Kansas City Christmas

I love Kansas City. I don't believe I have ever hated leaving a city this much, and I have made no secret of my desire to settle there eventually. Because I will be frank, it's a deal-breaker between me and a potential husband if he is not willing to settle in the KC area.

Tonight, I got to go with three of my best friends to see the lights, get a picture with Santa, and create some beautiful memories along the way.

I have had an interesting semester here: a career change, living without my friends, new job and new AURH officer role is a lot to deal with when I feel like most days I can't even break even, let alone get ahead. So these three have become my rocks when it gets really hard to contain. We all went and got to know each other at MACURH, and even though Brian and I had been friends since May, Brian and RJ had known each other for years, and Laura and I had gotten pretty close leading up to MACURH, the four of us have grown together as a group and been fairly inseparable ever since returning from Kearney. I honestly do not know how I would have survived without them.


On the way home from KC this evening, I was turned around watching the city sink away, and I felt horribly sad that I was leaving (in my humble opinion) the best city on Earth. I also realized that with Brian graduating in the spring, and the three of our busy schedules coming up, we may not have many more times like this... Brian even said I was getting emotional, which aside from being embarrassing, is just a small sign that I truly love my friends and I hope to never take for granted the time I do get with them.


I also asked Brian, a native Kansas City-er, if this city ever got old. Would I still be turned around in my seat, watching in amazement, in five to ten years? Would I still get super excited every time someone bribes me with a trip to the city? He told me that he still felt a lot of the same amazement and wonder as I did, most likely because he didn't grow up inside the city...  His trips to the Plaza or Crown Center are special too. So that gave me a great sense of excitement for the city: that I would never tire of it and I would miss it when I was away from it.  Becasue, let's be honest, to miss the city, I would have to leave for a bit... and I think that time is sooner than I would like to admit.


(:

Brian Hillix!! (Or.. Enrique.)

<3 td="td">

RJ! (Or.. Gustav..)

Kansas City <3 br="br">

Laura! (Or..Winne ;) )

Recap; 2011 Style.

I know.. I know... It's been a WHILE... Sorry!!

Here's a recap of the last few months... (: My last post of 2011!!!!

Thanksgiving-

Being back at home was wonderful. It had been a really stressful few weeks and a little escape to Mulvane was needed. Jessica was coming to Lawrence to stay the night and I wasn't allowed to leave since I had a late test, so we got to see each other after a LONG time. (: I really didn't see many friends when I was home since everyone was spread out at families and I was only home for less then five days, but I got to see my entire family and that was great. And of course Thanksgiving food!! (:

Cousins! :)

A little of Mom's Side of the Fam!

Picture Perfect :)

Aunt Lisa...

&& Uncle Corey.. :)

Finals Week-

Oh. My. God... I have never been so tired in my life after finals week. I had three "test" finals and one paper to revise and then I was coming home! They were spread out across an entire week, so it was nice, but it also added to my stress level because I was freaking out for so long. I also was forced to work fifteen hours in three days (which isn't a lot, but I was used to 3 hours every three weeks... culture shock!). So my stress level is through the roof.... and I wasn't sleeping. Out of the entire week, I probably got around 20 hours of sleep total... and thats a high estimate... realllllly high... Thank goodness all-nighters are my specialty... However, it wasn't so fun coming home and being taken to Immediate Care and being diagnosed with Laryngitis!

Last day in Lawrence :( 

Christmas-

Oh Christmas Break.. a whole month at home with no work or school.. and James was coming home! So it was panning out to be a good Christmas. I went shopping no less then FOUR times BEFORE Christmas, and I'm still not done! Lol Jessica picked me up and we went shopping for her mom, Katie and I went to Sherlock Holmes, and Allyson and I went shopping a few days later. My mom and I spent the entire day before Christmas Eve shopping at the mall, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Kohls, Walgreens... It was exhausting. Christmas Eve is always with my dad's side and Christmas Day is always with my mom's  side. Just a lot of relaxing and sleeping (and a LOT of "How I Met Your Mother") during the first half of my break...

Juli!

Christmas Eve!

Grandparents and Mom, Dad and Sister!

Family Pic!

New Year's-

Unfortunately, James had to fly back to California today... His dad and I went with him to the airport and eventually, he'll be on his way to Alaska. I have no idea when I'm going to see him again, but I am grateful for the times I got to see him the last few weeks and the previous seven plus years... those memories aren't going anywhere and he'll always have a special place in my heart.

But it's not all sad... I'm going to Amanda's tonight for a New Year's bash and we have a girls day coming up! Pics soon!

As painful as it is to lose James, I know it's all going to be alright. Life goes on and not at a better moment. It's a new year, lets start over. I feel like every year of my life has a theme...

2009- Patience. I was beginning to discover just how amazing life could be with just a little patience.
2010- Courage. Stepping out of my comfort zone and fighting back is never easy, but I did it in 2010.
2011- Change. So. Much. Change.. From graduation to moving, change is inevitable... but manageable.

2012- Acceptance. I have to learn to accept things that I can't change or shouldn't change.  I can't fight everything and I can't hold on to everything... sometimes, letting go is the best option.

I just have to accept it first...

<3

..i miss you already... i am so proud of you... <3 b="b">

One Very Long Month...!

December came and went. And what a month it was...

Basketball is here! I'm liking cheering for basketball more and more now that games seem to go by faster and there are more people at the games. I fly quite a bit now so I'm enjoy that TONS!

Yearbook is always on my mind now. We sent in our first 32 pages before break and it was horribly stressful. I couldn't even be in the same room with Mrs. Gandolf when we did it; she made me leave and go find someone to help. We have 32 more pages due on FRIDAY!... ugh. Which brings me to my next point... Friday is Homecoming! My very last ever high school homecoming. I'm not a candidate, but I'm honestly alright with that. I get to cheer on my last homecoming and I get to plan and RUN the entire pep assembly because the StuCo president will be gone!! I'm so excited! And my cheerleaders have been working very hard on their routine for the pep assembly. I even have the battle wounds to show our efforts...

4 Hours after dancing and getting the bruises on Wed

24 hours after the first picture. Walking was not easy...

 The winter dance was at the beginning of the month and it was so much fun! I will take any chance I get to hang out with my friends and this was no different. Except I couldn't go with the person I wanted to go with, obviously, and it was hard to go without him, I still had a good time. Ty still told me I looked beautiful when I came home, so it was a wonderful night. I went with my best friend James. Here's some pics (:

It was cold. I made him carry me lol

I loooooooooved my dress and shoes.

Nicole (:

JESSSS! <3

Miss Shy (:

Chris, Jordan, Jess and I. <3

Speaking of good times with the friends, we had a Christmas party the Wednesday before Christmas. It was a blast! We had a white elephant gift exchange and I ended up with Jessica's gift! There were lottery tickets, candy, iTunes cards and other awesome stuff being "stolen" and traded (thank you Brandon for taking the gumball machine off my hands) and food and games and just a really really needed party. Jess even stayed over that night (we did that A LOT over break) and we watched Dawson's Creek for hours. It wasn't the first or last night my bestie stayed here for a night. Jessica came over the night of the eclipse and we stayed outside from 12 to 2:15 in my driveway watching the sky with Nicole. It was COLD! But it was good bonding time and we planned the next eclipse party in 2094..2049? One of the two ;)

But Jess came over a BUNCH during the break to keep me company. I was so sick over Christmas and Christmas Eve that I was threatened with the ER and Intensive care if I didn't get better. But I still had a great Christmas. I got so many KU things, I won't ever have to get anything in the bookstores! lol

Christmas Day. I was rather pale and yucky.

The three cousins (:



Just ONE of my new KU blankets lol

Christmas Party Pics! (:

All of us (:

My best buddies (:

The girls! Katie, Jess, Jordan, Kelsey, Allyson, Nicole <3

To finish off the month, I also finished up my first semester of my senior year. I worked my BUTT off and managed to make the the B I received in English disappear. All As for the 7th semester in a row (:  I am still ranked number 1 in my class which I was terrified i was going to lose last quarter. I am ready to tackle my last semester and speak on May 21st... which is getting here much faster then I am ready for. But Homecoming is next week! So I always have something to look forward to. Thank goodness!

<3