Past Two Months

Wowzers. Its been two months since I've been here. I need to be better about writing.
In the meantime, I've been doing some of this:

I got a grand Little 

(Me, Amanda-my little, Sarah-my grand Little)

And:

Georgia v. South Carolina 2012

(we will just leave that little part out)

And:

BYX Formal in Charleston, SC (October 2012)

And:

Georgia v. Florida 2012 (Score: 17-9 Georgia)

But, I actually feel like I've only really been doing this:

(How our muscles contract- pretty cool stuff)

And:

(yes, every bit of that)

And:

(1 of 300 cards)

It's been a crazy past two months. We celebrated two of my roommate's 21st birthdays, and a few other friends' birthdays as well. I somehow managed to survive the crazy political chaos of a Presidential election. I'm learning lots of cool stuff (even though I hate to admit it) and having fun too!

Next on my agenda: 

Taking a week off and spending it with my family and celebrating Thanksgiving 

Celebrating my Birthday

Relearning all that stuff for my death by examination (aka: Finals week)

Working Mom

To start, this blog has been very difficult to write for a couple reasons. 1) I am so scatterbrained so I apologize for jumping around everywhere. 2) I don't want to offend or make anyone angry. This has been on my brain for a little over a week now and I just feel the need to express my opinions. After all, we have blogs for a reason right? It may seem like I am singling out a few people and telling them that what they want is wrong, what they believe is wrong, and they are settling for less than what they are capable of.  That is absolutely NOT my intention. I realize it may go against how some people were raised, or how some want their futures to look. I just want to challenge their view because this is how I’ve been raised and how I want my future to look. And please challenge me in return :)

Often times, I often get the feeling that a lot of guys-the “Good” Guys, the Christian guys-the guys girls like me want to marry one day-want a wife that will be a stay at home mom and raise the kids. Now, this is not a bad thing; it just irritates me when they also think that women who want to have a career too is not as desirable.  And girls, if you truly do just want to be a stay at home mom-more power to ya! Just don’t settle on believing that that is what all the “Good”, Christian guys want- because this is also not true.

If you ask any Christian woman what kind of wife they want to be or any Christian man what kind of wife they want to marry, they will probably give you a quick answer: Proverbs 31. If so, then why do some people still believe that the most desirable woman is one who will be satisfied staying home and not working? After all Proverbs tells us “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” (Proverbs 31:16-17). Does this not say that that a wife of noble character also works? I understand working can be working in the home, but it can also mean working in the workforce. Now, some people may want to say home/ want their future wife to stay home because they see that it works and works well. However, I am here to tell you it is possible to have a great job that you are good at and be a GREAT mom. Trust me, I know from first hand experience.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has worked while my dad worked fulltime. After all, they both have graduate degrees for heaven’s sake-why not make use of them? Now my mom, yes, she works part time, and yes, she did take some time off, but she still worked. And guess what? She even worked to support our family while my dad was between jobs-and her support of him during that time was extraordinary. Did she absolutely need to work? Probably not, but my family may not have lived like we have for the past 20 years. And were there time when I wish my mom were home when I got home from school? Absolutely! But, it made me gain some independence and figure things out for myself (like getting dinner started). Even though my parents both worked, they have still been some of the most actively involved parents in their children’s lives that I know. My dad has served as the swim team Treasurer for the past three years while working and my mom has served as the chorus booster club president for the past two while working- both not easy jobs. They were both active in our lives at an early age- my mom was always up at school helping out on her days off and led our girl scout troops and my dad helped coach soccer for my sister and I. On top of all of this, they raised two pretty good children if I may say so myself. But you know how they did this? Through their faith and utter reliance on the Lord.

Isn’t that what is most desirable in a wife or husband after all? Someone who as complete reliance and faith in God? Just because they want to work-even if it is fulltime- doesn’t mean they won’t love their kids as much, or they kids won't turn out as well, or wont support their husband as much as they would if they didn’t work.

I know, who am I to talk when I have chosen a career that is honestly, the perfect mom job? After all, about 70% of my class is female. And I can guarantee, that the majority of the girls in my class have this reasoning for choosing Pharmacy. But, if I did choose to work full time, or have to work full time, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be any less of a great mom. In fact, my “dream job” within pharmacy probably won’t allow me to work part-time. But I know they only way I can make working and being a great mom at the same time is to have faith and trust in the Lord that he put me there for a reason. I know God put me in pharmacy school for a reason and the desire to have kids for a reason so all I can do now is have faith in that.

I don't want to discount the Christian Man for wanting this. He sees his role as a man to support his family. And some of these men believe that they will have "made it in life" when they can support their family without their wives working. And I totally understand this and support men working towards this goal. But, they also need to realize that God still blessed their wives with gifts and talents and he should encourage her to use them! Even if financially she doesn't need to work.

So, I guess the reason I am so open to having a career in addition to being a mom is because I have had such a great example set before me-my mom and other family friends of our who LOVE what they do and LOVE being a mom. If you are settling because this is what you think all the Christian guys want or what God wants- you are telling yourself a lie. Many men, and God, want us to use our gifts, talents, and education. And guys- it IS possible to have a supportive wife, working wife, and great mom all in one.

Change of Heart

You know what is amazing to me? How quickly God can change our hearts if we are willing to let him. Especially when it comes to our attitudes towards people. It seems like it changes with the snap of a finger-God’s finger. Since January, feel like I have been continually taught this lesson.

First of all, I am very guilty of getting first impressions of people and judging them on that. Especially negative first impressions. However, I am often unwilling to let him change that. But after I finally pray about it and ask God to show me how to love them, that person does something (even something so little) that instantly tells me: I want to be friends with them.

What I especially hate, is when a friend or family member does something to upset you and it seem like it will take a very long time if not eternity for you to forgive them. And what’s even more frustrating is when you have “prayed and prayed” about it and “asked” God to help you let that go. And it seems that a week later, nothing has changed. The problem: you didn't really pray or ask for forgiveness. In fact, you subconsciously probably still wanted a reason to not like them. But I hate that feeling-that feeling of not being happy with someone, or of not liking someone based on a first impression. I always get this gut feeling that when I don't like someone or feel like I am not “supposed” to like someone, something isn’t quite right. Frankly, it makes me moody.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

“Apart from me, you can do nothing” John 15:5

There it is. The answer to my problems. When I have “prayed” or asked God to help me “forgive” that person and nothing changes, I wasn’t totally willing to let God do that. Why? Honestly I have no idea. Maybe because I was looking for a reason to not like them, or even maybe I didn't think God could or would change my heart towards an individual. This year though, I've gotten to the point where I just get fed up with feeling like crap-the feeling that something still isn't quite right. Then God just slaps me right across the face telling me to pray and hand it over. And with the snap of his fingers, all I want to do is love that person and be around them. Change of Heart. That is God wants us to do as a community of believers- to love unconditionally. Love believers-even if they upset you- and nonbelievers- even if you have a negative first impression of them-alike. To show nonbelievers him by being like him. Didn't he love us unconditionally? How many times have you upset God in they past year, month, week, hour? He still loves us. And he also knows we can't love everyone we run into apart from him. Thats why we need him.

How’s that for this year’s lesson on love and prayer?

Prayer for the Semester

     Lord, I come in total reliance on You as I begin this next semester. I pray for challenges that will bring me closer to you, peace that I am carrying out your will for my life, and that I may have an unrelenting thirst for You.
     Be with me as I embark on this new chapter in my life with school. Guide me in my studies, relationships with classmates and faculty, and who You want me to become. You have been with me in every hurdle that was overcome that brought me to this point. Continue to do so, because I know different and tougher challenges lie ahead.
     I pray for my relationships with my friends and family. You know what those needs are. Show me more ways in which to support them, pray for them, and love them.
     Finally, teach me how to be like You . How to surrender control and curiosity that I, for some odd reason, can't seem loosen my grip on. How to love like You so that others may see You in it.
     Lord, I need you in every hour, in every dream, and in every way.

Grandparents

(I write all of this in Love for my Grandparents and Gratitude for the entertainment they provide)

            Two weeks ago my family was on the phone with my 88-year-old grandpa (who lives by himself and still drives, keep in mind). He was telling us about his day and this is what he says: “I had two funerals today and each had luncheons afterwards…” (It has been this inside joke amongst us that we are convinced he goes to these funerals for the luncheons) “but I didn’t eat at the second one because I was still too full from the first.” Needless to say, my family was laughing hysterically after we got off the phone with him.

            A few days later, my mom comes home after work on her birthday and says: “So I called my parents on my way home from work, you know so they wouldn’t have to call me later. I have a conversation with them and they say nothing. So I say ‘Anyways, I was just calling so you won’t have to call me later because it’s my birthday.’ “ It had completely slipped their minds for the day because they were worried about their refrigerator that broke. Granted, they had somewhat of an excuse because they were planning on celebrating it when we got there a few days later.

            We show up at their house last Friday after a full day of driving and I’m wearing a SAO Comfort Color pocket T-shirt. Now, he runs/manages the Comfort Color dying factory (yes, still working at 78) and so of course immediately notices that it's one of his shirts. So it sparks conversation and I tell him that the Comfort Color, especially the pocket Ts, are very popular amongst the Greek Community in the South. He says, “Are they? I notice that we send a lot of the pocket tees down South and I asked they guy where they go and he said to Greek Life. But I didn’t really know that there were that many down there.” So I go on to tell him that good chunk of UGA’s population is Greek and he still stands in amazement that there are that many. So the next morning he says to my sister, “I mean, Avery had to confirm it, but I would have never believed there are that many Greeks in the South.” She says, “Grampy, its not Greek like the ethnicity, its Greek like Fraternity and Sorority.” He definitely thought people from Greece.

            Once afternoon, we were playing Bocce ball. It was my dad and I versus my mom and my grampy. So I’m counting up points after a turn and my dad and I obviously got 3 points. After I say how many points, he said “You got 2, don’t be a pig” in a half serious half joking manner, only loud enough for me to hear it.

He’s a jokester that one. All the time, he tells my sister and I he graduated (he didn't go to college) from PU University. He tells us to hold our tongue and say “Molasses”. I dare you to try it. And I heard this one out of him this week too: “I’m a fart smella” (smart fella). He loves to gives us a hard time, especially my sister. And last but not least, before we left, my sister sees the Hangover in their movie cabinet. He’s seen it! Too funny!

The Joys of Packing

     So I've officially established that I strongly dislike packing. The only good thing about it is that after it's done, you get to go somewhere. I think the reason I hate it so much is that I want to make sure I pack enough clothes, especially if I'm not sure what I will be doing, yet I have this irrational fear of overpacking. So as you can tell, this proves to be an issue. Then, after you pick out all your clothes and you think you are done, you have to go back and pack toiletries (which for girls includes makeup, hairdryer, jewelry...need I go on?). So naturally, what do I do instead of packing, write a blog about my dislike for it.

     But seriously, I know I'm only going to Massachusetts to visit the grandparents, but I still hate packing. This trip makes it even easier to pack too much because we are going to such a familiar place and we will be making the trip in an 18 hour drive instead of a 2 1/2 hour flight so we have a whole car and there is no need to limit what I bring to 50 lbs. But, for those of you that know my girl-scout/low-maintence/efficient-packing mom, you can see how it has been instilled in me to NOT OVERPACK. So now I have this fear of it. Plus, I don't want to be "that girl" that brings a ginormous suitcase. And lastly, I again like to be maybe too organized.

    Even more reason I have such a strong dislike for packing- lets remember what happened last time I tried to do this a month and a half ago:

Yup thats me, asleep in my closet. I know I had more of a reason to pack too much because I was going to be gone for 4 weeks. But, after I arrived in Italy, having packed for shorts and tank tops weather, Italy faced unseasonably cold weather. I froze. And to top it off, laundry was a bit difficult. 

    So, that's me ranting while I wait for my laundry to finish. Can't wait to visit my grandparent's house! Its one of my favorite places :) Plus, we get to go to Maine for a few days-so excited! O, and I get to escape this triple digit degree weather this weekend, good luck!

Legos and Floaties

Well, this week has been sooo exhausting yet refreshing at the same time. How is that possible?


I've finally gotten adjusted back into a routine at home. A routine that involves waking up by 8 every morning and falling asleep before 11 (even on the weekends). Idk why, but I've become a morning person thats for sure! I'm still in the process of unpacking (from moving home) and repacking to move back to Athens in August. Our basement has been a collection of furniture for the past 6 months and now, even more has been added to it since I moved back home for the summer. As my mom puts it, it looks like a bomb went off. And its even more of a headache because I like being really organized.


I started babysitting on Tuesday, which has been so great! They are the cutest kids, but exhausting! I forgot how much I like playing with legos. No joke, I sit around their nifty lego table for a solid 2 hours every day either playing legos with them or playing while I watch them play something else. I will probably always be remembered as the babysitter that played with legos over there. One morning, I took them to the pool for a couple hours. They are 1 and 4 years old so I definitely had to keep a watchful eye on one while the other was on my hip the entire time. Good thing they have floaties. And I love it that they love the water and they aren't afraid of it (I'm not being sarcastic, I really love it when kids love the water)! Their parents asked if I could teach the 4 year old how to swim when I go down there, but I don't know how they expect me to do that with the 1 year old on me the WHOLE time. Plus, I tried teaching a neighbor how to swim once. I can teach someone how to improve their strokes, just not how to swim. Its way different and harder than it looks. O, and there is a lifeguard at their pool- a lifeguard that I realized is probably 4 years younger than me. When did the lifeguards start getting younger, better yet 4 years younger, than me?


It's almost 11 on a Friday night and I'm about to fall asleep. I've become an old lady in the past week in a half!

Art "Paperettes"

     Well, that's it, I turned in my final paper for my maymester. For those that have been following and are interested in what works of art that I found interesting and wrote my papers on while I was in Italy, here they are:


Cortona:
Luca Signorelli Communion of the Apostles

Siena:

Back of Duccio di Buoninsegna Maestá (scenes from the Passion of Christ)

Florence:

Andrea del Castagno The Last Supper

Rome:

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Ecstasy of St. Teresa

Heading Home on a Jet Plane

       Right now, I am on what seems like the longest plane ride back over to the U.S. The flight to Europe, praise God, went by so quick (probably because I had a solid night’s sleep during it) and it just seems like this is taking forever and a day. So I calculated it up, if you count the time from which we left our hotel this morning to the time in which we should land in Atlanta, plus the time difference, we will have been traveling for 18 hours. Good thing we get to break up our flight somewhat with a layover in D.C.

       Speaking of D.C., I am so excited about landing back on American soil where people speak English, tap water is safe to drink, public restrooms are free, and Mexican food is close (I, along with everyone else, have been craving Mexican food so bad haha). As much as I have enjoyed the trip, I really like America.  

       So on this plane ride, come to find out, I am sitting next to a student at Berry College who is majoring in voice/music something, which is what my sister wants to do and a school she is considering. And, to make it even more of a small world, he knows some kids involved in Wesley at UGA and is really good friends at Berry with a girl in my neighborhood whom I have known for ever! Small world!

       Now, I get to process the past 4 weeks. God has taught me so much beyond the knowledge I learned in my 2 classes. He has taught huge lessons in judgment and patience (patience as always, what else is new). I am so grateful for them though because as difficult as it was at first, I just feel like I have made leaps and bounds in those areas due to this trip. For the next week, I get to catch up on sleep and not have anything to worry about till I babysit next Tuesday. Pool and sunshine, here I come! I need try and squeeze in a chiropractor appointment, especially after trying to sleep on this cramped plane.

Angels and Demons

       So today, we had 7 churches plus a very famous fountain on our agenda. We started off with Santa Maria del Popolo. One of the coolest things about today was looking at what we saw and fitting it in to the movie Angels and Demons. If you have seen it, Santa Maria del Popolo was the “earth” church (the fountain yesterday being “water”, and St. Peter’s being “wind”). Later, we saw the “fire” sculpture which was really cool.

(Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Teresa)

       The last thing we saw today was the Trevi Fountain. Its funny, I have noticed anymore when I am told to make a wish is that I catch myself saying a prayer instead. Even when it comes to blowing out birthday candles, or 11:11 too! I didn't intentionally do this at first, it just subconsciously happened. But now, it forces me to realize who is really in control of my life, hence the prayer instead of a wish.

       Tonight, we enjoyed our last night all together. It is crazy to know that we have only known each other for 4 weeks, when it seems like I have known some for much longer.

As promised, Funny Dr. Zuraw quotes:

1)    “We have 12 minutes to make a 20 minute walk so high knees”

2)    Amy and I are one of very few who are at the bus stop with Dr. Zuraw while the rest are still 2-3 minutes behind, “What do those idiots think they are going to do when the bus comes?”

3)    “Walk quickly, don’t look at anything, walk quickly.”

4)    “Don't die” as we cross a very busy intersection

5)    Students joking about the façade on a church, not realizing who is in front of them “don’t take a picture, its 19^th century” Dr. Zuraw: “Actually its 15^th century, but nice try”

6)    “I’ve been coming to Rome every year for the past 4 decades and I have never thrown a coin in the Trevi fountain. Take note of that.” An hour later when we arrive back at the hotel, “did you throw a coin in?” “Yes, sorry Dr. Zuraw.” When in Rome.

7)    “If you guess my favorite gelato flavor, you get an A.” Later, come to find out: “I can’t eat gelato anymore” Great.
8) "That is the American Embassy. That is where you go if you get your passport stolen. But go through those doors, not those. If you go through those doors, you might be greeted with a gun in your face."