I want to have a firm plan in place before september.

Edit

My list has been revised...
The kindle dropped in price AND I got a dog sitting job so I was able to afford it, so I bought it and it is amazing. Now just have to get a case from it.

I'm deleting the Ipad currently, because of the bad reviews that are coming out, so I will wait and maybe put it back on when they have a new model out.

The Canon is still on:

Canon EOS Rebel X2i EF-S 18-55IS kit: 899.99 plus camera bad: $45.99 and Camera strap: $15.00 for a total of: 960.98

And finally the one that WILL take me 5 years to save for:Apple Macbook: 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive, Apple protection plan, plus a case for it…*little squeaky voice* Ahem…1498.00

I am thinking of adding Rosetta Stone language programs to my list, because I want to learn different languages that can help me in the future. And because I want to travel a lot and knowing the language is always a good thing.

The U.S.A. made it to Round 16, it is great! Now if they can make it to the Quater Finals that would be amazing! My first pick is Italy but they didn't even make it out of their round so My picks are U.S.A., England, Uruguay, then Brazil.

Sam is doing well, he normally texts me when he gets off work (like 6 in the morning, I don't always reply...)

Quick Update

So, back at work now, after two weeks away.

My friends wedding went really well. I hated the bridesmaids dresses but it was her day. The groom looked excited to see her walk down the aisle. Nikky's nephews were adorable. So was her tiny niece. My feet were killing me after wearing heels for 4 hours something I rarely do. After the wedding I hung out with her family (her Aunt Denise invited me, she is who we stayed with while in Michigan, she is amazing). That was incredibly fun, hung out with Ian who turned 3 and talked with Aunt Denise. Then I went home at like 1am, then went to my 2nd job at 9am. Fun times. But I survived. Then I got on a flight to Seattle early the morning afterwards.

Okay, Flying sucked! I didn't like the flights to B.C. Sam didn't think here was anything wrong but there was too much bumpyness for me. The first week was okay, very stressful but dealing with my mom always is. E. was great :) Couldn't have made it through the week without him. We scattered my grandma's ashes on Thursday May 27, that was an interesting evening. Mom put on the act of her life and then preceded to drop my grandma into the ocean, container and all. Tigh was able to get her out and then we spread the rest of her remains in the pacific ocean by Kits. Beach. I just did my own little thing, telling grandma good-bye and I'm glad I did.

The second week I mostly hung out with friends. Learned that some friends have changed a lot and others haven't which was nice. Hung out with my bestie 3 times which was amazing, and my other bestie once, hopefully I get to hang out with them more when I road-trip it up next summer.

I did go see two movies, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and Robin Hood, I would see them again because both were very good.

Now I'm back to 'real' life, working six hours a day and hopefully get to hang out with my nephews and niece a lot this summer.

Sam is back at work and doing good. Not much to report on him. He did enjoy his short trip but he also got his eye's opened to a lot of things that he needs to think about.

That's a very quick update, sorry no pictures this time.

Finals

Well, finals are next week. It has been a crazy semester (or more like whole of junior year). I’m going to write a reflection next week about all of 2009 and 2010 so far (I know I should have written about 2009 in January but hey this is my blog). Looks like a mostly B semester which is a downer because I like to keep my grades at A’s to keep my GPA up. But after this semester I will only have one more year before I graduate with my Bachelors degree. I am still debating on if I want to go straight to a Master’s and get school over with or to wait. I am going to study for the GRE just in case I do decide to go because I need it to be accepted into the graduate program and to get scholarships.

Work has been great! Love the people I work with. I know people who gripe about their bosses but I have to say I have the world’s GREATEST bosses. S.C. is just amazing. S.S. is who I mainly work for and she is GREAT. We are friends outside of work also so that has been great. I love working at the archive. Some of the time can be boring but meeting all the older folks that have stories to tell is just amazing. The other day I got to meet a WWII veteran. We are currently working on looking up the medal of honor recipients and honoring them.

I love history which spills over into my job because it is all about history. There is a display up about the history of the town and it is REALLY interesting to learn about how it came to be. It started because of the fort that was here, but the first business was a combined Saloon and Grocery store. And where there is a saloon you have soiled doves (a.k.a. prostitutes). S.A. also had a significantly high divorce rate then you typically think up during the 1800’s.

I am currently a little obsessed with Amazon’s Kindle E-reader. I want one soooo bad, I love to read but I just don’t have enough space to by anymore books and I think the library is tired of seeing me. I have read through, ohh, probably a good 1/3 of the libraries books. I am saving up for it but I am also saving up for a sewing machine…I know odd choices but I love to sew and the Machine F. has is just archaic and HATES me, not kidding. Fran can use the same thread and everything will work fine, I can use the machine literally seconds after her with everything the way she left it and the thread will break and the bobbin will do some crazy thing. It is really weird.

I can’t wait to go to Canada, I miss it A LOT! I am extremely sad about grandma but miss her like crazy. I wish I would have been able to be with her during her last days. It is going to be hard to go through her things, but I am glad I am going to be able to bring about some of her things to remember her by. I am also glad that I will be able to see people (most of the people who read this blog…) that I haven’t seen in like two years.

Well, this post was a little all over the place but that’s how life is like right now. I know, no new pictures, but I haven’t seen Sam in a few days as he is working 2 weeks on 1 weekend off. I will try to take some new ones this weekend. I am babysitting on Saturday and then I think celebrating my birthday on Saturday evening because Sunday is Mother’s Day, and even its my actual b-day it will harder to celebrate it.

Another Update sans pictures...

I know I keep promising pictures…but it’s just not happening currently. I AM going to be taking some pictures of my neighborhood and campus, tomorrow, truly…I AM.

Sam is doing well. He is working two weeks on and one weekend off currently. He is at a different site right now so he is staying in a hotel and living on ramen noodles and Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches. He seems to like what he is doing so I am happy for him. He is already starting to tan again from working outside…I wish I could tan like he does, he does brown almost. I stay pasty white or look sick when I have a tan.

Me, hmm, there is 2 weeks left in school and I can’t wait. I do have a 5 page paper to write and a presentation to do next week but then there is dead week and finals. The running joke around where I work is that I should go get drunk on my birthday because I will be 21 but there are three things wrong with that scenario, 1) I don’t normally drink (I did a little while in Germany, where I sipped others beers and had ONE shot of something, but from that I found out I HATE beer and I am not much of a drinker), and 2) I have finals starting Monday no way I am going to be partying when I will be studying 3) My birthday falls on Mother’s Day this year so Yeah, going to be a crazy busy day anyway.

We are coming up to Canada, and I cannot wait. Sam will be there for a week and me, 2 weeks. Then I come back and work in my church’s nursery the rest of the summer.

I am so excited about June and July….it’s the FIFA 2010 Soccer Cup in South America. I am going to be watching as many matches as I can around my work schedule.

P.S. I have taken pictures I now just have to get them from my camera to here...

School and other

So no pictures this time either.

School has been insane! Why did I think it was going to be easier after spring break?

Oh and about spring break, it was okay. I worked most of the time. I did hand out with Kim and J, B, and N. that was a great afternoon and evening. I enjoyed helping J. with his reading and B. with his spelling. I did get sick on Wednesday of that week which was not fun. I thought I was getting the Flu again but it turned out to be just a cold (praise God, if it had been the flu I would have wished to perish because I did not want it a second time).

This past weekend, I got to see my G.P. and D. It was a great weekend. Playing domino’s and resting and reading. The drive to Kerrville was good. I did find that my little car and the West Texas wind do not go to well together, but I made it there and back in one piece.

School is insane (I say again). Two papers (5 + pages each) due in the next two weeks. I have a test in Texas History next week plus another paper…just too much to think about right now. I cannot wait till summer. I will be working more but I at least will not be going to school. I can enjoy the summer!

I am planning on going to Canada from May 24-June 5 and Sam from May 24 –May 29 (if he will get his act together and ask for the time off work).

That’s all for now.

here is an update:
Sam is taking the test to see if he gets into the airforce tomorrow afternoon. I am praying it goes well as it is something he has actually been studying for (in the last couple of weeks). He is still looking for a part-time job to work during the waiting period between when he takes the test and goes for basics. He now has a car (scary thought lol).

It is almost finals time for me. I am so stressed with school this semester as this has been my hardest semester yet. I ended up dropping a class and only taking 12 hrs instead of 15 and it is still hard. My GPA is going to drop this semester as I will have at least one C (economics, for the life of me I can't make a 70 on a test, even with tutoring from my dad).
Thats the update, sorry its so short. Here are some pictures though:

sibling pictures: