the break

Okay here are the pictures I said I would post (and look it hasn't been a month, I am trying to be better about updating more often)

You can't really tell but there is snow falling hard in the above picture with a tree.

This is in front of Nikki's brother and sister-in-law's house. I haven't seen a snowman in several years so I had to get a picture of me with one.

OKay, this is the windshield after the crash...we were on our way home from michigan through chicago because we wanted to go to the field's musuem. About half way there (yes I was driving) I hit some black ice, started to skid, slowly corrected that one, than hit another patch...and nikki started screaming...I over corrected and we did a 180 into the steel cable fence in the medium (I don't know how to spell that). We both were physically fine but not mentally. I was really shook up but got myself under control quickly as I called my dad, then the police then my dad again etc. It took awhile but we (with my dad's help) decided it would be best if we flew home because I certainly was not fit to drive (it took me a couple of days when we got home before I stopped having little panic attacks when I first got into the car). Nikki was in NO shape to drive either. So, we found 2 tickets on southwest flying out at 9 am in detroit on saturday. (the accident and everything happened on friday at about 10 am). So that was a nice chunk of change (I was willing to spend it to get home and I never thought I would say it but I did, I was happy to be in texas again when we landed in San Antonio, which is 3 hrs away from where we live). Anyways...Nikki's aunt was a blessing, and drove to where we were (3 hrs away, taking off work to come pick us up) and took us home, bought us dinner and was extremely sweet, helped us repack because we could only take so much on the plane and the car was packed, so some stuff got left behind. I learned there was a Tim Horton's near her place (and nikki said my face lit up...because I didn't know there were any in the states) and she said we could go there for breakfast (which was amazing....I love their donuts...so made my day) and than she drove us from Ann Arbor to Detroit Airport. Than we got through secruity (which was on high alert since the bombing attempt on christmas eve) and than we had 3 very turbulent flights home (which did nothing to calm my crazy nerves) and at one point said we would have to prospone take off because there was ice on the wings of the plane, at the next airport, we had to circle because there was ice on the runway...by this point I can HATED ice, so when we finally got to San Antonio and there wasn't a single white fluff falling or ice to be seen I almost cheered. Than my Grandpa (Dad's dad) picked us up and we had a great evening with him and Dorothy (his wife) before going home the next day.

There are 2 more pictures of the car... it looks even worse than these pictures tell, I am just glad that we didn't hit another car or another car didn't hit us since we were on a busy interstate.

Also, I before going to michigan (on dec. 22/23) I went to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to go to a book signing by the pioneer woman.... :) that was alot of fun, even though it was a 6 1/2 hr drive one way I enjoyed it very much. But I almost had a blow out on the way back so I had to buy 2 new tires....

I've decided Road Trips are just not good for me...they drain my bank account to new lows. So no road trips for me for several months. ...

Break

Update,

The break went by really fast. I start school on tuesday...though I am not ready, I haven't even bought my books...opps.

I went to Oklahoma City, Okla. and Ann Arbor, Michigan this break. Both were really fun road trips but were much more expensive than I had budgeted. I had to unexpectedly buy 2 new tires...$260 later than 2 weeks later I bought a plane ticket home from Michigan...$300 later. I will post pictures and explain why both of those things occurred next week.

Sam still hasn't found work but is hopeful that someone is hiring this month. Grandpa J. is keeping his ears open to see if there is any ranch hand openings in the hill country. That would be great for Sam as he loves working with horses and animals.

Christmas was fun, got a few neat things...mostly books lol....I think people know I love to read. And Canada stuff...thats ALWAYS great. I have been having fun telling people about the 2010 Winter Olympics because they now know where I grew up (or at least close to it).

Sam got more practical gifts... New shifts for his bed because he ripped his other ones. A Bible and a devontional book. He also got Canada stuff that he was excited about.

Thats it for now. I will post pictures and explain more about my break later, I have to go buy school books now....for tuesday.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Update:

Sam found temporary work at Citel. Which is great! He is working from 6am to 9pm today and tomorrow from 8am to i don't know.
He did not pass he ASPAB (test to get into the military) so he might be changing his plans but he doesn't tell me so I don't know.

I passed my classes with 3 A's and 1 C. I have never been so happy for a C in my life. I worked really hard to earn that C. I will also never be taking an economics class ever again in my life.
I went to Oklahoma City, to the pioneer woman booksigning. It was really really cool. It was a 6.5 hrs drive up there but well worth it. My dad went with me and that was a good thing because I almost had a blow out with my back right tire. It died on us as I was driving back from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, TX where we were staying. So $260.00 later for 2 new tires. I drove the 4 hrs home the next day. It was great.
Hopefully, I will also be going to Michigan for 8 days with a friend. I will take lots of pictures for sure!

Also, we had SNOW in TEXAS twice now....Global Warming???? Snow in San Angelo, Tx???? Something is not adding up here. My camera temporary died on me so I didn't get pictures (I am hopeing it works for Michigan, I don't want to have to buy a new camera).

Thats all for now. Here are some new pictures of random stuff:
This was in Potsdam, Germany, I was coming out of the huge gardens when I saw this and it was really interesting so I took a picture of it.

This next one is in Amsterdam, Netherlands, it was a park right (really walk outside its there) the Hostel we stayed at. I love this park it was my second favorite part of Amsterdam the frist being the Anne Frank Museum. (I didn't like Amsterdam very much so have this park right next door was a great perk and a very relaxing experience in the evenings)

This last picture is the campus in Luneburg where we did school. This is one of the many buildings on campus and they're all WWII buildings (Hitler even visited here for inspection). They are using a dark part of their history to bring good in their future by educating the future generations.

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:

Soo,
Life has been very intense lately, with school, work and well trying to have a social life.
I love working at both places (an archive, cataloging collections and meeting really neat people), and at my church’s nursery. I love all the children, they are all soo cute and children have some of the craziest things come out of their mouths so it keeps things fresh. But the last couple of weeks of going from one job to the next, trying to manage school work (and failing miserably) along with trying to hang out with friends has been very difficult. I am really ready for school to be over with, one a year and a half left (but it feels like forever).

I haven’t had much time to blog and I don’t see that changing anytime soon, once a week is turning into once a month…but I will try and post pictures more often, probably on wordless Wednesday so at least something is going on here.

A Sibling Picture

A Sibling Picture finally....this is one for christmas....yes I am thinking ahead.

slacking

Okay,

Been really really busy with school so I neglected this blog...probably going to happen again in the future too...

An update:

Sam still hasn't found a job...still searching, just not as urgently as he should. He has been just a tad lazy lately... (I can say that as I know he won't be reading my blog). He is still planning on joining the military just isn't as sure about which branch right now. He is slacking on studying for the test but seems to think he will still do well. Time will Tell.

I know I am negative right now on my brother and for oh 80% of the time normally I am not but right now he is trying everyones patients and is causing much friction at home. So I am venting on him I guess.

I actually dropped a class this semester for the first time. I just couldn't handle the class work. Which angers me because I feel like a I failed. But I just couldn't do 15 hrs this semester. I did find out I still can graduate on time which made me happy. I don't want to spend more time in school than I have to. (I might think differently as soon as I get into a real job but right now I am sick of school and I still have until spring '11 to go)

The pictures at the top are from Germany, I haven't figured out how to get them to the bottem of the page yet.... I have a post half written on my trip last summer there but I haven't quite finished it yet.